Family Affair – English Lyrics

• By: Sly & The Family Stone

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a unique journey, and "Family Affair" by Sly & The Family Stone offers a masterclass in nuance and layered meaning. The song's seemingly simple lyrics about family dynamics are delivered with a world-weary tone that hints at deeper personal and societal struggles. By exploring the language of this song, you can learn to appreciate how tone and context can completely transform the meaning of words, a key skill in mastering any language.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
family /ˈfæməli/ A1	noun - a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household adjective - relating to or characteristic of a family
affair /əˈfeər/ B2	noun - an event or sequence of events of a specified kind or that has previously been referred to.
child /tʃaɪld/ A1	noun - a young human being below the age of puberty or full physical development.
grows /ɡroʊz/ A1	verb - to increase in size or amount; expand
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - feel deep affection for (someone) noun - an intense feeling of affection
learn /lɜːrn/ A1	verb - gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or being taught.
burn /bɜːrn/ A2	verb - be damaged or destroyed by fire
Mom /mɒm/ A1	noun - a person's mother.
blood /blʌd/ A2	noun - the red fluid circulating in the arteries and veins of humans and other vertebrate animals, carrying oxygen to and carbon dioxide from the tissues of the body.
kids /kɪdz/ A1	noun - a child or young person.
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - to be desired or approved of.
newlywed /ˈnjuːliwɛd/ B2	noun - a person who has recently married. adjective - recently married
year /jɪər/ A1	noun - the time taken by the earth to make one revolution around the sun.
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.
cry /kraɪ/ A2	verb - shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow. noun - an act of crying.
broke /broʊk/ B1	adjective - having completely run out of money.

Key Grammar Structures

• Somebody that just loves to learn

  ➔ Relative Clause with "that" (non-defining)

  ➔ The word "that" introduces a relative clause which describes "somebody". Here the relative pronoun "that" refers to "somebody".

• Somebody you'd just love to burn

  ➔ Conditional mood (reduced form 'd for would)

  ➔ "You'd" is a contraction of "you would". The structure "would love to" expresses a strong desire or preference, often in a hypothetical situation.

• Blood's thicker than mud

  ➔ Comparative adjective (thicker)

  ➔ "Thicker" is the comparative form of "thick". The phrase is a proverb, implying family bonds are stronger than other relationships.

• Newlywed a year ago

  ➔ Adjective as complement after noun

  ➔ The sentence omits "they were" (subject + verb), making "newlywed" act as a complement describing the subject.

• But you can't stay, 'cause you been somewhere else!

  ➔ Present perfect continuous (been somewhere)

  ➔ The present perfect continuous "you have been" implies an experience that has influenced the present state.