Don't Blink – English Lyrics

• By: Kenny Chesney

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the profound lyrics of Kenny Chesney's "Don't Blink," a beautiful country song that encourages a deeper appreciation for the fleeting nature of life. Through its relatable storytelling and emotional depth, you can learn common country music idioms and expressions while reflecting on the importance of living in the present. This song is special for its powerful message and its ability to resonate with anyone who has felt time slip by too quickly.

[English]

- When I was a kid, about eight, nine years old.

I laid down in the grass and with my buddy,

we counted the stars and moon and all that,

that was a good life.

But today, my God, the life goes like a bullet, too fast.

One day to another look like one hour.

But now since I've been older, different subject.

- What would you tell this new generation about life?

- To give love and respect.

Not all day, every day,

but at least especially to your mother and father,

especially mother.

(slow country music begins)

♪ I turned on the evening news ♪

♪ Saw an old man being interviewed ♪

♪ Turning a 102 today ♪

♪ Asked him what's the secret life ♪

♪ He looked up from his old pipe ♪

♪ Laughed and said, "All I can say is" ♪

♪ Don't blink ♪

♪ Just like that you're six years old ♪

♪ And you take a nap ♪

♪ And you wake up and you're 25 ♪

♪ And your high school sweetheart becomes your wife ♪

♪ Don't blink ♪

♪ You just might miss your babies growing like mine did ♪

♪ Turning into moms and dads ♪

♪ Next thing you know ♪

♪ Your better half of 50 years is there in bed ♪

♪ And you're praying God takes you instead ♪

♪ Trust me friend ♪

♪ A hundred years goes faster than you think ♪

♪ So, don't blink ♪

(calm instrumental music)

♪ I was glued to my TV ♪

♪ When it looked like he looked at me, and said ♪

♪ "Best start putting first things first ♪

♪ 'Cause when your glass runs outta sand ♪

♪ You can't flip it over, start again ♪

♪ Take every breath God gives you for what it's worth" ♪

♪ Don't blink ♪

♪ Just like that you're six years old ♪

♪ And you take a nap ♪

♪ And you wake up and you're 25 ♪

♪ And your high school sweetheart becomes your wife ♪

♪ Don't blink ♪

♪ You just might miss your babies growing like mine did ♪

♪ Turning into moms and dads ♪

♪ Next thing you know ♪

♪ Your better half of 50 years is there in bed ♪

♪ And you're praying God takes you instead ♪

♪ Trust me friend ♪

♪ A hundred years goes faster than you think ♪

♪ So, don't blink ♪

(calm guitar music)

♪ So, I've been trying to slow it down ♪

♪ I've been trying to take it in ♪

♪ In this here today ♪

♪ Gone tomorrow world we're living in ♪

♪ Don't blink ♪

♪ Just like that you're six years old ♪

♪ And you take a nap ♪

♪ And you wake up and you're 25 ♪

♪ And your high school sweetheart becomes your wife ♪

♪ Don't blink ♪

♪ You just might miss your babies growing like mine did ♪

♪ Turning into moms and dads ♪

♪ Next thing you know, your better half ♪

♪ Of 50 years is there in bed ♪

♪ And you're praying God takes you instead ♪

♪ Trust me friend ♪

♪ A hundred years goes faster than you think ♪

♪ So, don't blink ♪

(calm instrumental music)

♪ No, don't blink ♪

(calm instrumental music continues)

♪ Don't blink ♪

♪ Life goes faster than you think ♪

♪ So, don't blink ♪

♪ Life goes faster than you think ♪

♪ Don't blink ♪

♪ Don't blink ♪

♪ Life goes faster than you think ♪

(soft guitar music)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
blink /blɪŋk/ B1	verb - to shut and open the eyes quickly
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
years /jɪərz/ A1	noun - a period of twelve months
old /oʊld/ A1	adjective - having lived for a long time; no longer young
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human being.
news /njuːz/ A2	noun - newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent events.
secret /ˈsiːkrət/ B1	noun - something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
high school /haɪ skuːl/ A2	noun - a secondary school for students typically in grades 9-12.
wife /waɪf/ A1	noun - a married woman.
babies /ˈbeɪbiz/ A1	noun - very young children; infants.
moms /mɒmz/ A1	noun - mothers
dads /dædz/ A1	noun - fathers
bed /bed/ A1	noun - a piece of furniture used for sleeping or resting on.
friend /frend/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.
glass /ɡlɑːs/ A2	noun - a hard, transparent substance made by melting sand with soda and lime and then cooling it rapidly.
breath /breθ/ A2	noun - the air taken into or expelled from the lungs.
world /wɜːld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, people, and natural features.

Key Grammar Structures

• Asked him what's the secret life

  ➔ Indirect Question (Embedded Question)

  ➔ This line is an example of an indirect question. Instead of asking directly, "What is the secret to life?", the question is embedded within the sentence "Asked him what's the secret life."

• All I can say is

  ➔ Cleft Sentence with 'all'

  ➔ This is a type of cleft sentence that emphasizes a specific part of the sentence. The structure is "All + I/subject + can do/verb + is + X", where X is being emphasized. It is used to highlight what the speaker is capable of saying or doing.

• Just like that you're six years old

  ➔ Ellipsis (Omission of Subject and Verb)

  ➔ Here, the subject and verb ("it is") are omitted for brevity and impact. The full sentence could be "It is just like that, you're six years old."

• You just might miss your babies growing like mine did

  ➔ Modal Verb 'might' (expressing possibility) + Auxiliary Verb 'did' (for emphasis/contrast)

  ➔ 'Might' expresses a possibility or chance that you will miss your babies growing. 'Did' is used here for emphasis, indicating that the speaker *definitely* missed their babies growing. It implies a contrast or emphasis against a potential expectation.

• Next thing you know, your better half of 50 years is there in bed

  ➔ Idiomatic Expression: 'Next thing you know' + Time Clause with implied 'when'

  ➔ 'Next thing you know' is an idiom indicating that something happens quickly and unexpectedly. The phrase implies "before you realize it." The "when" is omitted but understood, as in "Next thing you know, *when* your better half..."

• And you're praying God takes you instead

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Implied Wish/Desire)

  ➔ While not explicitly using a subjunctive construction with words like 'wish', the sentence implies a desire or hypothetical situation: "you're praying (that) God take you instead." The 'take' is in its base form, common in subjunctive constructions indicating a desire, hope, or unreal situation.

• Cause when your glass runs outta sand

  ➔ Informal Contraction 'Cause (Because) + Phrasal Verb 'run out of'

  ➔ 'Cause' is a shortened, informal version of 'because'. 'Run out of' is a phrasal verb meaning to exhaust a supply of something.