Anywhere But Here – English Lyrics

• By: Bryan Adams
• Album: Pretty Woman (Broadway Musical)

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and Bryan Adams' "Anywhere But Here" offers a great opportunity for English learners. The song's clear and emotive lyrics about dreaming of a better life are easy to follow and understand. Its structure as a musical theatre 'I Want' song makes it special, as it tells a compelling story of hope and the desire for change, allowing learners to connect with universal emotions while improving their vocabulary and comprehension.

[English]

I look around and what I see

Is you don't belong here

It's clear to me

What have you become?

You're really not this girl

There's more to this, so what's it gonna take?

To get you off the street, when do you get a break?

It's not what you wanted

This is not your world

I know where you'd choose to go

If you could disappear

Anywhere but here

Anywhere but here

You can feel something's coming

You long to be free

You just wanna be

Anywhere but here

This sidewalk doesn't suit your soul

It's time to make some changes and take control

Find some room to move

Feel the wind in your air

A clear blue sky and air to breath

You know it's time to fly and I believe

That there's so much more

And it's waiting for you out there

I can see where you wanna be

And it couldn't be more clear

Anywhere but here

Anywhere but here

You're waiting for somethin'

It's easy to see

You just wanna be

Anywhere but here

No more landlord, no more rent

Just a place of your own where you'd be content

To share it all with someone

Who'd share it all with you

I believe somehow, someday this will all come true

Anywhere but here

Anywhere but here

You can feel something's coming

You long to be free

You just wanna be

Anywhere but here

Anywhere but here

You're waiting for somethin'

It's easy to see

You just wanna be

...

Anywhere but here

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
belong /bɪˈlɔːŋ/ B2	verb - to be the property of; to be part of
disappear /ˌdɪsəˈpɪə/ B2	verb - to cease to be visible
sky /skaɪ/ A2	noun - the region of the atmosphere seen from the earth
wind /wɪnd/ A2	noun - movement of air
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ B1	verb - to make or become different noun - an act or process of making or becoming different
move /muːv/ A2	verb - to make progress or change position
feel /fiːl/ A2	verb - to perceive or be aware of something through touching or sensation
build /bɪld/ B2	verb - to construct or form by putting parts together
free /friː/ A2	adjective - not under control or in confinement
long /lɔːŋ/ A2	verb - to have an intense desire or yearning

Key Grammar Structures

• What have you become?

  ➔ Present Perfect

  ➔ The present perfect tense "have become" is used to talk about changes that happened in the recent past with results in the present. It asks about a transformation that has occurred.

• If you could disappear

  ➔ Second Conditional

  ➔ The second conditional "if you could disappear" expresses a hypothetical or unreal situation in the present or future. It uses "if + past simple" (or "could") to talk about imaginary scenarios.

• You can feel something's coming

  ➔ Present Continuous for Future Arrangements

  ➔ The present continuous "something's coming" is used here to indicate a future event that is already in progress or about to happen. It suggests certainty about the future development.

• It's time to make some changes

  ➔ It's time + to-infinitive

  ➔ The structure "It's time to make some changes" expresses that the appropriate moment has arrived for a particular action. It's a common way to suggest that something should happen now.

• No more landlord, no more rent

  ➔ No more + noun

  ➔ The structure "No more + noun" expresses the absence or end of something. "No more landlord, no more rent" indicates the desire to be free from these obligations or situations.

• A place of your own where you'd be content

  ➔ Relative Clause

  ➔ The relative clause "where you'd be content" provides additional information about the noun "place" it modifies. The relative adverb "where" connects the clause to the noun it describes.

• To get you off the street

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The infinitive of purpose "to get you off the street" explains why something should happen or what the goal is. It answers the question "What for?" or "Why?"

• You're waiting for something

  ➔ Present Continuous for Temporary Situations

  ➔ The present continuous "you're waiting" describes a temporary action or state happening around the present moment. It emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action at this particular time.