Be Without You – English Lyrics

• By: Mary J. Blige

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

(mediative music)

♪ I wanna be with you, gotta be with you ♪

♪ Need to be with you ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ I wanna be with you, gotta be with you ♪

♪ Need to be with you ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Chemistry was crazy from the get-go ♪

♪ Neither one of us knew why ♪

♪ We didn't build nothing overnight ♪

♪ 'Cause a love like this takes some time ♪

♪ People swore it off as a phase ♪

♪ Said we can't see that ♪

♪ Now from top to bottom ♪

♪ They see that we did that, yes ♪

♪ It's so true that, yes ♪

♪ We've been through it, yes ♪

♪ We got real, yes ♪

♪ See baby we been ♪

♪ Too strong for too long, and I can't be without you, baby ♪

♪ And I'll be waiting up until you get home ♪

♪ 'Cause I can't sleep without you, baby ♪

♪ Anybody who's ever loved, ya know just what I feel ♪

♪ Too hard to fake it, nothing can replace it ♪

♪ Call the radio if you just can't be without your baby ♪

♪ I got a question for ya ♪

♪ See I already know the answer ♪

♪ But still I wanna ask you ♪

♪ Would you lie, no ♪

♪ Make me cry, no ♪

♪ Do somethin' behind my back and then try to cover it up ♪

♪ Well, neither would I, baby ♪

♪ My love is only your love, yes ♪

♪ I'll be faithful, yes ♪

♪ I'm for real, yes ♪

♪ And with us you'll always know the deal ♪

♪ We've been too strong for too long ♪

♪ And I can't be without you, baby ♪

♪ And I'll be waiting up until you get home ♪

♪ 'Cause I can't sleep without you, baby ♪

♪ Anybody who's ever loved, ya know just what I feel ♪

♪ Too hard to fake it, nothing can replace it ♪

♪ Call the radio if you just can't be without your baby ♪

♪ See this is real talk ♪

♪ I'm always stay, no matter what ♪

♪ Good or bad, thick and thin ♪

♪ Right or wrong, all day everyday ♪

♪ Now if you're down on love or don't believe ♪

♪ This ain't for you, no, this ain't for you ♪

♪ And if you got it deep in your heart ♪

♪ And deep down you know that it's true ♪

♪ Come on, come on, come on ♪

♪ Well, let me see you put your hands up, hands up ♪

♪ Fellas tell your lady she's the one ♪

♪ Fellas tell your lady she's the one, oh ♪

♪ Put your hands up, hands up ♪

♪ Ladies let him know he's got your love ♪

♪ Look him right in his eyes and tell him ♪

♪ We've been too strong for too long ♪

♪ And I can't be without you, baby ♪

♪ I'll be waiting up until you get home ♪

♪ 'Cause I can't sleep without you, baby ♪

♪ Anybody who's ever loved, ya know just what I feel ♪

♪ Too hard to fake it, nothing can replace it ♪

♪ Call the radio if you just can't be without your baby ♪

♪ Hey, oh ♪

♪ Hey, oh ♪

♪ I wanna be with you, gotta be with you ♪

♪ Need to be with you ♪

♪ I wanna be with you, gotta be with you ♪

♪ Need to be with you ♪

♪ I wanna be with you, gotta be with you ♪

♪ Need to be with you ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection verb - to have a strong affection for someone
strong /strɔŋ/ B2	adjective - having the power to perform physically demanding tasks
waiting /ˈweɪtɪŋ/ B1	verb - the act of staying in one place until an expected event happens
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
feel /fɪl/ A1	verb - to sense or perceive something
cry /kraɪ/ A2	verb - to shed tears, often as an expression of emotion
replace /rɪˈpleɪs/ B2	verb - to take the place of something
true /truː/ B1	adjective - in accordance with fact or reality
question /ˈkwɛstʃən/ B1	noun - a sentence asked in order to get information verb - to ask someone for information
trust /trʌst/ B1	verb - to believe in the reliability or truth of something

Key Grammar Structures

• I wanna be with you, gotta be with you

  ➔ Modal verbs and informal contractions

  ➔ The words "wanna" and "gotta" are informal contractions of "want to" and "got to" expressing desire and necessity.

• Neither one of us knew why

  ➔ Negative pronoun and past simple tense

  ➔ The phrase "Neither one of us" is a negative pronoun meaning not either, and "knew" is past simple to indicate a completed action.

• 'Cause a love like this takes some time

  ➔ Contraction and present simple for habitual action

  ➔ The word "'Cause" is a contraction of "because." "Takes" is present simple tense used here to express a general truth or habitual action.

• Would you lie, no

  ➔ Conditional modal verb for polite question

  ➔ "Would" is a modal verb used to form polite questions or hypothetical meaning here, asking if the person would lie.

• My love is only your love, yes

  ➔ Possessive and copula verb usage

  ➔ "My" is a possessive adjective indicating ownership. "Is" functions as a copula linking subject and complement.

• We've been too strong for too long

  ➔ Present perfect continuous tense

  ➔ "We've been" is the contraction of "we have been," used here as present perfect continuous to describe an action/state continuing for some time.

• And I'll be waiting up until you get home

  ➔ Future continuous tense and subordinating conjunction

  ➔ "I'll be waiting" is future continuous tense expressing an action in progress at a future time. "Until" introduces a time clause.

• Call the radio if you just can't be without your baby

  ➔ Imperative mood and first conditional

  ➔ "Call" is an imperative verb giving a command. "If you just can't be" introduces a first conditional expressing a real possibility.