Don't Cry – English Lyrics

• By: Guns N' Roses
• Album: Use Your Illusion I

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the emotional depth of Guns N' Roses' "Don't Cry," a powerful ballad that offers a unique lens into English rock vocabulary and expression. Through its raw lyrics and melodic complexity, you can explore nuanced feelings of heartbreak, comfort, and resilience. The song's two distinct lyric versions, despite sharing the same music, provide an excellent opportunity to compare and contrast storytelling in English. Plus, unraveling the real-life inspirations behind its powerful imagery makes for a truly engaging language learning experience, offering insight into idiomatic expressions and emotional phrasing used in authentic contexts.

[English]

♪ ♪

♪♪ [vocalizing]

♪ ♪

♪ Talk to me softly ♪

♪ There's something in your eyes ♪

♪ Don't hang your head in sorrow ♪

♪ And please don't cry ♪

♪ I know how you feel inside ♪

♪ I've-- I've been there before ♪

♪ Somethin' is changin' inside you ♪

♪ And don't you know ♪

♪ Don't you cry tonight ♪

♪ I still love you, baby ♪

♪ Don't you cry tonight ♪

♪ Don't you cry tonight ♪

♪ There's a heaven above you, baby ♪

♪ And don't you cry tonight ♪

♪ Give me a whisper ♪

♪ And give me a sigh ♪

♪ Give me a kiss before you tell me goodbye ♪

♪ Don't you take it so hard now ♪

♪ And please don't take it so bad ♪

♪ I'll still be thinkin' of you ♪

♪ And the times we had, baby ♪

♪ And don't you cry tonight ♪

♪ Don't you cry tonight ♪

♪ Don't you cry tonight ♪

♪ There's a heaven above you, baby ♪

♪ And don't you cry tonight ♪

♪ And please remember ♪

♪ That I never lied ♪

♪ And please remember ♪

♪ How I felt inside now, honey ♪

♪ You gotta make it your own way ♪

♪ But you'll be alright now, sugar ♪

♪ You'll feel better tomorrow ♪

♪ Come the morning light now, baby ♪

♪ And don't you cry tonight ♪

♪ And don't you cry tonight ♪

♪ And don't you cry tonight ♪

♪ There's a heaven above you, baby ♪

♪ And don't you cry ♪

♪ Don't you ever cry ♪

♪ Don't you cry tonight ♪

♪ Baby, maybe someday ♪

♪ Don't you cry ♪

♪ Don't you ever cry ♪

♪ Don't you cry ♪

♪ Tonight ♪

♪ Tonight ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears noun - an instance of crying
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs of sight
head /hed/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck
sorrow /ˈsɒrəʊ/ B2	noun - a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered or faced by oneself or others
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to have a strong affection for someone noun - an intense feeling of affection
heaven /ˈhev(ə)n/ B1	noun - a place regarded in various religions as the abode of God (or gods) and the angels, and of the good after death, often traditionally depicted as being above the sky.
whisper /ˈwɪspər/ B1	noun - a soft or muted utterance verb - speak very softly using one's breath rather than one's throat, especially for secrecy.
sigh /saɪ/ B1	noun - an audible breath expressing sadness or relief. verb - emit a long, deep audible breath expressing sadness, relief, tiredness, or similar
kiss /kɪs/ A2	noun - an act of touching with the lips as a sign of affection verb - to touch with the lips as a sign of affection
goodbye /ˌɡʊdˈbaɪ/ A1	noun - an expression of farewell
times /taɪmz/ A2	noun - an instance of something happening
lied /laɪd/ A2	verb - past tense of 'lie': to say something that is not true
better /ˈbetər/ A1	adjective - more satisfactory, pleasing, or useful.
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.

Key Grammar Structures

• Talk to me softly

  ➔ Imperative + Adverb

  ➔ The sentence uses the imperative form of the verb "talk" followed by the adverb "softly", indicating how the action should be performed. Imperatives are used to give commands or make requests.

• There's something in your eyes

  ➔ There is/are + noun phrase

  ➔ This sentence uses "There's" (short for "There is") to indicate the existence of "something" in the subject's eyes. It's a common way to introduce a fact or observation.

• Don't hang your head in sorrow

  ➔ Negative Imperative

  ➔ This is a negative imperative using "Don't" + base form of the verb. It expresses a command *not* to perform a certain action.

• I know how you feel inside

  ➔ Indirect Question (embedded question)

  ➔ The phrase "how you feel inside" acts as the object of the verb "know". It's an indirect question because it's embedded within a larger statement, and the word order is subject-verb (you feel) instead of question word-verb-subject (how do you feel).

• I've been there before

  ➔ Present Perfect

  ➔ "I've been" is a contraction of "I have been", the present perfect tense. It refers to an experience in the speaker's past that is relevant to the present situation. The adverb "before" emphasizes that it's a past experience.

• Give me a whisper

  ➔ Imperative with Indirect Object

  ➔ "Give" is the verb in the imperative mood. "me" is the indirect object (the recipient of the action), and "a whisper" is the direct object (what is being given).

• You gotta make it your own way

  ➔ Colloquial "gotta" (have got to) + Infinitive

  ➔ "Gotta" is a colloquial contraction of "have got to," which expresses obligation or necessity. "Make it your own way" is an infinitive phrase acting as the object, indicating the action that is required.