I Won't Let You Down – English Lyrics

• By: OK Go

Lyrics & Translation

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
let /lɛt/ A2	verb - to allow or permit
down /daʊn/ A1	adverb - toward or in a lower place or position
love /lʌv/ A2	noun / verb - a strong feeling of affection / to feel deep affection for someone
shine /ʃaɪn/ B1	verb / noun - to emit light / the bright glow of something
trust /trʌst/ B2	noun / verb - confidence in someone / to believe that someone is reliable
armor /ˈɑːrmər/ B2	noun - protective covering, especially on the body of a warrior
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the time of darkness between sunset and sunrise
world /wɜːrld/ A2	noun - the Earth and all its inhabitants
trust /trʌst/ B2	noun / verb - confidence in someone / to believe that someone is reliable
trick /trɪk/ B2	noun / verb - deceptive action / to deceive or cheat
trying /ˈtraɪɪŋ/ B2	verb (present participle) - attempting or making an effort
tighter /ˈtaɪtər/ B2	adjective / adverb - more tightly / with more tension

Key Grammar Structures

• I won't let you down

  ➔ Future Simple (Negative Contraction)

  ➔ "won't" is a contraction of "will not", the negative form of the auxiliary verb "will", used to express future intention. The structure is: Subject + will not/won't + base form of the verb.

• Nikki she's got no flag to fly

  ➔ Double Subject / Informal Sentence Structure

  ➔ The use of both "Nikki" and "she" as subjects is grammatically redundant and informal. It's common in spoken English and song lyrics for emphasis.

• you got your armor on

  ➔ Present Perfect (omitted 'have')

  ➔ This is a colloquial shortening of "you have got your armor on." While strictly, it should be "you've got your armour on", dropping the 'have' makes it more casual.

• maybe all you need is someone to trust

  ➔ Subject Complement / Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "someone" is the subject complement, defining what "all you need" is. "to trust" is an infinitive phrase acting as an adjective, modifying "someone". The phrase clarifies *why* someone is needed (for the purpose of trusting).

• Emily's got no tricks to try

  ➔ Possessive ('s) + Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "Emily's" shows possession. "to try" is an infinitive phrase acting as an adjective modifying "tricks", describing the purpose of the tricks. It answers the question: tricks for what purpose?

• So strap that armor tighter on

  ➔ Imperative + Comparative Adverb

  ➔ "strap" is an imperative verb, giving a command. "tighter" is the comparative form of the adverb "tight", indicating a greater degree of tightness. It modifies the action of "strap".