Boys In The Street – English Lyrics

• By: Calum Scott
• Album: Bridges

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a heartfelt linguistic journey with Calum Scott's "Boys In The Street." This powerful song offers a profound narrative of love and acceptance, making it an excellent resource for language learners. Its clear, emotional storytelling and poignant lyrics provide a rich context for understanding English vocabulary related to family, emotions, and personal struggles, while its universal message makes it truly special and deeply relatable.

[English]

♪♪♪

♪ WHEN I WAS YOUNGER ♪

♪ MY DADDY TOLD ME I WOULD NEVER ♪

♪ NEVER AMOUNT TO NOTHING SPECIAL ♪

♪ HE'D COME AT ME FROM EVERY ANGLE ♪

♪ HE'D SAY ♪

♪ YOU'RE THE LAST THING I WANTED THE LAST THING I NEED ♪

♪ HOW AM I GONNA ANSWER WHEN MY FRIENDS TELL ME ♪

♪ MY SON, WAS KISSING BOYS IN THE STREET ♪

♪ MY SON, WAS KISSING BOYS IN THE STREET ♪

♪ HE TRIED TO CHANGE ME ♪

♪ SAY I'M EMBARRASSING MY COUNTRY ♪

♪ HOW COULD I DO THIS TO MY FAMILY ♪

♪ DO I WANNA GROW UP BEING LONELY? ♪

♪ HE'D SAY ♪

♪ WE'VE WORKED FOR OUR MONEY, WE PUT YOU IN SCHOOL ♪

♪ IS THIS HOW YOU REPAY US? ♪

♪ DO YOU THINK THIS IS COOL? ♪

♪ MY SON ♪

♪ STOP KISSING BOYS IN THE STREET ♪

♪ MY SON ♪

♪ STOP KISSING BOYS IN THE STREET ♪

♪♪♪

♪ NOW THAT I'M OLDER ♪

♪ MY DADDY'S HEART'S A LITTLE WARMER ♪

♪ BUT HE STILL WON'T HOLD ME LIKE MY BROTHER ♪

♪ AND HE STILL WON'T KISS ME LIKE MY MOTHER ♪

♪ HE'D SAY ♪

♪ YOU'RE A PART OF THIS FAMILY, I MADE YOU MYSELF ♪

♪ BUT THE WAY THAT YOU ACT ISN'T GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH ♪

♪ MY SON ♪

♪ STOP KISSING BOYS IN THE STREET ♪

♪ MY SON ♪

♪ STOP KISSING BOYS IN THE STREET ♪

♪♪♪

♪ MY DADDY'S DYING ♪

♪ AND HE'S FINALLY REALIZED I'M NOT LYING ♪

♪ WE SIT IN SILENCE BUT WE'RE SMILING ♪

♪ BECAUSE FOR ONCE WE ARE NOT FIGHTING ♪

♪ HE'D SAY ♪

♪ THERE WAS NO WAY OF KNOWING 'CAUSE ALL I WAS TAUGHT ♪

♪ IS MEN ONLY LOVE WOMEN, BUT NOW I'M NOT SURE ♪

♪ MY SON ♪

♪ KEEP KISSING BOYS IN THE STREET ♪

♪ MY SON ♪

♪ KEEP KISSING BOYS IN THE STREET ♪

♪ AND WHEN I'M GONE, KEEP KISSING BOYS IN THE STREET ♪

♪♪♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
kiss /kɪs/ A1	verb - to touch with the lips noun - a touch with the lips
street /striːt/ A1	noun - a public road in a town or city
son /sʌn/ A1	noun - a male child
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A2	verb - to make or become different
family /ˈfæməli/ A2	noun - a group of people connected by blood or marriage
grow /ɡroʊ/ A2	verb - to increase in size or amount
money /ˈmʌni/ A2	noun - a medium of exchange
realize /ˈriːəlaɪz/ B1	verb - to become fully aware of something
silence /ˈsaɪləns/ B1	noun - the absence of sound
dying /ˈdaɪɪŋ/ B1	verb - to stop living
health /helθ/ B1	noun - the state of being free from illness or injury
fighting /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/ B1	verb - to take part in a physical fight
taught /tɔːt/ B2	verb - past tense of teach - to give knowledge of
amount /əˈmaʊnt/ B2	noun - a quantity or number
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ B2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
warm /wɔːrm/ B2	adjective - having or producing a comfortable or pleasantly high temperature

Key Grammar Structures

• He'd come at me from every angle

  ➔ Past Conditional (would + base form of verb)

  ➔ The phrase 'He'd' is a contraction of 'He would', indicating a habitual action in the past. The phrase 'come at me from every angle' is an idiomatic expression meaning to criticize or attack someone from all sides. The use of the conditional suggests a repeated behavior.

• Do I wanna grow up being lonely?

  ➔ Indirect Question & Infinitive

  ➔ This is an indirect question embedded within a statement. The structure 'Do I wanna...' introduces the question, and 'being lonely' functions as a gerund phrase acting as a complement to 'grow up'. The infinitive 'to grow' is used with 'wanna' (want to).

• He still won't hold me like my brother

  ➔ Future in the Past (will + base form) & Comparative Structure

  ➔ 'Won't' is a contraction of 'will not', expressing a future action from a past perspective. The phrase 'like my brother' is a comparative structure, indicating the manner in which the speaker wishes to be held.

• There was no way of knowing 'cause all I was taught

  ➔ Impersonal 'There was' & Past Passive Voice

  ➔ The phrase 'There was no way of knowing' uses an impersonal 'there was' to express the lack of possibility. 'All I was taught' is a passive construction in the past tense, indicating that the speaker *received* instruction rather than actively learning it.