Favourite Daughter – English Lyrics

• By: Lorde

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Ah

...

I was a singer

You were my fan

When no one gave a damn

It was you in the dark

Scared of your anger

In love with your whim

Some notes I don't hit

But I don't give up

Now every day the plane takes off

And every night the room fills up with

People who are convinced I'm not

Just some kid fakin' it for your love

'Cause I'm an actress, all of the medals I won for ya

Breakin' my back just to be your favorite daughter

Everywhere I run, I'm always runnin' to ya

Breakin' my back, just hopin' you'll say I'm a star

You had a brother, I look like him

You told us as kids

"He died of a broken heart"

And for every door you open

There's a room I can't go in

I break in, I still can't find you

Now that every day the plane takes off

And every night the room fills up

I tell myself that soon we'll talk

Then I sing every word just to ya

'Cause I'm an actress, all of the medals I won for ya

Panic attack just to be your favorite daughter

Everywhere I run, I'm always runnin' to ya

Breakin' my back to carry the weight of your heart

But I keep dancin' 'til I get sick

Why'd you have to dream so big?

Why did no one listen when you hit the notes from your heart?

Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, ah

I'm a good actress, look at the medals I won for ya

So you could imagine bein' a favorite daughter

Everywhere I run, I'm always runnin' to ya

Breakin' my back just to be as brave as my mother

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
singer /ˈsɪŋər/ A1	noun - a person who sings, especially as a profession
fan /fæn/ A1	noun - an enthusiastic admirer of a particular person or thing
scared /skɛərd/ A2	adjective - frightened or anxious
anger /ˈæŋɡər/ A2	noun - a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility
whim /wɪm/ B2	noun - a sudden desire or change in plans
convinced /kənˈvɪnst/ B1	adjective - completely certain about something
actress /ˈæktrɪs/ A1	noun - a woman who acts in plays, films, or television
medals /ˈmɛdəlz/ A2	noun - a metal object awarded for achievement
breakin' /ˈbreɪkɪn/ B1	verb - to damage or destroy
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
weight /weɪt/ A1	noun - the heaviness of a person or object
dancin' /ˈdænsɪn/ A1	verb - to move rhythmically to music
brave /breɪv/ A2	adjective - ready to face and endure danger or pain
mother /ˈmʌðər/ A1	noun - a female parent
kid /kɪd/ A1	noun - a young person
fakin' /ˈfeɪkɪn/ B1	verb - to pretend or deceive

Key Grammar Structures

• It was you in the dark

  ➔ Past Simple Tense, Subject-Verb Inversion for emphasis

  ➔ The sentence uses the past simple to describe a past state. The inversion – placing 'was' before 'you' – emphasizes the role of 'you' in the darkness. The structure is 'It + be verb + subject'.

• Some notes I don't hit

  ➔ Negative statement with modal verb 'don't' + infinitive

  ➔ This line expresses an inability to reach certain vocal notes. The structure 'some + noun + I + don't + verb' is a common way to express limitations. The use of 'hit' as a verb meaning to reach a note is idiomatic.

• Now every day the plane takes off

  ➔ Present Simple for habitual action, adverbial of frequency ('every day')

  ➔ This line uses the present simple to describe a recurring event – the plane taking off. 'Every day' specifies the frequency of this action. The phrase 'takes off' is a phrasal verb.

• You had a brother, I look like him

  ➔ Past Simple Tense, Comparative Adjective ('like')

  ➔ The first clause uses the past simple to state a past fact. The second clause uses 'look like' to indicate a resemblance in appearance. 'Like' functions as a preposition here.