No Woman, No Cry – English Lyrics

• By: Bob Marley & The Wailers

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can be a beautiful journey, and what better way to start than with a song that carries a powerful message of hope. 'No Woman, No Cry' offers a glimpse into Jamaican Patois with its iconic title, meaning 'Woman, don't cry.' This song is special not only for its comforting melody but also for its story of friendship and social consciousness, making it a meaningful and inspiring piece to explore.

[English]

♪♪♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪♪♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ YOU SEE I REMEMBER WHEN WE USED TO SIT ♪

♪ IN THE GOVERNMENT YARD IN TRENCHTOWN ♪

♪ OBSERVING THE HYPOCRITES ♪

♪ AS THEY WOULD MINGLE WITH THE GOOD PEOPLE WE MEET, YEAH ♪

♪ GOOD FRIENDS WE HAVE, OH GOOD FRIENDS WE'VE LOST ♪

♪ ALONG THE WAY, YEAH ♪

♪ IN THIS GREAT FUTURE, YOU CAN'T FORGET YOUR PAST ♪

♪ SO DRY YOUR TEARS, I SAY ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ YOU SEE, I REMEMBER WHEN WE USED TO SIT ♪

♪ IN THE GOVERNMENT YARD IN TRENCHTOWN, ♪

♪ AND THEN GEORGIE WOULD MAKE THE FIRE LIGHTS ♪

♪ AS IT WAS LOG WOOD BURNIN' THROUGH THE NIGHT, YEAH ♪

♪ THEN WE WOULD COOK CORNMEAL PORRIDGE ♪

♪ OF WHICH I'LL SHARE WITH YOU, YEAH ♪

♪ MY FEET IS MY ONLY CARRIAGE ♪

♪ AND SO I'VE GOT TO PUSH ON THROUGH ♪

♪ BUT WHILE I'M GONE ♪

♪ EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT ♪

♪ EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT ♪

♪ EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT ♪

♪ EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT ♪

♪ EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT ♪

♪ EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT ♪

♪ EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT ♪

♪ EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT ♪

♪ SO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ OH NO NO, DON'T SHED NO TEARS ♪

♪ NO NO WOMAN NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ OH MY LITTLE SISTER, DON'T SHED NO TEARS ♪

♪ NO NO WOMAN NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪♪♪

♪ LITTLE DARLING, DON'T SHED NO TEARS ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪ LITTLE SISTER DON'T SHED NO TEARS ♪

♪ NO, WOMAN, NO CRY ♪

♪♪♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
woman /ˈwʊmən/ A1	noun - an adult female human being
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow. noun - an instance of crying
remember /rɪˈmembər/ A2	verb - to have in your memory again
sit /sɪt/ A1	verb - to rest on your bottom with your back upright
government /ˈɡʌvərnmənt/ B1	noun - the group of people who control and organize a country or state
yard /jɑːrd/ A2	noun - an area of ground next to a building or house
hypocrites /ˈhɪpəkrɪts/ C1	noun - people who pretend to have qualities, beliefs, or feelings that they do not actually have
mingle /ˈmɪŋɡəl/ B2	verb - to move around and talk to other people at a social event
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - of high quality
friends /frendz/ A1	noun - people who you like and enjoy being with
lost /lɔːst/ A2	verb - past tense of lose (to no longer have something)
future /ˈfjuːtʃər/ B1	noun - a time that is to come
past /pæst/ B1	noun - the time before the present
tears /tɪrz/ A2	noun - drops of salty liquid that flow from your eyes when you cry
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - the state of burning that produces heat and light
lights /laɪts/ A1	noun - a source of illumination
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours
cook /kʊk/ A1	verb - prepare food by heating it
gone /ɡɔːn/ A2	adjective - no longer present; departed.
alright /ɔːlˈraɪt/ A2	adjective - satisfactory or acceptable
sister /ˈsɪstər/ A1	noun - a female sibling

Key Grammar Structures

• YOU SEE I REMEMBER WHEN WE USED TO SIT

  ➔ Used to + infinitive

  ➔ Expresses a past habit or state that is no longer true. Here, it indicates the singer used to regularly sit in the government yard.

• OBSERVING THE HYPOCRITES AS THEY WOULD MINGLE WITH THE GOOD PEOPLE WE MEET, YEAH

  ➔ As + clause (meaning 'while')

  ➔ Here, "as" means "while". It describes the action of observing the hypocrites at the same time as they were mingling with good people. The word "would" indicate a habit in the past.

• IN THIS GREAT FUTURE, YOU CAN'T FORGET YOUR PAST

  ➔ Modal verb 'can't' for prohibition/strong advice

  ➔ "Can't forget" expresses a strong recommendation or almost a prohibition. It means it is very important not to forget your past.

• AS IT WAS LOG WOOD BURNIN' THROUGH THE NIGHT, YEAH

  ➔ Past Continuous tense (was burnin')

  ➔ The "was burnin'" part is a shortened form of "was burning," using the past continuous tense to describe an ongoing action in the past. It describes the process of the log wood burning.

• MY FEET IS MY ONLY CARRIAGE

  ➔ Non-standard English: Subject-verb agreement ('feet' should be paired with 'are')

  ➔ This is an example of non-standard English, specifically regarding subject-verb agreement. 'Feet' is plural, so it should be 'My feet are my only carriage.' This usage adds to the song's authenticity and reflects the singer's background.

• AND SO I'VE GOT TO PUSH ON THROUGH

  ➔ 'Have got to' for obligation/necessity

  ➔ "'I've got to' is a less formal way of saying 'I have to'. It expresses a strong sense of obligation or necessity to continue, even though it may be difficult.

• EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE ALRIGHT

  ➔ Future with 'gonna' (going to)

  ➔ "Gonna" is a colloquial shortening of "going to." It is used here to express a prediction or a statement of hope about the future. It implies a certainty or strong belief that things will improve.