Rooting For You – English Lyrics

• By: Alessia Cara
• Album: This Summer

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Alessia Cara's 'Rooting For You' to explore contemporary English expressions of disappointment and relatable social situations. Its clear storytelling and engaging lyrics offer a fantastic opportunity to understand emotional nuance in everyday conversation, making it a special pick for language learners.

[English]

Got me feeling like the elephant

In every room I'm walking into, yeah

We started out innocent

'Til I got pulled right into your issue, ye-yeah

I'm tired of sending hugs and kisses, oh

I'm tired of all your burning bridges

It's like, damn

Why you gotta be so cold in the summertime, summertime?

I was really rooting for ya, yeah

I was really rooting for ya, yeah, yeah

It's like, man

Why you gotta be so cold in the summertime, summertime?

I was really rooting for ya

We were really rooting for ya, yeah, yeah, yeah

...

Now I see you're having so much fun with everyone

You had so much fun making fun of

Did you go and bump your head?

Did you forget where you came from?

I'm tired of sending my well wishes

I'm tired of all your burning bridges, yeah

It's like, damn

Why you gotta be so cold in the summertime, summertime?

I was really rooting for ya, yeah

I was really rooting for ya, yeah, yeah

It's like, man

Why you gotta be so cold in the summertime, summertime?

I was really rooting for ya

We were really rooting for ya, yeah, yeah, yeah

...

I'm not even brokenhearted (uh-uh)

I'm just a little disappointed (uh-uh)

What a shame, we coulda had a good thing

You let go of a good thing

It's like, damn

Why you gotta be so cold in the summertime, summertime?

I was really rooting for ya, ye-yeah

I was really rooting for ya

Oh, I was really rooting for ya

It's like, damn, damn

Why you gotta be so cold in the summertime, summertime?

(In the summertime, in the summertime)

I was really rooting for ya, oh no

We were really rooting for ya, yeah, yeah

(We were really rooting for ya)

It's like damn

Why you gotta be so cold?

Why-

...

I was really, I was really rooting for ya

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
rooting /ˈruːtɪŋ/ A2	verb - to support or encourage someone
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - lacking warmth or emotion
summertime /ˈsʌmərtaɪm/ A1	noun - the season of summer
disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/ B1	adjective - feeling sad or unhappy when expectations are not met
bridges /ˈbrɪdʒɪz/ A1	noun - structures built to span physical obstacles
burning /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ A2	verb - to be on fire or set something on fire adjective - causing intense emotion or excitement
elephant /ˈɛlɪfənt/ A1	noun - a large mammal with a long trunk
innocent /ˈɪnəsənt/ B1	adjective - free from guilt, sin, or wrongdoing
issue /ˈɪʃuː/ B1	noun - a problem or concern
tired /ˈtaɪərd/ A1	adjective - feeling a need to rest or sleep
wishes /ˈwɪʃɪz/ A2	noun - a desire or hope for something
fun /fʌn/ A1	noun - enjoyment or amusement
forget /fəˈrɛt/ A1	verb - to be unable to remember
shame /ʃeɪm/ A2	noun - a feeling of guilt or regret
let /lɛt/ A1	verb - to allow or permit

Key Grammar Structures

• Got me feeling like the elephant

  ➔ Causative Verb 'Get' + Object + Present Participle

  ➔ The structure "Got me feeling" uses 'get' as a causative verb, meaning 'made me feel'. It's followed by an object ("me") and a present participle ("feeling"), indicating that the subject caused the object to start or continue an action/state.

• In every room I'm walking into, yeah

  ➔ Relative Clause with Omitted Relative Pronoun and Preposition at the End

  ➔ This is an informal relative clause where the relative pronoun (e.g., 'that' or 'which') is omitted. The preposition "into" correctly ends the clause, referring back to 'room'. The full phrase would be 'every room *that/which* I'm walking into'.

• 'Til I got pulled right into your issue, ye-yeah

  ➔ Informal Passive Voice with 'Get'

  ➔ "Got pulled" uses 'get' + past participle as an informal way to form the passive voice, often used to describe actions or events that happen to the subject, especially when the focus is on the action itself rather than the agent. It's an alternative to 'be' + past participle.

• I'm tired of sending hugs and kisses, oh

  ➔ Adjective + Preposition 'tired of' + Gerund

  ➔ The structure "tired of sending" uses 'tired of' followed by a gerund (V-ing) to express that someone is annoyed, bored, or fed up with an ongoing activity or situation.

• Why you gotta be so cold in the summertime, summertime?

  ➔ Colloquial Contraction 'Gotta' (Have Got To)

  ➔ "Gotta" is an informal contraction of 'have got to' or 'have to'. It expresses necessity, obligation, or, as in this rhetorical question, a strong sense of wonder or exasperation about someone's actions.

• I was really rooting for ya, yeah

  ➔ Past Continuous Tense with Phrasal Verb 'Root for'

  ➔ The past continuous tense ("was rooting") describes an action that was ongoing in the past. "Root for" is a phrasal verb meaning to support or cheer for someone, often with enthusiasm.

• Did you forget where you came from?

  ➔ Embedded Question (Indirect Question)

  ➔ An embedded question, like "where you came from", is a question that is part of a larger sentence, often acting as a noun clause (here, the object of 'forget'). The word order within the embedded question is like a statement (subject + verb), not an interrogative.

• What a shame, we coulda had a good thing

  ➔ Exclamatory Phrase + Modal Perfect (Contraction 'Coulda')

  ➔ "What a shame" is an exclamatory phrase expressing regret or disappointment. "Coulda had" is a colloquial contraction of 'could have had,' which is a modal perfect structure used to talk about a past possibility that did not happen.

• You let go of a good thing

  ➔ Phrasal Verb 'Let go of'

  ➔ "Let go of" is a multi-word verb (phrasal verb) meaning to release your hold on something or to stop holding onto something, often metaphorically meaning to abandon or give up.