High Road – English Lyrics

• By: Koe Wetzel, Jessie Murph
• Album: 9 Lives

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotions of "High Road" by Koe Wetzel and Jessie Murph, a powerful duet that blends country and rock to tell a relatable story of a relationship on the brink. Through its candid lyrics and dual perspectives, this song offers an authentic look at navigating conflict and finding your own way to cope. It's a perfect track to explore modern American English, especially colloquialisms related to relationships and emotional responses, making it special for its honest portrayal of human struggles and its unique genre-bending sound.

[English]

Well, I can tell that you're mad

And I ain't half surprised about that

Since the day that we met

It's always who cuts first and never who bleeds last

Rumors always turn into yelling and fighting

And once it's in your mind, only one way you're driving

And I know, I know

I'ma take the high road, baby get stoned

Have a little too much of something terrible

I'ma let you cool down while I walk out

You ain't messing me up like the times before

I don't need a ticket to your shitshow

Knock yourself out and hit a new low

Well, I'ma take the high road, take the high road, take the high road

Call me a son of a bitch

For being honest, yeah, that's what I get

And fuck it, I quit

You keep on losing your head about some girl I ain't with

And rumors always turn into yelling and fighting

And what's this in your mind, only one way you're driving

I know, I know

I'ma take the high road, baby get stoned

Have a little too much of something terrible

I'ma let you cool down while I walk out

You ain't messing me up like the times before

I don't need a ticket to your shitshow

Knock yourself out and hit a new low

Well, I'ma take the high road, take the high road, take the high road

Whoa, whoa

I'ma take the high road, baby get stoned

Have a little too much of something terrible

I'ma let you cool down while I walk out

You ain't messing me up like the times before

And I don't need a ticket to your shitshow

Knock yourself out and hit a new low

Well, I'ma take the high road, take the high road, take the high road

I'ma take the high road, take the high road, take the high road

Oh, yeah, yeah, mm

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
mad /mæd/ A2	adjective - angry
cut /kʌt/ A1	verb - to divide or penetrate with a sharp instrument
bleed /bliːd/ B1	verb - to lose blood
rumor /ˈruːmər/ B2	noun - a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth
yelling /ˈjelɪŋ/ B1	verb - to shout something loudly
fighting /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/ A2	noun - the act of fighting; violent conflict
driving /ˈdraɪvɪŋ/ A1	verb - operating a vehicle
high /haɪ/ A1	adjective - of great vertical extent
stoned /stoʊnd/ B2	adjective - under the influence of drugs
terrible /ˈterəbl/ B1	adjective - extremely bad or serious
cool /kuːl/ A2	verb - to become less hot
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn
messing /ˈmesɪŋ/ B1	verb - to interfere thoughtlessly or ignorantly
shitshow /ˈʃɪtʃoʊ/ C1	noun - a situation or event that is badly mismanaged or full of problems
honest /ˈɒnɪst/ A2	adjective - free of deceit; truthful and sincere
quit /kwɪt/ A2	verb - to leave a job or stop doing something
losing /ˈluːzɪŋ/ A2	verb - to be deprived of something

Key Grammar Structures

• I ain't half surprised about that

  ➔ Double Negative (informal)

  ➔ Using "ain't" (a non-standard form of "am not", "is not", or "are not") with "half surprised" creates a double negative. While grammatically incorrect in formal English, it's common in informal speech and emphasizes that the speaker is not surprised at all. Essentially, "I ain't half surprised" means "I'm not even a little surprised".

• It's always who cuts first and never who bleeds last

  ➔ Relative Pronouns and Word Order

  ➔ The sentence uses the relative pronoun "who" to connect clauses. The unusual structure emphasizes the competitive nature of the relationship, focusing on the actors ("who cuts", "who bleeds") rather than the actions themselves. The inverted order "who bleeds last" further emphasizes the delayed consequences.

• I'ma take the high road, baby get stoned

  ➔ Future Tense Contraction, Imperative Mood (informal)

  ➔ "I'ma" is a contraction of "I am going to", indicating the future tense (informal). "Get stoned" is an imperative verb phrase (command) directed towards the singer herself (or a general statement about her intention), though delivered informally.

• Have a little too much of something terrible

  ➔ Quantifiers and Abstract Nouns

  ➔ "A little too much" is a quantifier phrase indicating an excessive amount of something. "Something terrible" uses the abstract noun "terrible" to represent something unpleasant without specifying it.

• You ain't messing me up like the times before

  ➔ Present Continuous (informal), Comparative Phrase

  ➔ "You ain't messing me up" uses the present continuous tense (in the informal "ain't" form) to describe an action happening now but with ongoing relevance. "Like the times before" is a comparative phrase that relates the present situation to past experiences.

• Knock yourself out and hit a new low

  ➔ Imperative Mood, Idiomatic Expression

  ➔ "Knock yourself out" is an idiomatic expression meaning "do what you want" or "go ahead" (often with a sarcastic tone). "Hit a new low" is a common phrase implying someone has reached their worst behavior. Both phrases use the imperative mood to issue commands or suggestions.

• You keep on losing your head about some girl I ain't with

  ➔ Present Continuous (habitual action), Relative Clause (informal)

  ➔ "You keep on losing your head" uses the present continuous to describe a repeated or habitual action that the speaker finds annoying. "Some girl I ain't with" employs the informal "ain't" and a relative clause where the relative pronoun ("that" or "who") is omitted, making the structure less formal.