Slow Down – English Lyrics

• By: Why Don't We
• Album: The Good Times And The Bad Ones

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Hey

Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh

Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh

Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh

...

Oh, I've been lying to myself and I might know why

I miss the way you looked at me before you left New York (hey)

I've been tryin' to find help, 'cause I can't deny

The way that I feel when I'm with you

Oh, I'd do anything to save ya

I think we need a little California 'cation

We took a shot at this, but maybe we're too wasted

It's hard to swallow, but I know we gotta chase it, oh

Slow down, I think that we just need to slow down, slow down

Turn around, things were so simple way before now, 'fore now

See ya, I wanna see ya, ah

I wish you weren't so far so I could see ya, ah

'Cita, ma-mamacita

We were comfortable, we didn't understand but now we know

I think we need a little California 'cation

We took a shot at this, but maybe we're too wasted

It's hard to swallow, but I know we gotta chase it, oh

Slow down, I think that we just need to slow down, slow down

Turn around, things were so simple way before now, 'fore now

Slow down, I think that we just need to slow down, slow down (whoa)

Turn around, things were so simple way before now, 'fore now

Eh-yeah, yeah, yeah

Ooh, ooh-ooh

Eh-yeah, yeah, yeah

Ooh, ooh-ooh-oh

Eh-yeah, yeah-eh

Ooh, ooh-ooh-oh

Eh-yeah, yeah-eh

Ooh-whoa, whoa, whoa

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
lying /ˈlaɪɪŋ/ B1	verb - not telling the truth; present participle of 'lie'
miss /mɪs/ A2	verb - to feel sad because you are no longer with someone or because you no longer have something
left /left/ A1	verb - to go away from a place or a person; past simple and past participle of 'leave'
deny /dɪˈnaɪ/ B1	verb - to state that something is not true
help /help/ A1	verb - to make it easier or possible for someone to do something by offering them services or resources noun - the action of helping someone to do something; assistance
save /seɪv/ A2	verb - to keep someone or something safe from harm, loss, or destruction
need /niːd/ A1	verb - to require something because it is essential or very important noun - a circumstance in which something is required or wanted
shot /ʃɑːt/ B2	noun - an attempt to do something, especially something difficult (as in 'took a shot')
wasted /ˈweɪstɪd/ B2	adjective - very drunk or under the influence of drugs; intoxicated verb - used or expended carelessly or to no purpose; past participle of 'waste'
hard /hɑːrd/ A1	adjective - difficult to do or understand; not easy
swallow /ˈswɑːloʊ/ B2	verb - to make food or drink go down your throat into your stomach verb - to accept or believe something, often reluctantly (as in 'hard to swallow')
chase /tʃeɪs/ B1	verb - to pursue in order to catch or catch up with
slow /sloʊ/ A1	adjective - moving, acting, or happening at a low speed; not quick or fast verb - to reduce the speed of something or someone (often with 'down')
turn /tɜːrn/ A1	verb - to move in a circular direction wholly or partly around an axis or point verb - to change direction to face the opposite way; to reverse a situation (often with 'around')
simple /ˈsɪmpl/ A1	adjective - easily understood or done; not complicated
far /fɑːr/ A1	adjective - at, to, or by a great distance
comfortable /ˈkʌmfərtəbl/ B1	adjective - providing physical ease and relaxation; feeling at ease
understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/ A1	verb - to perceive the intended meaning of (words, a language, or a speaker)
mamacita /ˌmɑːməˈsiːtə/ C1	noun - an affectionate or flirtatious term for a young woman, especially one of Hispanic descent; literally 'little mother' in Spanish

Key Grammar Structures

• Oh, I've been lying to myself and I might know why

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous, Modal Verb (might)

  ➔ The use of "**I've been lying**" shows an action that started in the past and continues to the present, while "**might**" expresses possibility.

• I miss the way you looked at me before you left New York

  ➔ Past Simple, Subjunctive (implied)

  ➔ "**I miss**" uses past tense to describe a past event and implies the speaker wishes things were different; the subjunctive is implied.

• I've been tryin' to find help, 'cause I can't deny

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous, Modal Verb (can't)

  ➔ Similar to the first line, **"I've been tryin'**" represents an ongoing action and "**can't**" represents inability.

• The way that I feel when I'm with you

  ➔ Relative Clause, Conditional Clause (implied)

  ➔ **"The way that I feel**" introduces a relative clause. "**When I'm with you**" sets up a conditional meaning.

• Oh, I'd do anything to save ya

  ➔ Conditional (implied), Contraction ('d)

  ➔ **"I'd"** is the contraction of "**I would**", indicating a hypothetical situation and the implied conditional of wanting to save the person.

• I think we need a little California 'cation

  ➔ Indirect Object (implied), Noun Modification

  ➔ While there isn't a direct indirect object, the phrase "**we need** a little California 'cation" implies *for* us which is a type of indirect object. "**California 'cation**" is a noun modified by another noun.

• We took a shot at this, but maybe we're too wasted

  ➔ Past Simple, Adverb (maybe), Adjective (too)

  ➔ "**We took**" is past simple. "**Maybe**" functions as an adverb of possibility. "**Too wasted**" uses "too" to modify the adjective.

• It's hard to swallow, but I know we gotta chase it, oh

  ➔ Infinitive, Modal Verb (gotta)

  ➔ **"To swallow**" is an infinitive phrase. "**Gotta**" is a contraction of "**got to**", indicating obligation.

• Slow down, I think that we just need to slow down, slow down

  ➔ Imperative, Verb Phrase, Repetition

  ➔ "**Slow down**" is an imperative sentence. The verb phrase and repetition adds emphasis.