Row Your Boat – English Lyrics

• By: Yelawolf

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Yelawolf's "Row Your Boat," a compelling track that offers a unique blend of hip hop and profound lyrical storytelling. This song is an excellent opportunity to explore English through its vivid expressions of independence and defiance. You'll learn contemporary phrasing and insightful metaphors as Yelawolf navigates themes of self-reliance and societal critique, making it a powerful and special piece for language learners.

[English]

♪♪♪

♪ YOU SAID YOU DON'T WANNA DIE BUT STILL YOU WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN ♪

♪ HEAVEN'S NOT A PLACE THAT YOU CAN SCARE ME ♪

♪ INTO CHANGING EVERYTHING THAT I BELIEVE IN ♪

♪ LEAVIN' WHAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM WALKIN' OUT THE DOOR ♪

♪ AND LIVIN' LIFE LIKE THERE'S A REASON ♪

♪ REASON IS THE FEAR OF CHANGE WILL LEAVE A PERSON LOCKED ♪

♪ INSIDE A DARK AND MENTAL PRISON ♪

♪ PRISONERS OF WAR THE WAR IS MEDIA ♪

♪ THEY FEED TO YOU GRAFFITI UP YOUR VISION ♪

♪ VISIONARY SUPER SCARY FUTURE THEY WILL SHOOT YA' ♪

♪ THEY WILL LOOT YA' THEY ARE KILLIN' ♪

♪ KILLIN' POWER OF THE POWER THAT EXISTS ♪

♪ ABOVE US IS A PROBLEM - IT'S A SENTENCE ♪

♪ SENTENCE YOU TO PULL AND PUSH AND JUMP ♪

♪ WHEN THEY SAY JUMP YOU SAY HOW HIGH ♪

♪ THERE IS NO LIMIT ♪

♪ LIMIT WHAT THEY SELL AND WHAT THEY'RE GIVIN' ♪

♪ EVEN IF THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS ♪

♪ I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK ♪

♪ I DON'T HAVE TO STAND UP TO YOUR GUN ♪

♪ I DON'T HAVE TO SIT DOWN WHEN YOU SAY ♪

♪ TELL ME I'M OVERBOARD ♪

♪ THE TRUTH IS YOU JUST WANT TO SEE ME SINK ♪

♪ IF THERE'S ANY ROOM LEFT ON THAT SHIP ♪

♪ YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAVE ANY ROOM FOR ME ♪

♪ CAUSE I'VE GOT MY OWN BOAT ♪

♪ I'M DOING MY OWN THING ♪

♪ AND I WILL STAY AFLOAT - EVEN WHEN IT RAINS ♪

♪ CAUSE I'VE GOT MY OWN BOAT ♪

♪ ROW ROW YOUR BOAT ♪

♪ ROW ROW YOUR BOAT ♪

♪ ROW YOUR BOAT ♪

♪ THEY MARCHIN' UP THE STREET THEY WANNA FIGHT ♪

♪ THEY DON'T WANT PEACE ♪

♪ PEACE OF WHAT YOU HAVE THEY SNATCH AND GRAB ♪

♪ THEY STEAL AND RUN ♪

♪ THEY PULLIN' GUNS OUT ON POLICE ♪

♪ POLICE THEY SHOOT AND KILL - THEY SHOOT AT WILL ♪

♪ THEY WILL AT YOU - THEY'LL EXECUTE IF YOU DON'T LEAVE ♪

♪ LEAVIN' THE IMPRESSION NO ONE'S SAFE INSIDE ♪

♪ THIS DUNGEON IN THE CITY OF THE BEAST ♪

♪ BEASTS ARE ON THE CORNER SLINGIN' POISON TO THE JUNKIES ♪

♪ TO A JUNKIE IT'S A FEAST ♪

♪ FEAST OR FAMINE COME EXAMINE TAKE A LOOK INTO ♪

♪ THAT ALLEYWAY THAT'S ON YOUR STREET ♪

♪ STREETS ARE NOT THE ONLY PLACE THAT YOU CAN FIND ♪

♪ YOURSELF LAYING UP UNDER WHITE SHEETS ♪

♪ SHEETS IN ALABAMA COCKIN' HAMMERS RIDIN' HORSES ♪

♪ WANNA HANDLE WHO IS FREE ♪

♪ FREE YOURSELF FROM ANYTHING THEY PREACH ♪

♪ EVEN IF THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS ♪

♪ I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK ♪

♪ I DON'T HAVE TO STAND UP TO YOUR GUN ♪

♪ I DON'T HAVE TO SIT DOWN WHEN YOU SAY ♪

♪ TELL ME I'M OVERBOARD ♪

♪ THE TRUTH IS YOU JUST WANT TO SEE ME SINK ♪

♪ IF THERE'S ANY ROOM LEFT ON THAT SHIP ♪

♪ YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAVE ANY ROOM FOR ME ♪

♪ CAUSE I'VE GOT MY OWN BOAT ♪

♪ I'M DOING MY OWN THING ♪

♪ AND I WILL STAY AFLOAT - EVEN WHEN IT RAINS ♪

♪ CAUSE I'VE GOT MY OWN BOAT ♪

♪ ROW ROW YOUR BOAT ♪

♪ ROW ROW YOUR BOAT ♪

♪ ROW YOUR BOAT ♪

♪♪♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
row /roʊ/ A1	verb - to propel a boat with oars
boat /boʊt/ A1	noun - a small vessel for travel on water
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A2	verb - to make or become different noun - the act of becoming different
fear /fɪr/ A2	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by danger or threat verb - to be afraid of something
prison /ˈprɪzən/ A2	noun - a place where people are confined as punishment
vision /ˈvɪʒən/ B1	noun - the ability to see or imagine things
kill /kɪl/ A2	verb - to cause the death of a living organism
power /ˈpaʊər/ B1	noun - the ability to control or influence others
sentence /ˈsɛntəns/ B1	noun - a set of words that is complete in itself verb - to declare the punishment of a person
limit /ˈlɪmɪt/ B1	noun - a point beyond which something does not extend verb - to restrict within bounds
float /floʊt/ A2	verb - to stay on the surface of a liquid
march /mɑːrtʃ/ A2	verb - to walk in a military manner
peace /piːs/ A2	noun - freedom from disturbance or war
steal /stiːl/ A2	verb - to take something without permission
shoot /ʃuːt/ A2	verb - to fire a gun or projectile
beast /biːst/ A2	noun - a wild or savage animal
free /friː/ A1	adjective - not under the control or power of another verb - to release from confinement

Key Grammar Structures

• I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK

  ➔ Negative present simple (do/does + not)

  ➔ The word "don't" is the contracted form of "do not", used to make the present simple negative.

• Even if the whole world knows

  ➔ Concessive conditional clause with "even if"

  ➔ The phrase "even if" introduces a concession, meaning the result holds regardless of the condition.

• I DON'T HAVE TO STAND UP TO YOUR GUN

  ➔ Negative form of modal verb "have to" (lack of necessity)

  ➔ The word "don't" negates the modal phrase "have to", meaning there is no obligation.

• When they say jump, you say how high

  ➔ Temporal clause with "when" + imperative + indirect question

  ➔ "When" introduces a time clause; "jump" is an imperative; "how high" functions as an indirect question.

• CAUSE I'VE GOT MY OWN BOAT

  ➔ Present perfect of "have" used for possession (have got)

  ➔ "I've got" = "I have got", the present perfect form indicating possession.

• THEY WILL SHOOT AT WILL

  ➔ Future simple with modal verb "will" + idiomatic phrase "at will"

  ➔ "will" marks future intention; "at will" means "as they wish".

• I WILL STAY AFLOAT - EVEN WHEN IT RAINS

  ➔ Future simple + adverbial clause of concession introduced by "even when"

  ➔ "even when" introduces a concession, showing the action will happen regardless of the rain.

• THE REASON IS THE FEAR OF CHANGE WILL LEAVE A PERSON LOCKED

  ➔ Future simple "will leave" + past participle used adjectivally "locked"

  ➔ "will leave" expresses a future result; "locked" is a past participle describing the state of the person.

• THEY ARE KILLING POWER OF THE POWER THAT EXISTS

  ➔ Present continuous "are killing" + defining relative clause "that exists"

  ➔ "are killing" shows an ongoing action; "that exists" restricts "power" to the one which exists.