It's Probably Me – English Lyrics

• By: Sting

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into Sting's evocative "It's Probably Me," a masterclass in expressing profound connection through subtle, thoughtful lyrics. This unique collaboration with Eric Clapton, rooted in the "Lethal Weapon 3" soundtrack, offers a rich landscape of mature themes like loyalty and understated emotion. Learning the English lyrics provides insight into idiomatic expressions of reserved affection and vulnerability, making it an excellent song for exploring deeper communicative nuances in the language.

[English]

(AIR WHOOSHING)

(GENTLE MELANCHOLIC MUSIC)

♪ IF THE NIGHT TURNED COLD ♪

♪ AND THE STARS LOOKED DOWN ♪

♪ AND YOU HUG YOURSELF ON THE COLD COLD GROUND ♪

♪ YOU WAKE THE MORNING IN A STRANGER'S COAT ♪

♪ NO ONE WOULD YOU SEE ♪

♪ YOU ASK YOURSELF, WHO'D WATCH FOR ME ♪

♪ MY ONLY FRIEND, WHO COULD IT BE ♪

♪ IT'S HARD TO SAY IT ♪

♪ I HATE TO SAY IT ♪

♪ BUT IT'S PROBABLY ME ♪

♪ WHEN YOUR BELLY'S EMPTY ♪

♪ AND THE HUNGER'S SO REAL ♪

♪ AND YOU'RE TOO PROUD TO BEG ♪

♪ AND TOO DUMB TO STEAL ♪

♪ YOU SEARCH THE CITY FOR YOUR ONLY FRIEND ♪

♪ NO ONE WOULD YOU SEE ♪

♪ YOU ASK YOURSELF, WHO COULD IT BE ♪

♪ A SOLITARY VOICE TO SPEAK OUT AND SET ME FREE ♪

♪ I HATE TO SAY IT ♪

♪ I HATE TO SAY IT ♪

♪ BUT IT'S PROBABLY ME ♪

♪ YOU'RE NOT THE EASIEST PERSON I EVER GOT TO KNOW ♪

♪ AND IT'S HARD FOR US BOTH TO LET OUR FEELINGS SHOW ♪

♪ SOME WOULD SAY I SHOULD LET YOU GO YOUR WAY ♪

♪ YOU'LL ONLY MAKE ME CRY ♪

♪ BUT IF THERE'S ONE GUY, JUST ONE GUY ♪

♪ WHO'D LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR YOU AND DIE ♪

♪ IT'S HARD TO SAY IT ♪

♪ I HATE TO SAY IT ♪

♪ BUT IT'S PROBABLY ME ♪

♪ IT'S PROBABLY ME ♪

(GENTLE MELANCHOLIC MUSIC)

♪ WHEN THE WORLD'S GONE CRAZY AND IT MAKES NO SENSE ♪

♪ THERE'S ONLY ONE VOICE THAT COMES TO YOUR DEFENSE ♪

♪ AND THE JURY'S OUT AND YOUR EYES SEARCH THE ROOM ♪

♪ AND ONE FRIENDLY FACE IS ALL YOU NEED TO SEE ♪

♪ IF THERE'S ONE GUY, JUST ONE GUY ♪

♪ WHO'D LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR YOU AND DIE ♪

♪ IT'S HARD TO SAY IT ♪

♪ I HATE TO SAY IT ♪

♪ BUT IT'S PROBABLY ME ♪

♪ I HATE TO SAY IT ♪

♪ I HATE TO SAY IT ♪

♪ BUT IT'S PROBABLY ME ♪

♪ I HATE TO SAY IT ♪

♪ I HATE TO SAY IT ♪

♪ BUT IT'S PROBABLY ME ♪

♪ I HATE TO SAY IT ♪

♪ I HATE TO SAY IT ♪

♪ BUT IT'S PROBABLY ME ♪

(GENTLE MELANCHOLIC MUSIC)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - having a low temperature noun - a low temperature
stars /stɑːrz/ A1	noun - celestial body
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A1	noun - the solid surface of the earth
morning /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/ A1	noun - the early part of the day
friend /frend/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
belly /ˈbel.i/ B1	noun - stomach
empty /ˈempti/ A2	adjective - containing nothing
hunger /ˈhʌŋɡər/ B1	noun - the feeling of needing to eat
proud /praʊd/ B1	adjective - feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town or urban area
voice /vɔɪs/ B1	noun - the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth
feelings /ˈfiːlɪŋz/ B1	noun - an emotional state or reaction
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features.
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ B1	adjective - mentally deranged, especially as manifested in a wild or aggressive way.
sense /sens/ B1	noun - a faculty by which the body perceives an external stimulus
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs used for seeing
face /feɪs/ A1	noun - the front part of the head

Key Grammar Structures

• IF THE NIGHT TURNED COLD

  ➔ Second Conditional (Type 2 Conditional)

  ➔ Uses "if + past simple", followed by "would/could/might + infinitive". This expresses an unreal or improbable situation in the present or future. "TURNED" is the past simple, implying the night isn't currently cold but we are hypothesizing.

• YOU WAKE THE MORNING IN A STRANGER'S COAT

  ➔ Simple Present (Habitual/General Truth)

  ➔ While seemingly in contrast with the conditional mood, the simple present here suggests a recurring hypothetical situation, or a general consequence of the initial condition. "WAKE" describes a general action, not a specific instance.

• NO ONE WOULD YOU SEE

  ➔ Inversion (Emphasis)

  ➔ The standard word order is "No one would see you." The inversion, placing "would" before "you", is used for emphasis and adds a slightly more formal or poetic tone.

• WHO COULD IT BE

  ➔ Indirect Question

  ➔ This is a question embedded within a statement. The word order is subject-verb rather than verb-subject as in a direct question. (Direct question: Who could it be?).

• IT'S HARD TO SAY IT

  ➔ Impersonal "it" + adjective + to-infinitive

  ➔ "It" is used impersonally here, not referring to any specific noun. It introduces a statement about the difficulty of saying something. The real subject is the to-infinitive phrase "to say it".

• WHEN YOUR BELLY'S EMPTY

  ➔ Contraction (Belly is)

  ➔ "Belly's" is a contraction of "belly is". This is common in informal speech and song lyrics. It shows the possessive is is not used, it is the verb is. The "When" introduce a time clause here.

• AND YOU'RE TOO PROUD TO BEG

  ➔ "Too + adjective + to + infinitive" structure

  ➔ This structure expresses that something is excessively (too) something, which prevents a certain action from happening. Here, being excessively proud prevents the person from begging.

• SOME WOULD SAY I SHOULD LET YOU GO YOUR WAY

  ➔ Modal Verbs (Would & Should) & Indirect Speech

  ➔ "Would" expresses a general belief or opinion. "Should" expresses advice or recommendation. The sentence as a whole reports what others might say, representing indirect speech.