I Can't Quit You Baby – English Lyrics

• By: Led Zeppelin

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw power of English blues-rock with 'I Can't Quit You Baby.' This song is a perfect gateway for learners to explore emotive vocabulary, colloquial expressions of heartache, and the rhythmic flow of the English language as it intersects with the soulful traditions of the American South.

[English]

Ahh!

Ohhh!

I can't quit you, baby

So I'm gonna put you down for a while

I said I can't quit you, baby

I guess I'm gonna put you down for a while

Said you messed up my happy home

Made me mistreat my only child

When you hear me moaning and groaning

You know it hurts me deep down inside

Oh, when you hear me moaning and groaning, baby

You know it hurts me deep down inside

Oh, when you hear me holler, baby

You know you're my one desire

Yes, you are

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
quit /kwɪt/ B1	verb - to stop doing something or leave a job/relationship
baby /ˈbeɪbi/ A1	noun - a very young child or a term of endearment
messed /mɛst/ B2	verb - to ruin or make untidy
happy /ˈhæpi/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing pleasure or contentment
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives permanently
mistreat /mɪsˈtriːt/ C1	verb - to treat someone badly
child /tʃaɪld/ A1	noun - a young human being
moaning /ˈmoʊnɪŋ/ B2	verb - to make a long, low sound expressing pain
groaning /ˈɡroʊnɪŋ/ B2	verb - to make a deep inarticulate sound in response to pain or despair
hurts /hɜːrts/ A2	verb - to cause pain or injury
deep /diːp/ A2	adjective - extending far down from the top or surface
inside /ɪnˈsaɪd/ A1	noun - the inner side or surface
holler /ˈhɑːlər/ C1	verb - to give a loud shout or cry
desire /dɪˈzaɪər/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of wanting to have something

Key Grammar Structures

• I can't quit you, baby

  ➔ Modal verb 'can't' for inability

  ➔ The structure "can't" + base verb expresses an inability or strong feeling of being unable to stop an action.

• So I'm gonna put you down for a while

  ➔ Future intention using 'going to'

  ➔ Using "going to" (gonna) expresses a planned decision or intention for the near future.

• Said you messed up my happy home

  ➔ Past simple tense for a completed action

  ➔ The verb "messed up" is in the past simple, indicating an event that had a negative impact in the past.

• When you hear me moaning and groaning

  ➔ Adverbial clause of time with 'when'

  ➔ The clause starting with "when" sets the condition or timing for the following main clause.

• You know it hurts me deep down inside

  ➔ Present simple for a general truth or persistent state

  ➔ Using "you know" and "it hurts" in the present simple describes a current, ongoing emotional state.

• You know you're my one desire

  ➔ Contraction of 'you are' (you're)

  ➔ Contractions like "you're" are common in songs to fit the rhythm and maintain a conversational tone.