Daughters – English Lyrics

• By: John Mayer
• Album: Heavier Things

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can be a deeply emotional journey, and John Mayer's "Daughters" offers a unique opportunity to explore complex feelings through simple, heartfelt English. The song's clear narrative about family dynamics and relationships provides a great context for understanding how language can be used to express nuanced emotions like frustration and empathy. What makes this song special is its powerful, universal message about the cyclical nature of love and family, making it a touching and memorable way to connect with the English language.

[English]

I know a girl

She puts the color inside of my world

But she's just like a maze

Where all of the walls all continually change

And I've done all I can

To stand on her steps with my heart in my hands

Now I'm starting to see

Maybe it's got nothing to do with me

Fathers, be good to your daughters

Daughters will love like you do

Girls become lovers who turn into mothers

So mothers, be good to your daughters too

...

Oh, you see that skin?

It's the same she's been standing in

Since the day she saw him walking away

Now she's left

Cleaning up the mess he made

So fathers, be good to your daughters

Daughters will love like you do

Girls become lovers who turn into mothers

So mothers, be good to your daughters too

Boys, you can break

You'll find out how much they can take

Boys will be strong

And boys soldier on

But boys would be gone without the warmth from

A womans good, good heart

...

On behalf of every man

Looking out for every girl

You are the god and the weight of her world

So fathers, be good to your daughters

Daughters will love like you do

Girls become lovers who turn into mothers

So mothers, be good to your daughters too

So mothers, be good to your daughters too

So mothers, be good to your daughters too

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - of high quality or a high standard
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to have a strong feeling of affection for someone noun - an intense feeling of affection
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, people, and natural features
fathers /ˈfɑːðərz/ A1	noun - male parent
daughters /ˈdɔːtərz/ A1	noun - female offspring
girls /ɡɜːrlz/ A1	noun - young woman
mothers /ˈmʌðərz/ A1	noun - female parent
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - organ that pumps blood noun - the center of emotion
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A2	verb - to become different
see /siː/ A1	verb - to perceive with the eyes
color /ˈkʌlər/ A1	noun - a property of objects that depends on the light they reflect
walking /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/ A1	verb - moving on foot
mess /mes/ B1	noun - a state of disorder or untidiness
strong /strɔːŋ/ A2	adjective - having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks.
warmth /wɔːrmθ/ B2	noun - the state of being warm; a moderate and comfortable degree of heat.

Key Grammar Structures

• She puts the color inside of my world

  ➔ Simple Present Tense: Used to describe a habit or a general truth.

  ➔ The verb "puts" is in the simple present tense, indicating a recurring action or a characteristic of the girl.

• Where all of the walls all continually change

  ➔ Adverb of Frequency: "continually" modifies the verb "change", indicating how often the action occurs.

  ➔ The adverb "continually" emphasizes the ongoing and constant nature of the changing walls.

• Maybe it's got nothing to do with me

  ➔ Idiomatic Expression: "got nothing to do with" expresses a lack of relevance or connection.

  ➔ This phrase indicates the speaker's realization that the situation might not be caused by or related to their actions.

• Daughters will love like you do

  ➔ Future Simple Tense: "will love" expresses a prediction or a general statement about the future.

  ➔ This line predicts that daughters will emulate the love they receive from their fathers.

• It's the same she's been standing in

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous Tense: "she's been standing" indicates an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

  ➔ This implies that she has been in the same situation or emotional state for a prolonged period.

• Now she's left Cleaning up the mess he made

  ➔ Reduced Relative Clause/Participle Clause: "Cleaning up the mess he made" acts as a reduced relative clause modifying "she". It could be expanded to "Now she's left, who is cleaning up the mess he made."

  ➔ This shows that she's been left to deal with the consequences of someone else's actions. The participle "cleaning" is used to provide additional information about the subject.

• Boys will be gone without the warmth from

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 0/General Truth): This line implies a conditional statement: *If* there is no warmth from a woman's heart, *then* boys will be gone.

  ➔ Even though the "if" clause isn't explicitly stated, the line suggests a cause-and-effect relationship between a woman's warmth and a boy's well-being or existence. It speaks to the importance of female influence in a boy's life.

• You are the god and the weight of her world

  ➔ Metaphor: "You are the god and the weight" is a metaphor comparing fathers to powerful and influential figures in their daughters' lives.

  ➔ This conveys the immense impact fathers have on their daughters' perceptions of themselves and the world around them. The duality of "god" (positive influence) and "weight" (responsibility, burden) highlights the complex role of fatherhood.