I Don't Know Anything – English Lyrics

• By: Sara Bareilles
• Album: More Love - Songs From Little Voice Season 1

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heartfelt lyrics and melodies of Sara Bareilles's "I Don't Know Anything." This song offers a relatable journey through self-doubt and the courage to move forward despite uncertainty. Its honest storytelling and gentle, jazzy pop style make it a perfect piece for understanding everyday emotions and embracing the beauty of not having all the answers. By listening closely, you can explore expressions of vulnerability and hope, making it a wonderful way to connect with the nuances of language through song.

[English]

I don't know what it is

What it is about me?

I don't know how to get where I'm going

I keep showing up where I've already been

Don't know which way is up

Can't seem to get clear

But I know that I'm stuck in the middle of moving too little

Just standing here

I don't know anything

I don't know what it is

What it is about you?

How did you scare me? You barely said anything

How did you do what you do?

Where did you come from?

And where will you go?

If I'm supposed to keep stepping in your direction

Then how will I know?

I don't know anything

So I have not met

Who I will be

But on your mark, set

Ready, watch me

I'm on my way now

And if it's the way down

Then as I fall, I'll just have to admit

I don't know anything

Anything

Anything

Anything

So I have not met

Who I will be

But on your mark, set

Ready, watch me

I'm on my way now

And if it's the way down

Then as I fall, I'll just have to admit

I don't know anything

I don't know anything

I don't know anything, anything, anything, yet

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
know /noʊ/ A2	verb - to be aware of a fact or information
way /weɪ/ A2	noun - a method or direction
stuck /stʌk/ B1	adjective - unable to move or be removed
direction /daɪˈrekʃən/ B1	noun - a course along which someone or something moves
fall /fɔːl/ B1	verb - to drop or descend rapidly noun - the act of falling
scare /skeər/ B1	verb - to frighten someone
admit /ədˈmɪt/ B2	verb - to confess to be true or to have done something
moving /ˈmuːvɪŋ/ B2	adjective - causing strong emotion, especially sadness verb - changing position or location
clear /klɪər/ B2	adjective - easy to perceive, understand, or interpret
met /met/ B2	verb - past tense of meet - to encounter someone
ready /ˈredi/ B2	adjective - prepared for something
watch /wɒtʃ/ B2	verb - to look at something for an extended period
barely /ˈberli/ B2	adverb - only just; hardly
stepping /ˈstepɪŋ/ B2	verb - to walk with a particular movement
anything /ˈeniθɪŋ/ B2	pronoun - used to refer to any thing at all

Key Grammar Structures

• I don't know what **it is**

  ➔ Subject-verb inversion in a question.

  ➔ This is a question embedded within a statement. The word order is normal, not inverted as in a direct question. "**It is**" is the subject and the verb.

• I don't know how to get **where I'm going**

  ➔ Relative clause (reduced) with gerund. In this case, the relative pronoun is omitted. "**Where I'm going**" is a relative clause used as an adverbial of place.

  ➔ "**Where I'm going**" functions as an adverbial clause of place, answering the question 'Where?' It's a reduced relative clause because 'to' and 'I'm going' functions as the verb and place, it is where the writer is going.

• I keep showing up where I've **already been**

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous and Adverb of Time. "**already been**" is Present Perfect, expressing an action completed before the present time, emphasizing the state resulted from the past action. "**already**" is an adverb of time.

  ➔ The phrase indicates repeated past experiences that persist until now. "**already**" indicates that the showing up happened previously.

• But I know that I'm stuck **in the middle of** moving too little

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase. "**in the middle of**" is a prepositional phrase that indicates location or position.

  ➔ This prepositional phrase gives context to the state of being stuck, describing the position of the subject within the larger situation.

• How did you scare me? You barely said **anything**

  ➔ Indefinite Pronoun. "**anything**" is an indefinite pronoun used in negative and interrogative clauses.

  ➔ Used here to emphasize the lack of communication, "**anything**" reinforces the surprise at the subject's actions given their minimal verbal input.

• Where did you come from? And **where will you go**?

  ➔ Future tense with 'will'. "**where will you go**" uses the modal auxiliary verb 'will' to form the future simple tense.

  ➔ This sets the context for speculation about the future. The use of 'will' expresses a prediction or expectation about the subject's future actions.

• If I'm supposed **to keep stepping** in your direction

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose and Gerund. The use of the infinitive "**to keep stepping**" suggests the intended purpose or action.

  ➔ This shows hypothetical scenario, the infinitive phrase "**to keep stepping**" specifies the action, emphasizing intention and the path.

• Then as I fall, I'll just have **to admit**

  ➔ Modal verb + infinitive. "**to admit**" is an infinitive that follows the modal construction 'will have to'.

  ➔ This demonstrates obligation or necessity in the future, and also provides a direct consequence of the hypothetical situation.

• I don't know anything, anything, anything, **yet**

  ➔ Adverb of time. "**yet**" is an adverb of time, typically used in negative and interrogative sentences, but here it emphasizes the unfinished nature of the speaker's lack of knowledge.

  ➔ The inclusion of "**yet**" offers a glimmer of hope or future change. It suggests the speaker's knowledge might change in the future.