Drown – English Lyrics

• By: Justin Timberlake
• Album: EVERYTHING I THOUGHT IT WAS

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and Justin Timberlake's 'Drown' offers a compelling way to explore English. The song's clear narrative of heartbreak and its use of vivid metaphors, such as 'drowning' in sorrow and being 'blinded by my heart,' can help you understand figurative language. The emotional delivery and pop/R&B style make it an engaging listen, allowing you to connect with the language on a deeper level.

[English]

Drown

Drown (ooh)

Drown (left me alone in the dar-)

(Tried to keep my head above-)

Surface

Should've known your love was nothin' but the surface

I'm in the deep end, I can't fight the current

Tryin' to keep my head above it

And you've been beggin' me to stay, to stay

And I've been tryna be your wave, your wave

But it's about to break 'cause

You showed me exactly who you are

And I should've believed it (believed it)

You left me alone out in the dark

With all of your demons (demons)

Got caught up in the tide of all the tears you've cried

Yeah, you know I was blinded by my heart, sinking from the start

Should've never followed you this far, now I'm in the deep end

And you let me drown (let me)

You didn't even try to save me

Heard about heartbreak with the moonlight

And now the pain just magnifies (oh)

I know exactly what it feels like

Yeah, you do it to me every time (time)

And if real love never dies, why am I barely breathin'?

Here on my own, out in the deep end

Way down below, way down below

All of your lies

And you keep beggin' me to stay, to stay (stay)

I'm out here tryna be your wave, your wave

But it's about to break 'cause

You showed me exactly who you are

And I should've believed it (should've believed it)

You left me alone out in the dark

With all of your demons (oh)

Got caught up in the tide of all the tears you've cried

Yeah, you know I was blinded by my heart, sinking from the start

Should've never followed you this far, now I'm in the deep end

And you let me drown

You didn't even try to save me

You let me drown (ooh)

You didn't even try to save me

But sometimes (sometimes, I-)

Sometimes I sit and fantasize (fantasize)

Maybe sometime in another life (another life)

We could've got it right, got it right (got it right), ooh

Yeah (maybe)

Maybe sometimes in another life (another life)

I'll see your face in a new light (new light)

And your eyes say, "I love you"

You've been beggin' me to stay, to stay

And I've been tryna be your wave, your wave

You let me drown

You didn't even try to save me

You let me drown (ooh)

You didn't even try to save me

You let me drown (ooh)

You didn't even try to save me

You let me drown (ooh)

You didn't even try to save me

It's about to break, break

It's about to break

It's about to break, break-break-break-break

Break, break

It's about to brea-

Drown

Drown

Drown

Drown

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
drown /draʊn/ A2	verb - to sink below the surface of a liquid and die
surface /ˈsɜːrfəs/ A2	noun - the top layer or boundary of a body of water
deep /diːp/ A1	adjective - extending far down from the top or surface
current /ˈkʌrənt/ B1	noun - a flow of water, air, or electricity
wave /weɪv/ A1	noun - a movement on the surface of water
break /breɪk/ A1	verb - to separate into pieces suddenly or forcibly
blinded /ˈblaɪndɪd/ B1	verb - to lose the ability to see
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood around the body
sinking /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/ A2	verb - to go down below the surface or into something
magnify /ˈmæɡnɪfaɪ/ B2	verb - to make something appear larger than it is
fantasize /ˈfæntəsaɪz/ B2	verb - to imagine or dream about something pleasant
demons /ˈdɛmənz/ B1	noun - an evil spirit or devil
tide /taɪd/ A2	noun - the alternate rising and falling of the sea
beggin /ˈbɛɡɪŋ/ A2	verb - to ask for something in a desperate or eager way
exactly /ɪɡˈzæktli/ A2	adverb - used to emphasize that something is correct or precise

Key Grammar Structures

• Should've known your love was nothin' but the surface

  ➔ Modal Perfect: Should have + Past Participle

  ➔ Used to express **regret or criticism** about something that happened or didn't happen in the past. Here, the speaker regrets not realizing the true nature of the love earlier. ("Should've known")

• And you've been beggin' me to stay, to stay

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ Describes an action that **started in the past and continues up to the present** or has just finished, often emphasizing the duration or repetition of the action. ("you've been beggin'")

• But it's about to break 'cause

  ➔ Be about to

  ➔ Indicates that an action is **going to happen very soon** in the immediate future. ("it's about to break")

• You showed me exactly who you are

  ➔ Noun Clause (Indirect Question)

  ➔ A dependent clause that functions as a noun, often starting with question words like "who," "what," etc., but without question word order. Here, "who you are" acts as the object of "showed." ("who you are")

• Got caught up in the tide of all the tears you've cried

  ➔ Passive Voice (Get + Past Participle)

  ➔ "Get + Past Participle" is an informal way to form the passive voice, often used to describe **unplanned or undesirable events**. It means the subject experienced the action. ("Got caught up")

• Should've never followed you this far

  ➔ Modal Perfect (Should have + never + Past Participle)

  ➔ Expresses **strong regret or a mistake made in the past**, indicating that the speaker wishes they had not done something. The 'never' emphasizes the strong feeling. ("Should've never followed")

• And you let me drown

  ➔ Causative Verb "Let"

  ➔ The causative verb "let" means to **allow or permit** someone to do something. The structure is "let + object + base form of the verb." ("let me drown")

• And if real love never dies, why am I barely breathin'?

  ➔ Conditional Sentence Type 0/1

  ➔ This conditional sentence discusses a **general truth or a present reality** based on a condition. The "if" clause (Type 0) states a general truth, and the main clause (Type 1) asks about a present consequence. ("if real love never dies, why am I barely breathin'")

• Maybe sometime in another life We could've got it right

  ➔ Modal Perfect: Could have + Past Participle

  ➔ Used to express a **past possibility or an unfulfilled potential**; something that was possible but did not happen. ("could've got it right")

• I'm out here tryna be your wave

  ➔ Informal Contraction "Tryna" (Trying to)

  ➔ "Tryna" is an informal, colloquial contraction of "trying to." It's commonly used in spoken English and song lyrics to indicate **an effort to do something**. ("tryna be")