Hello in There

• By: John Prine
• Album: Tree of Forgiveness

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
apartment /əˈpɑːrtmənt/ A2	noun - a set of rooms for living in, typically on one floor of a building
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town or urban area
kids /kɪdz/ A1	noun - children
grown /ɡroʊn/ A1	verb - past participle of grow: to increase in size or amount; to develop
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
lost /lɔːst/ A1	verb - past tense of lose: to be deprived of something
war /wɔːr/ A2	noun - a state of armed conflict between different countries or groups within a country.
trees /triːz/ A1	noun - a woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk growing to a considerable height and bearing lateral branches at some distance from the ground.
rivers /ˈrɪvərz/ A1	noun - a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another such stream.
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively.
lonesome /ˈloʊnsəm/ B2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
door /dɔːr/ A1	noun - a hinged, sliding, or revolving barrier at the entrance to a building, room, or vehicle, or in the framework of a cupboard.
news /nuːz/ A2	noun - newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent events.
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep.
factory /ˈfæktəri/ A2	noun - a building or group of buildings where goods are manufactured or assembled chiefly by machine.
street /striːt/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town, typically with houses and buildings on one or both sides.
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - the organ of sight
ancient /ˈeɪnʃənt/ B2	adjective - belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence.

Grammar:

• Well, it'd been years since the kids had grown

  ➔ Past Perfect Tense

  ➔ The past perfect tense ('it'd been' - it had been) emphasizes that the kids growing up happened *before* the time the narrator is referring to. It highlights the distance in time. We use it to show something happened earlier than another event in the past.

• And I still don't know what for

  ➔ Indirect Question (embedded question) / Ellipsis

  ➔ This is an indirect question embedded in a statement. It's short for "I still don't know *what he died for*." The ellipsis shows the omission of redundant words. This makes it sound conversational and natural.

• You know that old trees just grow stronger

  ➔ General Truth / Simple Present Tense

  ➔ The simple present tense "grow" is used to express a general truth or a universal fact about old trees. This imparts a sense of timelessness and generality to the statement.

• Waiting for someone to say

  ➔ Present Participle as Adjective

  ➔ "Waiting" acts as an adjective modifying "old people", describing their state. It shows their continuous action and adds to the melancholic tone.

• Me and Loretta, we don't talk much more

  ➔ Subject Pronoun Repetition (emphasis) & Adverb of Frequency

  ➔ The repetition of the subject "Me and Loretta, we" is a slightly non-standard but effective way to emphasize the subject. The adverb of frequency "much" indicates the reduced amount of talking. "More" means 'anymore'.

• Like some forgotten dream That we've both seen

  ➔ Relative Clause with reduced relative pronoun

  ➔ "That we've both seen" is a relative clause modifying "dream." The relative pronoun (that/which) can be omitted when it's the object of the relative clause.

• But what could I say if he asks, "What's new?"

  ➔ Second Conditional (Hypothetical)

  ➔ This sentence uses the second conditional, a hypothetical situation in the present or future. The structure is 'if + past simple, would/could/might + base form of verb'. This shows uncertainty and a low probability of the event happening.

• As if you didn't care

  ➔ 'As if' Clause (expressing unreal situation)

  ➔ The phrase 'as if' introduces a clause expressing something contrary to fact. The past tense 'didn't care' implies that you *do* care, even though the person observing you might think otherwise. It emphasizes the disconnect between appearance and reality.