Daddy's Little Girl
Lyrics:
[English]
He drops his suitcase by the door
She knows her daddy won't be back anymore
She drags her feet across the floor
Tryna hold back time to keep him holding on
And she says
Daddy daddy don't leave
I'll do anything to keep you
Right here with me
Can't you see how much I need you
Daddy daddy don't leave
Mommy's saying things she don't mean
She don't know what she's talking about
Somebody hear me out
Father listen
Tell him that he's got a home and he don't have to go
Father save him
I would do anything in return
I'll clean my room
Try hard in school
I'll be good
I promise you
Father, Father
I pray to you
...
Now she hasn't slept in weeks
She don't want to close her eyes 'cause she's scared that he'll leave
They tried just about everything
It's getting harder now
For him to breathe
And she says
Daddy daddy don't leave
I'll do anything to keep you
Right here with me
Can't you see how much I need you
Daddy daddy don't leave
The doctors are saying things they don't mean
They don't know what they talking about
Somebody hear me out
Father (father) listen (listen)
Tell him that he's got a home and
He don't have to go (don't have to go)
Father (father) save him
I would do anything in return
I'll clean my room
Try hard in school
I'll be good
I promise you
Father, Father
I pray to you
Please don't let him go (don't let him go)
I'm begging you so (I'm begging you so)
There open his eyes
There ain't no more time
To tell him that I love him more
Than anything in the world
It's daddy's little girl
Father (father) listen (listen)
Tell him that he's got a home and
He don't have to go (don't have to go)
Father (father) save him
I would do anything in return
I'll clean my room
Try hard in school
I'll be good
I promise you
Father, Father
She was daddy's little girl
Mmmmm oh
...
Vocabulary in this song:
Vocabulary | Meanings |
---|---|
suitcase /ˈsuːtkeɪs/ A2 |
|
door /dɔːr/ A1 |
|
feet /fiːt/ A1 |
|
time /taɪm/ A1 |
|
leave /liːv/ A1 |
|
need /niːd/ A2 |
|
home /hoʊm/ A1 |
|
save /seɪv/ A2 |
|
return /rɪˈtɜːrn/ B1 |
|
room /ruːm/ A1 |
|
school /skuːl/ A1 |
|
eyes /aɪz/ A1 |
|
love /lʌv/ A1 |
|
world /wɜːrld/ A1 |
|
doctors /ˈdɒktərz/ A2 |
|
breathe /briːð/ A2 |
|
Grammar:
-
She knows her daddy won't be back anymore
➔ Future Simple (Negative): "won't be"
➔ Uses the contraction "won't" (will not) to express that the father will not return. This is a standard way to express a negative prediction about the future.
-
Tryna hold back time to keep him holding on
➔ Informal Contraction "Tryna" (Trying to) + Phrasal Verb "hold back" + Purpose Clause "to keep him holding on"
➔ "Tryna" is a very informal contraction of "trying to." "Hold back" means to restrain. The purpose clause clarifies the intent: she's trying to hold back time *in order to* keep him holding on (staying alive/with them).
-
Daddy daddy don't leave
➔ Imperative (Negative): "Don't leave"
➔ A direct and emotional plea. The negative imperative uses "don't" + base form of the verb to express a command not to do something.
-
I'll do anything to keep you Right here with me
➔ Future Simple "I'll do" + Infinitive of Purpose "to keep you"
➔ "I'll do" expresses a promise or willingness to act in the future. The infinitive phrase "to keep you" explains the purpose of doing anything.
-
Can't you see how much I need you
➔ Interrogative Sentence + Embedded Clause "how much I need you"
➔ This is a question ("Can't you see?") that includes an embedded clause acting as the object of the verb "see". The clause describes the extent of her need.
-
Mommy's saying things she don't mean
➔ Present Continuous "Mommy's saying" + Relative Clause "she don't mean"
➔ Uses the present continuous to describe an action happening now. The relative clause "she don't mean" modifies "things" and provides more information. The use of "don't" instead of "doesn't" is grammatically incorrect but common in informal speech and song lyrics.
-
Somebody hear me out
➔ Imperative Sentence (with unspecified subject)
➔ A desperate plea to anyone who might be listening. Although the subject is not explicitly stated, it is implied. The speaker is imploring anyone to listen to her.
-
Tell him that he's got a home and he don't have to go
➔ Imperative "Tell him" + Indirect Speech (that clause) + Modal Verb "have to" (negative form)
➔ The imperative "Tell him" instructs someone to relay a message. The "that" clause reports what the message is. "He don't have to go" is an informal way of saying "he doesn't have to go," expressing a lack of obligation. Again, the use of "don't" instead of "doesn't" is grammatically incorrect, but stylistic.
-
There ain't no more time
➔ Double Negative (Informal): "ain't no"
➔ "Ain't" is a non-standard contraction often used in informal speech or dialects, generally replacing "am not," "is not," "are not," "has not," or "have not." Combined with "no more time," this creates a double negative, which is generally considered ungrammatical in standard English but used here for emphasis and emotional effect.