Nights – English Lyrics

• By: Frank Ocean

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

'Round your city, 'round the clock

Everybody needs you

No, you can't make everybody equal

...

Although you got beaucoup family

You don't even got nobody bein' honest with you

Breathe 'til I evaporated

My whole body see-through

Transportation, handmade (G)

And I know it better than most people

I don't trust 'em anyways

You can't break the law with them

Get some gushy, have a calm night

Shooters killin' left and right

Workin' through your worst night

If I get my money right, you know I won't need you

And I tell you, (Bitch)

I hope the sack is full up

I'm fuckin', no, I'm fucked up

Spend it when I get that, I ain't tryna keep you

Can't keep up a conversation, can't nobody reach you

Why your eyes well up?

Did you call me from a séance?

You are from my past life

Hope you're doin' well, bruh

I been out here head first, always like the head first

Signal comin' in and out

Hope you're doin' well, bruh

Everybody needs you

Everybody needs you

Ooh, nani, nani

This feel like a Quaalude

No sleep in my body

Ain't no bitch in my body, ah

New beginnin's, ahh

New beginnin's, wake up, ahh

The sun's goin' down

Time to start your day, bruh

Can't keep bein' laid off

You know you need the money if you gon' survive

The every night shit, the everyday shit

Droppin' baby off at home before my night shift

You know I can't hear none of that spend the night shit

That kumbaya shit

Wanna see nirvana, but don't want to die yet

Wanna feel that na-na though, could you come by?

Fuck with me after my shift

Know them boys wanna see me broke down and shit

Bummed out and shit, stressed out and shit, that's everyday shit

Shut the fuck up, I don't want your conversation

Rollin' marijuana, that's a cheap vacation

My everyday shit, every night shit, my everyday shit

(Every night shit)

(Night shit, night shit, night shit)

All my night

Been ready for you all my night

Been waitin' on you all my night

I'll buzz you in, just let me know when you outside

All my night

You been missin' all my night

Still got some good nights memorized

And the look back's gettin' me right

...

Every night fucks every day up

Every day patches the night up

On God you should match it, it's that KO

No white lighters 'til I fuck my 28th up

1998, my family had that Acura

Oh, the Legend

Kept at least six discs in the changer

Back when Boswell and Percy had it active

Couple bishops in the city buildin' mansions

All the reverends

Preachin' self-made millionaire status

When we could only eat at Shoney's on occasion

After 'trina hit I had to transfer campus

Your apartment, out in Houston's where I waited

Stayin' with you when I didn't have a address

Fuckin' on you when I didn't own a mattress

Workin' on a way to make it outta Texas

Every night

Droppin' baby off at home before my night shift, yah, yah

You know I can't hear none of that spend the night shit

That kumbaya shit

Wanna see nirvana, but don't want to die yet

Wanna feel that na-na though, could you come by?

Fuck with me after my shift

You know them boys wanna see me broke down

See me bummed out, stressed out, that's just everyday shit

Shut the fuck up, I don't want your conversation

Rollin' marijuana, that's a cheap vacation

My everyday shit, my everyday shit

My everyday shit, my everyday shit

My everyday shit, my everyday shit

My every night shit

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
city /ˈsɪt.i/ A1	noun - a large town
family /ˈfæm.ɪ.li/ A1	noun - a group of related people
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
money /ˈmʌn.i/ A1	noun - currency used to buy goods and services
kill /kɪl/ A2	verb - to cause the death of a living being
survive /sərˈvaɪv/ B1	verb - to continue to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship
conversation /ˌkɒn.vəˈseɪ.ʃən/ B1	noun - an informal talk between two or more people
shift /ʃɪft/ B1	noun - a period of work, especially at night verb - to move or change position
honest /ˈɒn.ɪst/ B1	adjective - truthful and sincere
law /lɔː/ B1	noun - a system of rules that a community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members
marijuana /ˌmær.ɪˈhwɑː.nə/ C1	noun - the dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds of the cannabis plant, used as a psychoactive drug
vacation /vəˈkeɪ.ʃən/ A2	noun - a period of time spent away from home or work for rest or recreation
seance /seɪˈɒ̃ns/ C1	noun - a meeting at which people attempt to contact the dead, usually through a medium
nirvana /nɪrˈvæː.nə/ C1	noun - a state of perfect peace and happiness; a Buddhist concept of liberation
evaporated /ɪˈvæp.ə.reɪ.tɪd/ C1	verb - to turn from liquid into vapor; to disappear quickly
transportation /ˌtræn.spɔːˈteɪ.ʃən/ B2	noun - the movement of people or goods from one place to another
shooters /ˈʃuː.tərz/ B2	noun - people who fire guns
broke /broʊk/ A2	adjective - having no money; financially ruined
bummed /bʌmd/ B1	adjective - feeling sad or disappointed
stress /strɛs/ B1	noun - mental or emotional pressure verb - to emphasize or give special importance to

Key Grammar Structures

• Everybody needs you

  ➔ Simple Present Tense (General Truth)

  ➔ Uses simple present tense to state a universal truth about constant demand.

• You can't make everybody equal

  ➔ Modal Verb (Can't) + Causative (Make + Object + Adjective)

  ➔ "Can't" expresses impossibility; "make everybody equal" shows causing a state change.

• You don't even got nobody bein' honest with you

  ➔ Double Negative + Informal Contraction (Don't/Got/Bein')

  ➔ Uses "don't got nobody" (double negative) for emphasis in informal speech; "bein'" = "being".

• I been out here head first

  ➔ Present Perfect (Informal Omission: "I've been") + Adverbial Phrase

  ➔ Omits "have" ("I been" = "I've been") in colloquial speech; "head first" modifies the action.

• Shut the fuck up

  ➔ Imperative Mood + Expletive Infix

  ➔ Direct command ("shut up") intensified with expletive "the fuck" for emotional emphasis.

• Wanna see nirvana, but don't want to die yet

  ➔ Contractions (Wanna/Don't) + Contrasting Conjunction (But)

  ➔ "Wanna" = "want to"; "don't" = "do not"; "but" contrasts spiritual desire with survival instinct.

• Fuckin' on you when I didn't own a mattress

  ➔ Present Participle (Fuckin') + Past Simple Negative (Didn't own)

  ➔ "Fuckin'" describes ongoing past action; "didn't own" establishes past circumstance with negation.

• Every night fucks every day up

  ➔ Simple Present (Habitual Action) + Phrasal Verb (Fuck up)

  ➔ Present tense for recurring cycles; "fucks up" (ruins) is a vulgar phrasal verb.