My Girl

• By: The Temptations

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
sunshine /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/ B1	noun - the light and heat that come from the sun
cloudy /ˈklaʊdi/ A2	adjective - covered with clouds
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - having a low temperature
month /mʌnθ/ A1	noun - a period of about four weeks; one of the twelve parts into which the year is divided
May /meɪ/ A1	noun - the fifth month of the year
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
honey /ˈhʌni/ A2	noun - a sweet, sticky, yellowish-brown fluid made by bees
bees /biːz/ A2	noun - a flying insect that makes honey
envy /ˈenvi/ B2	verb - to want something that someone else has noun - a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck.
sweeter /ˈswiːtər/ A2	adjective - having a pleasant taste like that of sugar; more sweet than something else
song /sɔːŋ/ A1	noun - a piece of music with words that you sing
birds /bɜːrdz/ A1	noun - a warm-blooded vertebrate animal of a class distinguished by having feathers, wings, typically able to fly
trees /triːz/ A1	noun - a woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk growing to a considerable height and bearing lateral branches at some distance from the ground.
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes; collectively wealth
fortune /ˈfɔːrtʃən/ B2	noun - a large amount of money or assets
fame /feɪm/ B2	noun - the state of being known or talked about by many people
riches /ˈrɪtʃɪz/ B2	noun - material wealth
claim /kleɪm/ B1	verb - state or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof

Grammar:

• I've got sunshine on a cloudy day

  ➔ Present Perfect Simple ('I've got' = I have got) to express a state that began in the past and continues to the present. Use of 'on' with weather conditions.

  ➔ The song uses "I've got" instead of "I have got", a contraction common in spoken English, making it sound more casual and emotional. 'Sunshine on a cloudy day' is a metaphor; "sunshine" represents happiness, and "cloudy day" represents a difficult time, meaning the singer finds happiness despite challenges. The use of "on" here is correct because it describes the presence of sunshine affecting the "day".

• When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May

  ➔ Use of 'when' as a subordinating conjunction to introduce a time clause. Ellipsis (omission) of subject and auxiliary verb in the time clause ('it is'). Present Perfect Simple ('I've got' = I have got).

  ➔ This line contrasts a negative condition ("cold outside") with a positive one ("month of May"), a metaphor for happiness and warmth. The implied phrase is "When "it is" cold outside". This creates a feeling of someone so in love that their world is always bright and cheerful despite the external circumstances.

• I guess you'd say

  ➔ Conditional Clause (reduced form). 'You'd say' is a contraction of 'you would say', expressing a hypothetical or polite suggestion. Use of "guess" as an introductory verb.

  ➔ This phrase is used to invite agreement or to imply that the listener would likely reach the same conclusion. It creates a sense of shared understanding and reinforces the singer's feelings as valid and relatable. The phrase "I guess" softens the statement.

• What can make me feel this way?

  ➔ Interrogative sentence structure, using "what" as an interrogative pronoun. Use of "make" as a causative verb (make someone do something). 'This way' - adverbial phrase.

  ➔ This is a rhetorical question. The singer already knows the answer, which is revealed in the repeated phrase "My girl". The word "make" means "cause".

• I've got so much honey, the bees envy me

  ➔ Use of "so much" to indicate a large quantity (uncountable noun). Subordinate Clause of Result. Use of "envy" as a transitive verb.

  ➔ This line uses hyperbole (exaggeration) to express the singer's happiness. The amount of love is being compared to honey. The bees are envious of this amount, which implies how great and plentiful the singer's joy is.

• I've got a sweeter song Than the birds in the trees

  ➔ Comparative adjective "sweeter" used to compare two things. Use of "than" as a conjunction to introduce the second element of the comparison. "Birds in the trees" is a prepositional phrase acting as an adjective, modifying "birds".

  ➔ The singer expresses that the feeling from this love is even more beautiful than the beautiful songs that birds sing. "Sweeter" implies not just sound, but also emotion and quality. It emphasizes the overwhelming positive emotions generated by being in love.

• I don't need no money, fortune, or fame

  ➔ Double negative. Although grammatically incorrect in standard English, it is used for emphasis. Listing with commas.

  ➔ The line emphasizes the singer's contentment by stating they do not need material possessions. The double negative ("don't need no") intensifies the sentiment. It highlights that love is more valuable than worldly wealth.

• I've got all the riches baby one man can claim

  ➔ Present Perfect Simple ('I've got' = I have got). Relative clause with omission of the relative pronoun ('that' or 'which'): '...riches *that* one man can claim'. Use of "all" as a determiner.

  ➔ This line uses 'riches' metaphorically to represent the wealth of love and happiness. The omission of 'that' is common in spoken English, creating a more casual tone. It means he possesses all the love/happiness one person could possibly ask for or experience.