How To Love – English Lyrics

• By: Lil Wayne

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a heartfelt journey with Lil Wayne's 'How To Love,' a poignant track that offers a unique window into American English through its emotional narrative and accessible lyrics. This song, rich with relatable themes of resilience and self-discovery, provides an excellent opportunity to explore nuanced vocabulary and conversational expressions within a powerful and reflective context.

[English]

(door squeaks open)

- There you go.

- Okay, sweetie.

- You're gonna feel a pinch and then you'll go numb.

We'll be done in just a few minutes.

- Just stay calm.

Take a deep breath.

- I know you're nervous.

- I changed my mind.

I can't do this.

No, I can't do this.

(acoustic guitar plays)

♪ Cut the music up ♪

♪ A lil' louder ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ You had a lot of crooks try to steal your heart ♪

♪ Never really had luck, couldn't never figure out ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ How to love, mmh ♪

♪ You had a lot of moments that didn't last forever ♪

♪ Now you in a corner tryna put it together ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ How to love, mmh ♪

♪ For a second you were here, now you over there ♪

♪ It's hard not to stare, the way you moving your body ♪

♪ Like you never had a love (had a love, ayy) ♪

♪ Never had a love (had a love, ayy) ♪

♪ When you was just a youngin', your looks were so precious ♪

♪ But now you're grown up, so fly it's like a blessing ♪

♪ But you can't have a man look at you for five seconds ♪

♪ Without you being insecure (insecure) ♪

♪ You never credit yourself so when you got older ♪

♪ It's seems like you came back ten times over ♪

♪ Now you're sitting here in this damn corner ♪

♪ Looking through all your thoughts ♪

♪ and looking over your shoulder ♪

♪ See you had a lot of crooks try to steal your heart ♪

♪ Never really had luck, couldn't never figure out ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ Mh, see you had a lot of moments that didn't last forever ♪

♪ Now you in this corner tryna put it together ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ Mh, for a second you were here, now you over there ♪

♪ It's hard not to stare, the way you moving your body ♪

♪ Like you never had a love (had a love, ayy) ♪

♪ had a love (had a love, ayy) ♪

♪ Oh, and you had a lot of dreams ♪

♪ that transformed to visions ♪

♪ The fact that you saw the world affected ♪

♪ all your decisions ♪

♪ But it wasn't your fault, wasn't in your intentions ♪

♪ To be the one here talking to me, be the one listening ♪

♪ But, but I admire your poppin' bottles and dippin' ♪

♪ Just as much as you admire bartending and strippin' ♪

♪ Baby, so don't be mad, nobody else trippin' ♪

♪ You seen a lot of crooks and them crooks still crook ♪

♪ You see you had a lot of crooks try to steal your heart ♪

♪ Never really had luck, couldn't never figure out ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ Mh, see you had a lot of moments that didn't last forever ♪

♪ Now you in this corner tryna put it together ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ Oh ♪

(music cuts out)

- Your blood test came out positive.

- What, positive for what?

- HIV.

- We're so sorry.

(loud crying)

- No, no!

- Baby, I'm sorry.

- No!

♪ See I just want you to know ♪

♪ That you deserve the best ♪

♪ You're beautiful (ayy), you're beautiful (ayy) ♪

♪ Yeah, and I want you to know ♪

♪ You're far from the usual (ayy), far from the usual (ayy) ♪

♪ You see you had a lot of crooks try to steal your heart ♪

♪ Never really had luck, couldn't never figure out ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ Mh, see you had a lot of moments that didn't last forever ♪

♪ Now you in this corner tryna put it together ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ How to love, mmh ♪

♪ See you had a lot of crooks try to steal your heart ♪

♪ Never really had luck, couldn't never figure out ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ Yeah, see you had a lot of moments ♪

♪ that didn't last forever ♪

♪ Now you in this corner tryna put it together ♪

♪ How to love ♪

♪ How to love, mmh ♪

(music fades out quickly)

- I have here the results of your test.

It looks like you're pregnant.

- Congratulations.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

Good luck, you two.

- Oh my God.

I'm pregnant.

Thank you, just thank you for being there

for me and teaching me how to love.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to have strong affection for
crooks /krʊks/ B1	noun - dishonest or deceitful people
steal /stiːl/ A2	verb - to take something without permission
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood noun - the center of emotion
figure /ˈfɪɡər/ B1	verb - to work something out
corner /ˈkɔːrnər/ A2	noun - a place where two lines or surfaces meet
stare /steər/ B1	verb - to look fixedly
body /ˈbɑːdi/ A1	noun - the physical structure of a person
precious /ˈprɛʃəs/ B2	adjective - of great value
fly /flaɪ/ A2	adjective - fashionable, stylish verb - to move through the air
insecure /ˌɪnsɪˈkjʊər/ B2	adjective - not confident
credit /ˈkrɛdɪt/ B1	verb - to recognize someone's achievement
thoughts /θɔːts/ B1	noun - ideas or opinions
shoulder /ˈʃoʊldər/ A1	noun - the part of the body connecting the arm to the neck
visions /ˈvɪʒənz/ B2	noun - something seen in a dream or imagination
affected /əˈfɛktɪd/ B1	verb - to have an impact on
intentions /ɪnˈtɛnʃənz/ B2	noun - plans or aims
admire /ədˈmaɪər/ B1	verb - to regard with respect

Key Grammar Structures

• You had a lot of crooks try to steal your heart

  ➔ Past Perfect Tense

  ➔ The phrase 'had... tried' uses the Past Perfect Tense to indicate an action completed before another past action.

• Now you in a corner tryna put it together

  ➔ Non-standard Contraction

  ➔ 'Tryna' is a non-standard contraction of 'trying to', commonly used in informal or poetic contexts.

• It's hard not to stare, the way you moving your body

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ 'Moving' uses the Present Continuous Tense to describe an action happening now.

• But you can't have a man look at you for five seconds

  ➔ Modal Verb (can't)

  ➔ 'Can't' is a modal verb used to express inability or prohibition.

• Without you being insecure (insecure)

  ➔ Gerund after Preposition

  ➔ 'Being' is a gerund used after the preposition 'without' to describe a state of insecurity.

• To be the one here talking to me, be the one listening

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The infinitive 'to be' is used to express purpose or result.

• You're beautiful (ayy), you're beautiful (ayy)

  ➔ Present Simple Tense

  ➔ 'You're' uses the Present Simple Tense to state a fact or a permanent condition.

• Far from the usual (ayy), far from the usual (ayy)

  ➔ Comparative Adjective

  ➔ 'Far' is used in a comparative sense to emphasize difference from the norm.