Scarecrow – English Lyrics

• By: Alex & Sierra
• Album: It's About Us

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic journey, and Alex & Sierra's "Scarecrow" offers a great starting point with its clear, heartfelt lyrics. The song's narrative of trying to rekindle communication in a relationship is a universal theme, expressed through simple yet powerful metaphors. By exploring the lyrics, you can pick up conversational phrases and emotional expressions that are central to everyday communication. What makes this song special for learners is its storytelling quality and the emotional delivery of the singers, which can help in understanding the nuances of tone and feeling in language.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fields /fiːldz/ A1	noun - an area of open land, especially one planted with crops or pasture, typically bounded by hedges or fences
mind /maɪnd/ A1	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
hide /haɪd/ A2	verb - to put or keep out of sight
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ A2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
hurt /hɜːrt/ A2	verb - cause pain or injury to adjective - injured or wounded
open /ˈoʊpən/ A2	verb - move (something fixed or covering) so as to allow access or view
street /striːt/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town, typically with houses and buildings on one or both sides
scarecrow /ˈskɛərˌkroʊ/ B1	noun - an object in the shape of a person set up to scare birds away from a field where crops are growing
speak /spiːk/ A1	verb - say something in order to convey information, an opinion, or a feeling
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A1	noun - the solid surface of the earth
drowning /ˈdraʊnɪŋ/ B1	verb - die through submersion in and inhalation of water
sea /siː/ A1	noun - the expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface and surrounds its landmasses
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A1	verb - accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of
full /fʊl/ A1	adjective - containing or holding as much or as many as possible; having no space left
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death
shell /ʃɛl/ B1	noun - the rigid outer covering of an animal
wonder /ˈwʌndər/ A2	verb - feel curiosity or doubt about something
steal /stiːl/ B1	verb - take (another person's property) without permission or legal right and without intending to return it

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm standin' still without you

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense (with shortened 'standing')

  ➔ The "Present Continuous" describes an action happening now. The contraction 'standin'' is an informal shortening of 'standing'.

• I wish that I could say what's on my mind

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Wish Clause)

  ➔ The phrase "I wish that I could say" expresses a desire or regret about something that is not currently true. It uses the past subjunctive ('could say') to indicate this.

• You used to be my solid ground

  ➔ Used to + infinitive (past habit/state)

  ➔ "Used to be" indicates a past state that is no longer true in the present. It implies a contrast between how someone/something was in the past and how they are now.

• Now I'm drowning in the sea

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense (expressive use)

  ➔ While usually describing actions happening now, here the Present Continuous ("I'm drowning") emphasizes the feeling of being overwhelmed and struggling in the current situation, rather than a literal act of drowning.

• But I'd let you steal the buttons from my eyes

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 2 - Unreal/Hypothetical)

  ➔ This sentence uses the structure 'If + past simple, would + infinitive' (implied 'If you wanted to'). It expresses a hypothetical situation and the speaker's willingness to do something extreme. The word 'would' is shortened to 'd'.

• Well nothing's what it seems to be

  ➔ Subject-Verb Inversion (for emphasis)

  ➔ While not a full inversion, the word order emphasizes the "nothing" - the statement's negative core. A more standard order would be "Nothing is what it seems to be".

• How can I make you feel again?

  ➔ Modal Verb (can) for ability/possibility in an interrogative sentence.

  ➔ "Can" is a modal verb expressing the ability or possibility of making someone feel again. The interrogative structure asks about the means to achieve this.