My Song – English Lyrics

• By: Johnny Cash, Runaway June

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

(wind howling)

♪ I would sing it aloud and I would sing it long ♪

♪ Straight from the heart, I'd sing it true ♪

♪ Then I'd come back down from that singin' mountain ♪

♪ Life would be better 'cause I sang it for you ♪

♪ It's a-many a-day that the road gets weary ♪

♪ Many a-day that the way is long ♪

♪ Often I say that I can't do this no more ♪

♪ But I'd miss the travelin' and I'd miss the songs ♪

♪ 'Cause I was born to sing but not to wind and space ♪

♪ But people's hearts, people's tears ♪

♪ 'Tis a gift from God that I pray I'd use it ♪

♪ Sing to their hearts and sing to their ears ♪

♪ Yeah, I would sing it aloud and I would sing it long ♪

♪ Straight from the heart I'd sing it true ♪

♪ Then I'd come back down from that singin' mountain ♪

♪ Life would be better 'cause I sang it for you, yeah ♪

(upbeat country music)

♪ For a song can soar like a lofty eagle ♪

♪ And lift a heart that has fallen low ♪

♪ A song can shine like the light in the darkness ♪

♪ And make the downcast look up and glow, yeah ♪

♪ I wish I owned a great high mountain ♪

♪ With people below every way I turned ♪

♪ They'd look up and every ear could hear me, yeah ♪

♪ I'd sing my song to all the hearts that yearned ♪

♪ And I would sing it aloud and I would sing it long ♪

♪ Straight from the heart I'd sing it true ♪

♪ Then I'd come back down from my singin' mountain ♪

♪ Life would be better 'cause I sang it for you ♪

(upbeat country music continues)

♪ Yes, I would sing it aloud and I would sing it long ♪

♪ Straight from the heart I'd sing it true ♪

♪ Then I'd come back down from that singin' mountain ♪

♪ Life would be better 'cause I sang it for you ♪

♪ Yes, I would come back down from that singin' mountain ♪

♪ Life would be better 'cause I sang it for you ♪

(upbeat country music continues)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - to produce musical sounds with the voice
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood through the body; often used symbolically for emotion or feelings
mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ A1	noun - a large natural elevation of the earth's surface
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the existence of an individual human or animal
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a path or way for vehicles or people to travel on
weary /ˈwɪəri/ B2	adjective - feeling very tired
travel /ˈtrævəl/ A2	verb - to go from one place to another, typically over a distance noun - the act of going from one place to another
lift /lɪft/ B1	verb - to move something to a higher position noun - an upward movement or ride in a vehicle
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that makes things visible adjective - having little weight or not heavy
darkness /ˈdɑːrknəs/ B1	noun - the absence of light
glow /ɡloʊ/ B2	verb - to shine with a steady light noun - a steady radiance of light or heat
gift /ɡɪft/ A2	noun - a present or talent
pray /preɪ/ B1	verb - to speak to a god or higher power, usually to ask for help or show thanks
yearn /jɜːrn/ C1	verb - to have a strong desire for something
soar /sɔːr/ C1	verb - to fly or rise high in the air
fallen /ˈfɔːlən/ B2	adjective - having dropped or descended from a higher place

Key Grammar Structures

• I would sing it aloud

  ➔ Modal "would" for a conditional or hypothetical action; the speaker imagines what they would do in another situation.

  ➔ The word "would" indicates a hypothetical action in a conditional mood.

• and I would sing it long

  ➔ Continuation of the conditional mood with "would"; repeated action in a hypothetical scenario.

  ➔ This line repeats the conditional idea using the contraction "I'd" later, showing how spoken English often compresses "I would".

• Then I'd come back down from that singin' mountain

  ➔ "I'd" is a contraction for "I would"; informal speech and dialectal spelling such as "singin'" shows dropped g in gerunds.

  ➔ The contraction "I'd" represents the same meaning as "I would" in this line; informal pronunciation is shown with "singin'".

• Life would be better 'cause I sang it for you

  ➔ "would be" expresses a conditional result; "'cause" is an informal contraction of "because".

  ➔ The phrase shows a hypothetical outcome introduced by "would"; and the informal "'cause" stands for "because".

• For a song can soar like a lofty eagle

  ➔ "can" expresses ability or possibility; "like" introduces a simile comparing to an eagle.

  ➔ This line uses the modal "can" to express potential ability; the word "like" introduces a simile.

• They'd look up and every ear could hear me

  ➔ "They'd" is a contraction of "they would"; both "would" and "could" express conditional/hypothetical and past ability/possibility.

  ➔ Abbreviated form of would here; note the modal mixture with "could" for past possibility.

• Often I say that I can't do this no more

  ➔ Can't is contraction of cannot; "no more" adds emphasis; informal emphasis in negative statements.

  ➔ The line uses a strong informal negative; notice the contraction and the emphatic placement of "no more".

• A song can shine like the light in the darkness

  ➔ "can" expresses ability/possibility; "like" introduces a simile.

  ➔ Another example of can; and a simile using "like" to compare the song to a guiding light.

• Tis a gift from God that I pray I'd use it

  ➔ "Tis" = "it is"; archaic/apostrophe forms; "I pray I'd use it" combines present prayer with a conditional contraction.

  ➔ An archaic contraction; the phrase expresses hope or prayer about using something wisely.