My Friends – English Lyrics

• By: Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Album: One Hot Minute

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the compassionate world of Red Hot Chili Peppers' “My Friends,” a poignant exploration of friendship and emotional support. This song offers an opportunity to learn empathetic language and understand how to express solidarity with those facing hardships, making it a valuable piece for ESL learners interested in emotional expression and connection.

[English]

My friends are so depressed

I fear the question of your loneliness

...

Confide, 'cause I'll be on your side

...

You know I will

You know I will

Ex-girlfriend called me up

Alone and desperate on the prison phone

They want to give her seven years

For being sad

I love all of you

Hurt by the cold

...

So hard and lonely, too

...

When you don't know yourself

...

My friends are so distressed

They're standing on the brink of emptiness

...

No words I know of to express

This emptiness

I love all of you

...

Hurt by the cold

...

So hard and lonely, too

When you don't know yourself

Imagine me

...

Taught by tragedy

Release is peace

...

I heard a little girl

...

And what she said was something beautiful

To give your love no matter what

Is what she said

I love all of you

Hurt by the cold

...

So hard and lonely, too

...

When you don't know yourself

...

Key Grammar Structures

• My friends are so depressed

  ➔ Adjective as subject complement after 'to be'

  ➔ The adjective "depressed" describes the state of the subject "My friends". The verb "are" links the subject to its description. This is a fundamental use of the verb "to be" with an adjective.

• I fear the question of your loneliness

  ➔ Noun as object of 'fear'

  ➔ The noun phrase "the question of your loneliness" is the direct object of the verb "fear". It specifies what the speaker is afraid of.

• Confide, 'cause I'll be on your side

  ➔ Imperative Mood; Future Simple with 'will'

  ➔ "Confide" is an imperative verb, a command or request. "I'll be on your side" uses the future simple tense ("will + be") to express a promise or future intention.

• Ex-girlfriend called me up

  ➔ Past Simple Tense

  ➔ The verb "called" is in the past simple tense, indicating a completed action in the past.

• They want to give her seven years for being sad

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose after "want", Gerund as subject complement after preposition

  ➔ "to give" is an infinitive expressing the purpose of wanting. "being sad" is a gerund acting as the object of the preposition "for".

• When you don't know yourself

  ➔ Conditional Clause (Zero Conditional type)

  ➔ This is a condition that is generally true. The "when" clause expresses a condition, and the main clause implies a result that consistently happens when that condition is met. Although typically we associate zero conditional with present simple in both clauses, here it implies a general truth about the consequence of not knowing oneself.

• No words I know of to express this emptiness

  ➔ Relative Clause with Omitted Relative Pronoun, Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "I know of" is a relative clause modifying "No words", with the relative pronoun (which/that) omitted. "to express" is an infinitive expressing the purpose or intention.

• Taught by tragedy

  ➔ Past Participle as Adjective

  ➔ The past participle "taught" functions as an adjective, describing the subject (implied: "I"). It means "having been taught".

• To give your love no matter what

  ➔ Infinitive as Subject, 'No Matter What' Clause

  ➔ "To give" is an infinitive acting as the subject of the sentence. "No matter what" is a clause expressing condition with universal quantifiaction. It is equivalent to "regardless of what happens".