Denver – English Lyrics

• By: Jack Harlow

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Wonder, oh why this ever had to be?

Uh-huh

So many losing hope in those dreams that they

Walking past the homeless in a Rolex

Just got off the stage on the Today Show and I basically felt soulless

Years go by and I keep saying I'm gon' use my phone less

But I should just be phone-less

Ignorance is bliss and so is being underground 'cause it was fun when we were known less

Sorry, that's cliché, I know I'm so blessed

But Jason keeps on telling me "Say yes" and truth be told, I know he knows best

But I don't wanna do no press

I've seen enough of me on this lil' screen

I've become so vain and insecure 'bout everything

I feel all this pressure to live up to what they tell me I'm gon' be

So I isolate myself, you can't help me it's on me

I'm hiding any sign of weakness from my guys

I don't want 'em second-guessing with me

Nemo said to keep my foot on necks 'cause I can't let 'em just forget me

But the brags in my raps are getting less and less convincing

So I'd rather just

Wonder, oh why this ever had to be?

...

So many losing hope in those dreams that they

I wrote that first verse in Denver back in September

It's January now and I'm feeling like myself again

I got Angel back in here, I need his help again

I'm taking time away but wondering what a healthy helping is

Fuck it, they gon' check for me, I tell myself and tell my friends

Avoiding any talks about the elephant

Chalking up the hate to jealousy and just embellishments

But deep down, I find myself wondering if the people that write about are right about me

And I wonder if my exes are oversharing 'cause they know a lot about me

I'm a long way from Shelby County

I been through some local tension, heard talks of a healthy bounty

Sober and focused, I cannot walk down no deli alleys

I still got the fellas 'round me, I love 'em and tell 'em proudly

My mama needs help adjusting, my father need help accounting

I'm looking out heaven's window

I know that there's hell around me and

Wonder, oh why this ever had to be?

...

So many losing hope in those dreams that they

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
wonder /ˈwʌndər/ A2	verb - to think about something with curiosity
hope /hoʊp/ A1	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen
homeless /ˈhoʊmlɪs/ A2	adjective - without a home or permanent place to live
soulless /ˈsoʊllɪs/ B2	adjective - lacking emotion or warmth
ignorance /ˈɪɡnərəns/ B1	noun - lack of knowledge or awareness
bliss /blɪs/ B1	noun - extreme happiness
isolate /ˈaɪsəˌleɪt/ B2	verb - to separate from others
pressure /ˈprɛʃər/ A2	noun - the feeling of stressful forces on the mind or body
convincing /kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/ B1	adjective - causing someone to believe something is true
adjusting /əˈdʒʌstɪŋ/ B1	verb - to change or modify to fit new conditions
bounty /ˈbaʊnti/ B2	noun - a reward for a specific act
focused /ˈfoʊkəst/ A2	adjective - concentrating on something
proudly /ˈpraʊdli/ A2	adverb - with a feeling of pride
oversharing /ˌoʊvərˈʃɛrɪŋ/ C1	verb - sharing too much personal information
tension /ˈtɛnʃən/ B1	noun - the state of being stretched tight or strained

Key Grammar Structures

• Wonder, oh why this ever had to be?

  ➔ Past necessity (had to) expressing obligation in the past.

  ➔ In the sentence "Wonder, oh why this ever "had" to be," the word "had" marks the past necessity; 'had to' expresses obligation in the past.

• Walking past the homeless in a Rolex

  ➔ Present participle used to form a participial phrase describing an accompanying action.

  ➔ In the line, the gerund-like form "Walking" begins a participial phrase describing the speaker's action.

• I've become so vain and insecure 'bout everything

  ➔ Present perfect with have + past participle (I've become) to describe a change up to now.

  ➔ In "I've become", the contraction "I've" stands for I have, forming the present perfect to indicate a change up to now.

• I feel all this pressure to live up to what they tell me I'm gon' be

  ➔ To-infinitive after verbs and adjectives to express purpose or expectation (to live up to).

  ➔ In the phrase "to live up to" the infinitive marker to introduces the purpose/expectation of meeting expectations.

• So I isolate myself, you can't help me it's on me

  ➔ Comma splice (two independent clauses joined by a comma) or run-on sentence.

  ➔ The line shows a run-on sentence with multiple independent clauses linked by a comma; this is typically corrected with a period or conjunction.

• Nemo said to keep my foot on necks 'cause I can't let 'em just forget me

  ➔ Infinitive after 'said to' for reported instruction; 'let' + bare infinitive for causative meaning.

  ➔ In "Nemo said to keep ... I can't let 'em forget me," the infinitive "to keep" follows verb + to-infinitive; 'let' followed by a bare infinitive expresses permission/causation.

• I wrote that first verse in Denver back in September

  ➔ Past simple used for actions completed at a specific time in the past.

  ➔ In "I wrote that first verse ... September," the verb is in the simple past to place the action at a definite past time.

• It's January now and I'm feeling like myself again

  ➔ Present continuous for ongoing action now; 'feeling' is a present participle after 'am/is/are'.

  ➔ In "I'm feeling like myself again," the verb phrase "am feeling" shows ongoing state; the present participle "feeling" describes current sensation.

• Chalking up the hate to jealousy and just embellishments

  ➔ Present participle starting a participial phrase; casual range of meaning.

  ➔ "Chalking" is the present participle starting a participial phrase describing the action of attributing hate to other causes.