Rockabye – English Lyrics

• By: Clean Bandit, Sean Paul, Anne-Marie

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heartfelt story of single motherhood with Clean Bandit's "Rockabye." This globally acclaimed hit combines an infectious beat with powerful lyrics, offering a unique opportunity to explore themes of sacrifice, love, and resilience. Discover the rich language and cultural nuances woven into this moving dance anthem.

[English]

Call it love and devotion

Call it a mom's adoration (foundation)

A special bond of creation, hah

For all the single moms out there, going through frustration

Clean Bandit, Sean-da-Paul, Anne-Marie

Sing, make them hear

She works at nights, by the water

She's gone astray, so far away

From her father's daughter

She just wants a life for her baby

All on her own, no one will come

She's got to save him (daily struggle)

She tells him, "Ooh, love, no one's ever gonna hurt you, love"

"I'm gonna give you all of my love"

"Nobody matters like you" (stay up there, stay up there)

She tells him, "Your life ain't gon' be nothing like my life" (straight!)

"You're gonna grow and have a good life"

"I'm gonna do what I've got to do" (stay up there, stay up there)

So, rockabye, baby, rockabye

I'm gonna rock you

Rockabye, baby, don't you cry

Somebody's got you

Rockabye, baby, rockabye

I'm gonna rock you

Rockabye, baby, don't you cry

Ah, rockabye, no

Rockabye, rocka-rocka-rocka-bye (oh)

Rockabye (yeah, yeah)

Rockabye, rocka-rocka-rocka-bye

Single mum, how're you doing out there?

Facing the hard life, without no fear (yeah)

Just so you know that you really care

'Cause any obstacle come, you're well-prepared (oh, no)

And no, mama, you never shed tear

'Cause you have to shed things year after year (na, na, na, na)

And you give the yout love beyond compare (yeah)

You find his school fee and the bus fare (yeah)

Mmh, all when di pops disappear

Inna rum bar, can't find him nowhere

Steadily your workflow, heavily you know

So your non-stop, no time, no time for ya dear

Now she got a six-year-old

Trying to keep him warm

Trying to keep out the cold

When he looks in her eyes

He don't know he is safe

When she says, "Ooh, love no one's ever gonna hurt you, love"

"I'm gonna give you all of my love"

"Nobody matters like you"

So, rockabye, baby, rockabye

I'm gonna rock you

Rockabye, baby, don't you cry

Somebody's got you

Rockabye, baby, rockabye

I'm gonna rock you

Rockabye, baby, don't you cry (badda-bang-bang-bang, alright then)

Ah, rockabye, no

Rockabye, rocka-rocka-rocka-bye (oh-oh)

Rockabye (yeah, yeah)

Rockabye, rocka-rocka-rocka-bye

Rockabye, don't bother cry

Lift up your head, lift it up to the sky, yo

Rockabye, don't bother cry

Angels surround you, just dry your eye

Now she got a six-year-old

Trying to keep him warm

Trying to keep out the cold

When he looks in her eyes

He don't know he is safe when she says

She tells him, "Ooh, love, no one's ever gonna hurt you, love"

"I'm gonna give you all of my love"

"Nobody matters like you" (stay up there, stay up there)

She tells him, "Your life ain't gon' be nothing like my life" (straight!)

"You're gonna grow and have a good"

"I'm gonna do what I got to do" (yeah)

So, rockabye, baby, rockabye (rockabye, rocka-rocka-rocka-bye)

I'm gonna rock you

Rockabye, baby, don't you cry (rockabye, rocka-rocka-rocka-bye)

Somebody's got you

Rockabye, baby, rockabye (rockabye-rocka-rocka-rocka-bye)

I'm gonna rock you

Rockabye, baby, don't you cry (badda-bang-bang-bang, alright then)

Ah, rockabye

Rockabye, don't bother cry

Lift up your head, lift it up to the sky (ah, rockabye)

Rockabye, don't bother cry (yeah)

Angels surround you, just dry your eye (yeah, ah, rockabye)

Rockabye, don't bother cry (no)

Lift up your head, lift it up to the sky (oh, rockabye)

Rockabye, don't bother cry

Angels surround you, just dry your eye

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
baby /ˈbeɪ.bi/ A1	noun - a very young child
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears, typically as an expression of distress
hurt /hɜːrt/ B1	verb - to cause pain or injury to someone
single /ˈsɪŋ.ɡəl/ A2	adjective - not married or in a romantic relationship
work /wɜːrk/ A1	verb - to engage in physical or mental activity to achieve a result
struggle /ˈstrʌɡ.əl/ B2	noun - a forceful or violent effort to get free of restraint or resist attack
angels /ˈeɪn.dʒəlz/ B1	noun - spiritual beings believed to act as messengers of God
school /skuːl/ A1	noun - an institution for educating children
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - to be desired or approved of
far /fɑːr/ A1	adverb - at a great distance in space or time
water /ˈwɔː.tər/ A1	noun - a clear liquid that has no color, taste, or smell

Key Grammar Structures

• She's gone astray, so far away From her father's daughter

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous / Adjective Order

  ➔ "She's gone astray" uses the present perfect continuous indicating an action that started in the past and continues to the present. "Far away from her father's daughter" shows the typical adjective order, although flexible. Adjective order usually: opinion-size-age-shape-colour-origin-material-purpose noun. In this case 'father's' is an possessive adjective.

• She just wants a life for her baby

  ➔ Simple Present / Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "She wants" is in the simple present tense to express a general truth. "a life for her baby" is expressing her purpose or desire, for her baby.

• Your life ain't gon' be nothing like my life

  ➔ Future Tense (informal) / Double Negative (non-standard)

  ➔ "Ain't gon' be" is a very informal and non-standard way of saying "is not going to be" (future tense). "Nothing like my life" in combination with "ain't" creates a double negative, which, while grammatically incorrect in standard English, is used for emphasis in some dialects.

• I'm gonna do what I've got to do

  ➔ Future Tense (informal) / Present Perfect / Modal Verb (have to)

  ➔ "I'm gonna do" is an informal contraction for "I am going to do" (future tense). "I've got to do" uses present perfect of 'have' combined with the modal verb 'have to' to indicate obligation or necessity.

• How're you doing out there?

  ➔ Present Continuous / Contraction

  ➔ "How're you doing" is a contraction of "How are you doing", using the present continuous tense to ask about someone's current state or situation.