Closer To The Bone – English Lyrics

• By: Tommy Castro
• Album: Closer To The Bone

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a journey into the heart of authentic blues with Tommy Castro's album, "Closer To The Bone." This record offers a masterclass in raw, soulful blues, showcasing powerful guitar work and heartfelt vocals. By immersing yourself in its traditional sounds and emotionally charged lyrics, you can gain a deeper appreciation for the language and storytelling of the blues, a genre rich in expressing life's universal struggles and triumphs. What makes this album special is Castro's intentional return to the foundational elements of blues, providing a pure, unadulterated listening experience that encourages a profound connection with the music's origins.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ B1	adjective - mentally deranged; eccentric or irrational
insane /ɪnˈseɪn/ B2	adjective - in a state of mind that prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction; seriously mentally ill.
kind /kaɪnd/ A1	adjective - having or showing a friendly, generous, and considerate nature. noun - a group of people or things having similar characteristics.
sweet /swiːt/ A2	adjective - having a pleasant taste like that of sugar or honey.
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation. noun - the center of a person's thoughts and emotions, especially love or sympathy.
fool /fuːl/ B1	noun - a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person. verb - deceive or trick (someone).
misery /ˈmɪzəri/ B2	noun - a state or feeling of great physical or mental distress or discomfort.
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - highly disagreeable physical sensation caused by illness or injury.
dangerous /ˈdeɪndʒərəs/ B1	adjective - able or likely to cause harm or injury.
runaway /ˈrʌnəweɪ/ B2	adjective - having run away from home or an institution.
train /treɪn/ A1	noun - a series of connected railroad cars moved by a locomotive or by integral motors. verb - teach (a person or animal) a particular skill or type of behavior through sustained instruction and practice.

Key Grammar Structures

• If you're just a little bit crazy

  ➔ Conditional Sentences (Zero/First Conditional variation)

  ➔ This line uses an implied conditional. While not explicitly stated, it implies 'If you're a little bit crazy, *then*...' The 'if' clause is in the present simple, suggesting a general truth or a likely scenario, like a zero or first conditional. The absence of the 'then' clause keeps it informal.

• I just might be your kind of man

  ➔ Modal Verb "might" for possibility

  ➔ The modal verb "might" expresses a weak possibility. It indicates that there's a chance the speaker is the type of man the addressee would like, but it's not a certainty. 'Might' is less definite than 'may' or 'will'.

• I once had a nice woman

  ➔ Past Simple Tense

  ➔ This line uses the past simple tense to describe a completed action in the past. The speaker possessed/had a woman *at some point in the past*, and this state is now finished.

• But she just didn't cause no palpitation

  ➔ Double Negative (Non-standard English)

  ➔ This line features a double negative ("didn't cause no"). In standard English, this would be considered incorrect and should be "didn't cause *any* palpitation" or "caused *no* palpitation." The use of the double negative is a stylistic choice to emphasize the lack of emotion, often found in informal or dialectal English.

• To the stone-cold crazy heart of mine

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase as Adverbial Modifier

  ➔ The phrase "to the stone-cold crazy heart of mine" acts as an adverbial modifier, specifying *where* the lack of palpitation applies. It modifies the verb phrase "didn't cause no palpitation," indicating that the woman's kindness did not affect the speaker's heart.

• Yes, I'm a sucker for pain

  ➔ Simple Present Tense for General Truth

  ➔ The simple present tense here describes a characteristic or a general truth about the speaker. It expresses a consistent feeling or preference.

• Unless she's dangerous as a runaway train

  ➔ Subordinating conjunction "unless" + Comparative structure

  ➔ The subordinating conjunction "unless" introduces a condition that *must not* be true for the main clause to be valid. The comparative structure "as dangerous as a runaway train" uses 'as + adjective + as' to compare the woman's dangerousness to that of a runaway train.