All-American Girl – English Lyrics

• By: Carrie Underwood

Lyrics & Translation

"All-American Girl" is a heartwarming country-pop narrative that unfolds the story of a girl's journey from a longed-for son to a beloved daughter, and then a wife and mother. Its relatable themes of family love and evolving dreams, coupled with Carrie Underwood's clear vocals and accessible storytelling, make it an excellent song for language learners to grasp everyday vocabulary related to family, relationships, and life stages within a captivating musical setting.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
praying /ˈpreɪɪŋ/ B1	verb - addressing a solemn request or expression of thanks to God or another deity.
fishing /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/ A2	verb - the activity of catching fish, typically with a rod, line, and hook.
throw /θroʊ/ A1	verb - propel (something) with force through the air by a movement of the arm and hand.
pride /praɪd/ B1	noun - a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of one's close associates, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.
joy /dʒɔɪ/ B1	noun - a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.
nurse /nɜːrs/ A2	noun - a person trained to care for the sick or infirm, especially in a hospital.
dreams /driːmz/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep.
wrapped /ræpt/ B1	verb - cover or enclose (something) in paper or soft material.
finger /ˈfɪŋɡər/ A1	noun - one of the five digits of the hand.
center /ˈsentər/ A2	noun - the point or location that is equidistant from all other points on the surface of something.
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.
sweet /swiːt/ A2	adjective - having a pleasant taste like that of sugar or honey.
beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfl/ A2	adjective - pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.
wonderful /ˈwʌndərfl/ B1	adjective - inspiring delight, pleasure, or admiration; extremely good; marvelous.
perfect /ˈpɜːrfɪkt/ B1	adjective - having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.
falling /ˈfɔːlɪŋ/ A1	verb - move downward, typically rapidly and freely under the force of gravity.
college /ˈkɑːlɪdʒ/ A2	noun - an educational institution or establishment, in particular one providing higher education.

Key Grammar Structures

• Since the day they got married, He'd been praying for a little baby boy

  ➔ Past Perfect Continuous (He'd been praying)

  ➔ The "Past Perfect Continuous" (He'd been praying) emphasizes the duration of the praying that happened before the couple got married. It indicates a prolonged action in the past prior to another past event.

• Someone he could take fishing

  ➔ Modal verb "could" for possibility/ability in the past + infinitive without 'to'

  ➔ "Could" expresses the potential to take someone fishing in the future (from his perspective at that time). The bare infinitive "take" is used after "could".

• He could already see him holding that trophy

  ➔ Complex Object (see + object + gerund)

  ➔ The structure "see him holding" is a complex object. "Him" is the object of the verb "see", and "holding" is a gerund functioning as an object complement describing what he sees "him" doing.

• All those big dreams changed

  ➔ Demonstrative "Those" + Noun

  ➔ "Those" specifies that the dreams are distant or have a sense of previous reference, emphasizing the change of plans.

• And now he's wrapped around her finger

  ➔ Idiomatic expression "wrapped around someone's finger"

  ➔ This idiom means that someone is completely controlled or influenced by someone else. It suggests that he does whatever she wants.

• She's the center of his whole world

  ➔ Subject Complement (She's the center)

  ➔ "The center of his whole world" is a noun phrase that renames or describes the subject "She". It tells us what the subject "She" is.

• Boy you better tell her goodbye

  ➔ "had better" for advice/strong suggestion

  ➔ "had better" expresses a strong recommendation or warning. The full form is 'you had better', but it's often contracted to 'you'd better'. Failure to follow this advice could result in negative consequences.

• Sweet, little, beautiful, one just like you

  ➔ List of Adjectives + "just like" for comparison

  ➔ The adjectives "sweet, little, beautiful" are used to describe the qualities he desires in a daughter, and "just like you" compares the desired child to the mother. The phrase indicates a strong desire for the child to inherit the mother's characteristics.