Say Something – English Lyrics

• By: A Great Big World

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on an emotional journey with "Say Something" by A Great Big World. This raw and heartfelt ballad offers a beautiful opportunity to understand English through its poignant lyrics, exploring universal themes of love, loss, and the silent pleas of a breaking heart. Its simple yet powerful language makes complex emotions accessible, allowing you to connect deeply with the song's meaning and learn vocabulary related to relationships and vulnerability.

[English]

(slow music)

♪ Say something, I'm giving up on you ♪

♪ I'll be the one, if you want me to ♪

♪ Anywhere, I would've followed you ♪

♪ Say something, I'm giving up on you ♪

♪ And I am feeling so small ♪

♪ It was over my head ♪

♪ I know nothing at all ♪

♪ And I will stumble and fall ♪

♪ I'm still learning to love ♪

♪ Just starting to crawl ♪

♪ Say something, I'm giving up on you ♪

♪ I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you ♪

♪ Anywhere, I would've followed you ♪

♪ Say something, I'm giving up on you ♪

♪ And I will swallow my pride ♪

♪ You're the one that I love ♪

♪ And I'm saying goodbye ♪

♪ Say something, I'm giving up on you ♪

♪ And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you ♪

♪ And anywhere, I would have followed you ♪

♪ Oh-oh, say something, I'm giving up on you ♪

♪ Say something, I'm giving up on you ♪

♪ Say something ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
say /seɪ/ A1	verb - to utter words
giving /ˈɡɪvɪŋ/ A2	verb - present participle of give; to offer something voluntarily
up /ʌp/ A1	adjective - directed or moving toward a higher place or position
one /wʌn/ A1	noun - a single person or thing
want /wɒnt/ A1	verb - to have a desire to possess or do (something)
followed /ˈfɒloʊd/ A2	verb - past tense of follow; to go or come after
feeling /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ A2	noun - an emotional state or reaction
small /smɔːl/ A1	adjective - of limited size
head /hed/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck
know /noʊ/ A1	verb - to be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information
stumble /ˈstʌmbl/ B2	verb - trip or lose balance; almost fall
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to drop or descend under the force of gravity
learning /ˈlɜːrnɪŋ/ A2	verb - the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - have a strong feeling of affection for
crawl /krɔːl/ A2	verb - to move on one's hands and knees
sorry /ˈsɒri/ A2	adjective - feeling or expressing regret or sorrow
pride /praɪd/ B1	noun - a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements
goodbye /ˌɡʊdˈbaɪ/ A1	noun - a farewell expression

Key Grammar Structures

• Say something, I'm giving up on you

  ➔ Present Continuous for Future Arrangement; Preposition 'on'

  ➔ The use of "I'm giving up" in the present continuous suggests the action is happening now or is very near future. 'On' indicates the target of the giving up: "you".

• I'll be the one, if you want me to

  ➔ Future Simple ('ll = will); Conditional Clause ('if')

  ➔ "I'll be the one" uses the future simple to offer a possibility. The "if" clause expresses a condition for this possibility.

• Anywhere, I would've followed you

  ➔ Conditional Perfect ('would have + past participle')

  ➔ This uses the conditional perfect, indicating a hypothetical situation in the past that didn't happen. "I would have followed" suggests a regret or a past possibility.

• And I am feeling so small

  ➔ Present Continuous (for feeling); Intensifier 'so'

  ➔ Present continuous expresses the current feeling. 'So' intensifies the adjective 'small'.

• It was over my head

  ➔ Past Simple; Idiomatic Expression

  ➔ The phrase "over my head" is an idiom meaning something was too difficult to understand or beyond one's comprehension.

• I'm still learning to love

  ➔ Present Continuous; Infinitive of Purpose ('to love')

  ➔ Present continuous highlights the ongoing process of learning. 'To love' is used as an infinitive of purpose, indicating what the subject is learning for.

• You're the one that I love

  ➔ Relative Clause ('that'); Pronoun 'one' as a substitute

  ➔ "That I love" is a relative clause modifying "the one." The pronoun 'one' is used to avoid repeating the noun (e.g., person).