I'll Be – English Lyrics

• By: Edwin McCain
• Album: Misguided Roses

Lyrics & Translation

Edwin McCain's "I'll Be" offers a wonderful opportunity to explore English through its emotional depth and relatable lyrics. While widely known as a romantic staple, the song's true origin as a personal prayer for growth after a difficult breakup adds layers of meaning, making it a powerful piece to analyze for its nuanced expressions of hope and vulnerability.

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.