My Oh My – English Lyrics

• By: Leonard Cohen
• Album: Popular Problems

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the beauty of simplicity in Leonard Cohen's 'My Oh My.' This song offers a gentle introduction to Cohen's later work, with its clear, repetitive, and heartfelt lyrics, making it an accessible piece for those learning English. Through its tender reflection on a fleeting romance, you can learn to express profound emotions with simple, elegant language, a hallmark of Cohen's genius.

[English]

Wasn't hard to love you

Didn't have to try

Wasn't hard to love you

Didn't have to try

Held you for a little while

My oh, my oh, my

Held you for a little while

My oh, my oh, my

...

Drove you to the station, never asked you why

Drove you to the station, never asked you why

Held you for a little while

My oh, my oh, my

Held you for a little while

My oh, my oh, my

...

All the boys were wavin', trying to catch your eye

All the boys were wavin', trying to catch your eye

Held you for a little while

My oh, my oh, my

Held you for a little while

My oh, my oh, my

...

Wasn't hard to love you

Didn't have to try

Wasn't hard to love you

Didn't have to try

Held you for a little while

My oh, my oh, my

Held you for a little while

My oh, my oh, my

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to feel deep affection for (someone or something)
try /traɪ/ A1	verb - to make an attempt or effort to do something
hard /hɑːrd/ A1	adjective - difficult to do or understand
hold /hoʊld/ A1	verb - to grasp, carry, or support with one's hands or arms
while /waɪl/ A2	noun - a period of time
drive /draɪv/ A1	verb - to operate and control the direction and speed of a motor vehicle
station /ˈsteɪʃən/ A2	noun - a regular stopping place on a public transportation route, especially one with a platform and often a building
ask /æsk/ A1	verb - to say something in order to obtain an answer or some information
boy /bɔɪ/ A1	noun - a male child or young man
wave /weɪv/ A2	verb - to move one's hand or arm to and fro in greeting or as a signal
catch /kætʃ/ A2	verb - to intercept and hold something which has been thrown, propelled, or dropped verb - (idiomatic, in 'catch one's eye') to attract someone's attention
eye /aɪ/ A1	noun - the organ of sight
little /ˈlɪtəl/ A1	adjective - small in size, amount, or degree

Key Grammar Structures

• Wasn't hard to love you

  ➔ Negative contraction

  ➔ The word "wasn't" is a contraction of "was not", used to express negation in a more informal and natural way.

• Didn't have to try

  ➔ Negative modal verb

  ➔ "Didn't have to" is a negative modal expression using "did not" with "have to", indicating lack of necessity.

• Held you for a little while

  ➔ Past simple tense

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

• Drove you to the station

  ➔ Past simple tense with prepositional phrase

  ➔ The verb "drove" is in the past simple tense, and "to the station" is a prepositional phrase indicating direction.

• All the boys were wavin'

  ➔ Past continuous tense with contraction

  ➔ "Were wavin'" is the past continuous tense with the contraction of "were waving", describing an ongoing action in the past.

• Trying to catch your eye

  ➔ Present participle with infinitive

  ➔ "Trying" is the present participle form of "try", used with the infinitive "to catch" to describe an action in progress.