Flowers – English Lyrics

• By: Miley Cyrus
• Album: Endless Summer Vacation

Lyrics & Translation

This catchy pop song is a powerful declaration of self-love and resilience, making it an excellent choice for learning English. Its direct and affirming lyrics about finding happiness within yourself, such as "I can buy myself flowers" and "I can love me better than you can," offer relatable phrases and an inspiring message that resonates globally.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - of high quality; excellent.
gold /ɡoʊld/ A1	noun - a yellow precious metal adjective - made of or resembling gold.
dream /driːm/ A1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep. verb - to experience a dream.
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives.
burn /bɜːrn/ A2	verb - to be damaged or destroyed by fire.
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears.
buy /baɪ/ A1	verb - to acquire something by paying for it.
flowers /ˈflaʊ.ərz/ A1	noun - the seed-bearing part of a plant, consisting of reproductive organs surrounded by brightly colored petals.
write /raɪt/ A1	verb - to mark (paper, cloth, etc.) with characters, symbols, etc.
sand /sænd/ A1	noun - a loose granular substance, typically pale yellowish brown, resulting from the erosion of siliceous and other rocks and forming a major constituent of beaches, riverbeds, the seabed, and deserts.
talk /tɔːk/ A1	verb - to speak in order to express ideas or feelings or to communicate with or entertain other people.
understand /ˌʌn.dərˈstænd/ A2	verb - to perceive the intended meaning of (words, a language, or a speaker).
dance /dæns/ A1	verb - move rhythmically to music.
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - have a strong affection for.
paint /peɪnt/ A2	verb - to apply paint, color or coating to (a surface).
nails /neɪlz/ A1	noun - the horny covering on the upper surface of the tip of the fingers and toes
red /red/ A1	adjective - of a color like that of blood or cherries
roses /ˈroʊ.zɪz/ A1	noun - a flower with a strong, sweet smell and thorns on its stem
remorse /rɪˈmɔːrs/ C1	noun - deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed.
regret /rɪˈɡret/ B2	noun - a feeling of sadness, repentance, or disappointment over something that has happened or been done.
forgive /fərˈɡɪv/ B1	verb - stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake.
fight /faɪt/ A2	verb - take part in a violent struggle involving physical force or weapons.

Key Grammar Structures

• Kinda dream that can’t be sold

  ➔ Passive voice with modal verb 'can'

  ➔ The passive voice is used here because the dream is the object being acted upon. 'Can’t be sold' means the dream is not able to be sold.

• Built a home and watched it burn

  ➔ Past simple tense, conjunction 'and' to connect two clauses

  ➔ Both 'built' and 'watched' are in the past simple, describing completed actions. 'And' shows that these actions happened one after another. The pronoun 'it' refers back to 'a home'.

• Started to cry but then remembered I

  ➔ Past simple tense, conjunction 'but', ellipsis

  ➔ 'Started' and 'remembered' are in past simple. 'But' indicates a contrast. The sentence ends with 'I', implying 'I can buy myself flowers/I am strong/etc.' (ellipsis).

• I can buy myself flowers

  ➔ Modal verb 'can' expressing ability

  ➔ 'Can' indicates the speaker's ability to buy flowers for herself. It's empowering and self-sufficient.

• Say things you don’t understand

  ➔ Relative clause with 'that' omitted, present simple

  ➔ This is a relative clause modifying 'things'. The 'that' which introduces the relative clause is omitted. The verb 'understand' is in the present simple.

• Yeah I can love me better than you can

  ➔ Comparative adverb 'better', modal verb 'can', ellipsis

  ➔ 'Better' is the comparative form of 'well'. The 'can' at the end implies 'can love me'.

• Match the roses that you left

  ➔ Relative clause with 'that' omitted, imperative sentence (less common)

  ➔ This line is a bit ambiguous. It can be interpreted as an imperative, meaning "Try to match the roses you left," but is also a truncated sentence from her internal thinking. There is a relative clause modifying roses with 'that' omitted. 'You left' indicates the one who gave the flowers.