I'll Be – English Lyrics

• By: Edwin McCain
• Album: Misguided Roses

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the true story behind Edwin McCain's hit, "I'll Be," a song that, despite its popularity at weddings, was actually a personal prayer. Explore how McCain's vulnerability turned into a timeless message of support, and learn about the nuances of expressing emotions through music.

[English]

The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful

Stop me and steal my breath

And emeralds from mountains thrust toward the sky

Never revealing their depth

And tell me that we belong together

And dress it up with the trappings of love

I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips

Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

And I'll be your cryin' shoulder

I'll be love's suicide

And I'll be better when I'm older

I'll be the greatest fan of your life

And rain falls angry on the tin roof

As we lie awake in my bed

And you're my survival, you're my livin' proof

My love is alive and not dead

And tell me that we belong together

And dress it up with the trappings of love

I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips

Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

And I'll be your cryin' shoulder

I'll be love's suicide

And I'll be better when I'm older

I'll be the greatest fan of your life

And I dropped out, I burned up

I fought my way back from the dead

Tuned in and turned on

Remembered the thing that you, you said

And I'll be your cryin' shoulder

I'll be love's suicide

And I'll be better when I'm older

I'll be the greatest fan of your

I'll be your cryin' shoulder

I'll be love's suicide

And I'll be better when I'm older

I'll be the greatest fan of your life

The greatest fan of your life

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
color /ˈkʌlər/ A1	noun - the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way the object reflects or emits light verb - to apply color to something
steal /stiːl/ A2	verb - to take (another person's property) without permission or legal right and without intending to return it.
breath /brɛθ/ A2	noun - the air taken into or expelled from the lungs
mountains /ˈmaʊntɪnz/ A1	noun - a large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth.
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection. verb - feel deep affection for (someone).
lips /lɪps/ A1	noun - either of the two fleshy parts that form the edge of the mouth.
heartache /ˈhɑːrteɪk/ B2	noun - mental suffering or distress.
shoulder /ˈʃoʊldər/ A1	noun - the part of the human body between the neck and the upper arm.
suicide /ˈsuːɪsaɪd/ B2	noun - the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
fan /fæn/ A2	noun - a person who is very interested in and enthusiastic about someone or something
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter, including capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
rain /reɪn/ A1	noun - moisture condensed from the atmosphere that falls visibly in separate drops. verb - fall as rain.
roof /ruːf/ A1	noun - the covering on the top of a building.
bed /bed/ A1	noun - a piece of furniture used for sleeping or resting on.
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living, not dead.
dead /ded/ A1	adjective - no longer alive.

Key Grammar Structures

• The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful

  ➔ Relative Clause ('that' as subject)

  ➔ The word "that" introduces a relative clause, modifying "strands". It acts as the subject of the verb "color".

• Never revealing their depth

  ➔ Present Participle Clause (Adverbial)

  ➔ "Revealing" is a present participle used adverbially, describing how emeralds from mountains thrust toward the sky. It indicates a simultaneous action or a result.

• And tell me that we belong together

  ➔ Noun Clause ('that' clause as object)

  ➔ The phrase "that we belong together" is a noun clause that functions as the direct object of the verb "tell". The word "that" introduces the clause.

• I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips

  ➔ Passive Voice ('be captivated')

  ➔ "Be captivated" uses the passive voice, indicating that the subject (I) is receiving the action of being captivated by someone or something else.

• Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

  ➔ Relative Clause ('that' as subject)

  ➔ The word "that" introduces a relative clause, modifying "gallows of heartache". It acts as the subject of the verb "hang".

• And I'll be better when I'm older

  ➔ Adverbial Clause of Time ('when' clause)

  ➔ The phrase "when I'm older" is an adverbial clause of time, indicating the time at which the speaker will be better. It modifies the main clause "I'll be better".

• And you're my survival, you're my livin' proof

  ➔ Nominalization (livin' proof)

  ➔ "Livin'" is a shortened form of "living", used as an adjective to modify "proof", effectively creating a noun phrase that functions as a complement.

• Remembered the thing that you, you said

  ➔ Ellipsis (Omission of Relative Pronoun)

  ➔ The relative pronoun "that" or "which" is omitted. The full clause would be "the thing that you said". This omission is common in informal English.