Hardest Part – English Lyrics

• By: Noah Cyrus
• Album: The Hardest Part

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Noah Cyrus's "Hardest Part," a powerful song from her critically acclaimed debut album. This track offers a raw and vulnerable look at the universal anxieties of growing up and facing change, expressed through a beautiful blend of acoustic pop and country-soul. Learning the lyrics provides insight into authentic emotional expression and idiomatic language related to personal growth and overcoming hardship, making it a resonant piece for language learners seeking to connect with profound narratives in English.

[English]

The hardest part of growing old

Is facing that you're getting older

And everything you've ever known

Is over, is over, is over, is over

Down by the water

Where the auburn leaves were shining

Holding hands with my father

And I swear I saw him crying

'Cause it's been so long

And the day's soon gone

And the hardest part of growing old

Is facing that you're getting older

And everything you've ever known

Is over, hmm

And all the paths are overgrown

The sun is down, it's getting colder

And everything you've ever known

Is over, is over

In your eyes, I see the fire

That so long ago was burning

Through our smiles, we tried to hide it

All the years that we've been hurting

We don't get too long

That's why I'm holding on

And the hardest part of growing old

Is facing that you're getting older

And everything you've ever known

Is over, hmm

And all the paths are overgrown

The sun is down, it's getting colder

And everything you've ever known

Is over, is over, is over

Is over, is over, is over

Yeah, the hardest part of growing old

Is facing that you're getting older

And everything you've ever known

Is over, is over

And all the paths are overgrown

The sun is down, it's getting colder

And everything you've ever known

Is over, is over, is over, is over

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
growing /ˈɡroʊɪŋ/ A1	verb - to develop or increase in size, age, or maturity
facing /ˈfeɪsɪŋ/ A2	verb - to accept or deal with a difficult situation
older /ˈoʊldər/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for a long time
overgrown /ˌoʊvərˈɡroʊn/ B1	adjective - covered with too much vegetation
shining /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/ A2	verb - to emit light
crying /ˈkraɪɪŋ/ A1	verb - to shed tears
swear /swɛər/ A2	verb - to state something emphatically or as a promise
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - the phenomenon of combustion
burning /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ A2	verb - to be on fire or set on fire
hurting /ˈhɜːrtɪŋ/ A2	verb - to cause physical pain or emotional distress
holding /ˈhoʊldɪŋ/ A1	verb - to grasp or carry something
auburn /ˈɔːbərn/ B2	adjective - of a reddish-brown color
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - low in temperature
hide /haɪd/ A1	verb - to put or keep out of sight
smiles /smaɪlz/ A1	noun - an expression of pleasure

Key Grammar Structures

• The hardest part of growing old

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ Implied in 'growing old', indicating an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

• Is facing that you're getting older

  ➔ Present Continuous

  ➔ 'Is facing' shows an action happening now, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the realization.

• And everything you've ever known

  ➔ Present Perfect

  ➔ 'You've ever known' uses the present perfect to refer to experiences that started in the past and are relevant now.

• Is over, is over, is over, is over

  ➔ Present Tense for Emphasis

  ➔ The repetition of 'is over' in the present tense emphasizes finality and repetition for emotional impact.

• Where the auburn leaves were shining

  ➔ Past Continuous

  ➔ 'Were shining' describes a past action that was ongoing at a specific time, setting the scene.

• And I swear I saw him crying

  ➔ Past Simple with Emphasis

  ➔ 'I saw' is in the past simple, with 'I swear' adding emphasis to the certainty of the observation.

• And all the paths are overgrown

  ➔ Present Tense for Current State

  ➔ 'Are overgrown' uses the present tense to describe the current state of the paths.

• The sun is down, it's getting colder

  ➔ Present Continuous for Change

  ➔ 'Is getting colder' uses the present continuous to show a change happening now.