I Made It – English Lyrics

• By: Tones And I

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Tones And I's empowering anthem, "I Made It," a song that beautifully illustrates the journey of perseverance and achieving your dreams against all odds. Through its clear and heartfelt lyrics, you can explore common English phrases related to determination and success, making it a powerful and motivating piece for language learners.

[English]

When I was young, I tried to build a paper plane

But my head told me "no"

My parents sat me down and they tried to explain

That I had some time to grow

But I stayed up all night until I got it right and in the morning

I screamed, "Hey, look! I made it!"

When I was young, I tried to build a paper plane

But my head told me "no"

But I knew I was special

And when I didn't believe

I'd remember the moments when my family's waiting for me

And if I had a dollar

From the ones that didn't beliеve

I could sail away and live my life at sеa

'Cause I made it

Yeah, damn, I made it

Oh, oh, I made it

'Cause I made it

Yeah, yeah, 'cause I made it

Yeah, damn, I made it

Oh, oh, I made it

Mm, 'cause I made it

Sometimes I think about why we do what we're doing

The world tell us "no"

These walls were made to break and I'm breaking through

At times it's hard to show

And even though I'm scared, I know that I'm aware

That I'm exactly where I'm meant to be

So when I think about why I do what I do

It's everything to me

And I knew I was special

And when I didn't believe

I'd remember the moments when my family's waiting for me

And if I had a dollar

From the ones that didn't believe

I could sail away and live my life at sea

Oh, 'cause I made it

Yeah, damn, I made it

Oh, oh, I made it

'Cause I made it

Yeah, yeah, 'cause I made it

Yeah, damn, I made it

Oh, oh, I made it

Mm, 'cause I made it

We made it, we made it, we made it

We made it out, we made it out, we made it out

We made it, we made it, we made it

We made it out, we made it out, we made it out

'Cause we made it

Yeah, damn, we made it

Oh, oh, we made it

'Cause we made it

Yeah, yeah, 'cause we made it

Yeah, damn, we made it

Oh, oh, we made it

'Cause we made it

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
build /bɪld/ A1	verb - to construct (something) by putting parts or materials together
paper /ˈpeɪpər/ A1	noun - a thin, flexible material made of wood pulp or other fibrous substances, used for writing on, printing on, or wrapping things
plane /pleɪn/ A2	noun - airplane
parents /ˈperənts/ A1	noun - a father or mother
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
grow /ɡroʊ/ A1	verb - to increase in size or develop
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours
morning /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/ A1	noun - the period of time between sunrise and noon
special /ˈspeʃəl/ B1	adjective - different from what is usual
family /ˈfæməli/ A1	noun - a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household
dollar /ˈdɑːlər/ A1	noun - a monetary unit equal to 100 cents
sail /seɪl/ A2	verb - travel in a boat or ship using sails
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
sea /siː/ A1	noun - the expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface and surrounds its landmasses
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features
walls /wɔːlz/ A1	noun - a continuous vertical brick or stone structure that encloses or divides an area of land
scared /skerd/ A2	adjective - afraid; frightened

Key Grammar Structures

• When I was young, I tried to build a paper plane

  ➔ Past Simple Tense (was, tried) to describe past actions and states.

  ➔ Uses "was" to describe a state in the past and "tried" to describe an action taken in the past. The sentence sets the scene by situating the events in the singer's childhood.

• But my head told me "no"

  ➔ Use of "told" as the past tense of 'tell' indicating reported speech or a direct message.

  ➔ "told" illustrates what the singer's inner voice or doubts conveyed in the past, highlighting the internal struggle.

• That I had some time to grow

  ➔ Indirect Speech: Reporting what someone said. The original statement likely used 'will' which changed to 'would' in the reported speech. Modal verb 'had to' is used as the past equivalent of 'have to'.

  ➔ The phrase represents the parents' advice, emphasizing the idea of needing more time to mature and develop.

• I stayed up all night until I got it right and in the morning

  ➔ Use of "stayed up" (phrasal verb) and "got" (past simple) to describe actions in the past. Use of 'until' as a time conjunction.

  ➔ Illustrates the dedication and perseverance of the singer in perfecting their paper plane. 'Until' shows the duration of this effort.

• I screamed, "Hey, look! I made it!"

  ➔ Past Simple Tense ("screamed", "made") to describe completed actions. Use of direct speech with quotation marks. Exclamation to show strong emotion.

  ➔ Showcases the triumphant moment of achieving a goal. "Made it" is an idiom for success.

• And if I had a dollar, from the ones that didn't believe

  ➔ Second Conditional: "If + Past Simple, would/could/might + infinitive". This is a hypothetical situation.

  ➔ Uses a conditional statement to express a hypothetical scenario and the potential wealth accumulated from doubters.

• I could sail away and live my life at sea

  ➔ Modal verb "could" indicating possibility or ability in a hypothetical situation (related to the second conditional). Infinitive phrases "sail away" and "live my life" as complements.

  ➔ Expresses the freedom and potential that success could bring.

• These walls were made to break and I'm breaking through

  ➔ Passive voice ("were made") used to describe the purpose of the walls. Present continuous ("I'm breaking") to describe an ongoing action.

  ➔ The walls are not just passively there, but their inherent purpose is to be overcome, representing challenges. The singer actively overcomes them. Emphasizes action and agency.