Long Sleeves – English Lyrics

• By: Gracie Abrams
• Album: minor

Lyrics & Translation

"Long Sleeves" offers a window into the nuanced emotions of heartbreak and self-discovery. Through Gracie Abrams' poignant lyrics and gentle melodies, learners can explore common English phrases for expressing vulnerability, emotional processing, and the quiet strength found in moving on. The song's intimate storytelling and relatable themes make it a compelling piece for language acquisition and cultural understanding.

[English]

Packing while you're asleep

You were the catalyst

I don't know what it is about how you breathe

About how you breathe

I want to be alone

Hate it that no one knows

You're good to everyone

All them but me

All them but me

And if you hear me

Leaving in the morning

Could you just pretend that

It was only wind?

'Cause I can't love you

Even if I want to

Got a lot to work through

You don't know where I've been

It's been a long time coming

It's been a long time coming

It's been a long time coming

It's been a long time coming

...

Say something sweet to me

It never meant a thing

Used to the turbulence

I wore long sleeves

I wore long sleeves

I fought 'til you tethered me

Swept under surfaces

Never enough of it

You didn't think

You didn't think

If you hear me

Leaving in the morning

Could you please pretend that

It was only wind?

'Cause I can't love you

Even if I want to

Got a lot to work through

You don't know where I've been

It's been a long time coming

It's been a long time coming

It's been a long time coming

It's been a long time coming

It's been a long time coming

I'm coming down, I'm coming down, I'm coming down

I'm coming down, I'm coming down, I'm coming down

I'm coming down, I'm coming down, I'm coming down

I'm coming down, I'm coming down, I'm coming down

I'm coming down, I'm coming down, I'm coming down

I'm coming down, I'm coming down, I'm coming down

I'm coming down, I'm coming down, I'm coming down

I'm coming down, I'm coming down, I'm coming down

I'm coming down, I'm coming down, I'm coming down

I'm coming down, I'm coming down, I'm coming down

I'm coming down, I'm coming down, I'm coming down

I'm coming down, I'm coming down

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
catalyst /ˈkætəˌlɪst/ C1	noun - a person or thing that precipitates an event
breathe /brið/ B1	verb - to take air into and send out of the lungs
alone /əˈloʊn/ A2	adjective - without other people; by oneself
love /lʌv/ A2	verb - to feel deep affection for someone or something noun - a deep affection or attachment
work /wɜːrk/ A2	verb - to do tasks or employ effort to achieve a purpose
think /θɪŋk/ B1	verb - to have an opinion or belief about something
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - a period during which something happens
long /lɔːŋ/ A2	adjective - having a great length from end to end
coming /ˈkʌmɪŋ/ B1	verb - approaching or arriving
maybe /ˈmeɪbi/ A2	adverb - perhaps; possibly
surface /ˈsɜːrfɪs/ B2	noun - the outer face or layer of an object or a person
enough /ɪˈnʌf/ A2	adjective - as much as needed

Key Grammar Structures

• Packing while you're asleep

  ➔ Present participle as adverbial modifier

  ➔ The phrase "packing" modifies the main clause, indicating what the speaker is doing *while* the other person is asleep. It describes the simultaneous action.

• You were the catalyst

  ➔ Simple past tense

  ➔ "Were" is the past tense of the verb "to be," indicating a state or condition in the past. The statement implies that the person had a significant, transformative effect.

• I want to be alone

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose (to be)

  ➔ "To be alone" explains the purpose of the speaker's wanting. It shows what they desire to achieve.

• Could you just pretend that it was only wind?

  ➔ Conditional sentence (mixed type)

  ➔ This sentence uses a polite request framed as a conditional. It's technically a mixed conditional, although the result clause is more directly related to the condition. "Could you pretend" is a request, and "that it was only wind" describes the scenario being requested to pretend.

• Got a lot to work through

  ➔ Reduced relative clause / Infinitive of purpose

  ➔ "To work through" acts as an infinitive phrase explaining what the speaker needs to do with "a lot." It implies "I have a lot *that I need* to work through."

• It's been a long time coming

  ➔ Present perfect continuous

  ➔ "It's been" indicates something that started in the past and continues to the present. "Coming" signifies an ongoing process or development.

• Used to the turbulence

  ➔ Passive voice with "used to"

  ➔ "Used to" indicates a past habit or state. In this context, it suggests the speaker is accustomed to experiencing emotional instability or turmoil.

• I wore long sleeves

  ➔ Simple past tense

  ➔ "Wore" is the past tense of "wear," indicating an action completed in the past. In the song's context, it likely symbolizes hiding something, either physically or emotionally.