Smile – English Lyrics

• By: Lily Allen
• Album: Alright, Still

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the playful yet poignant world of Lily Allen's "Smile," a song that blends ska and reggae influences with sharp, witty lyrics about heartbreak and revenge. Perfect for English language learners, this track offers a glimpse into British slang and irony while exploring themes of love, loss, and finding empowerment in unexpected ways.

[English]

When you first left me, I was wantin' more

But you were f--n' that girl next door

What you do that for? (What you do that for?)

When you first left me, I didn't know what to say

I never been on my own that way

Just sat by myself all day

I was so lost back then

But with a little help from my friends

I found a light in the tunnel at the end

Now you're calling me up on the phone

So you can have a little whine and a moan

And it's only because you're feelin' alone

At first, when I see you cry

Yeah, it makes me smile

Yeah, it makes me smile

At worst, I feel bad for a while

But then I just smile

I go ahead and smile

Whenever you see me

You say that you want me back (Want me back)

And I tell you it don't mean jack (It don't mean jack)

No, it don't mean jack (It don't mean jack)

I couldn't stop laughing

No, I just couldn't help myself (Help myself)

See you messed up my mental health

I was quite unwell

I was so lost back then

But with a little help from my friends

I found a light in the tunnel at the end

Now you're calling me up on the phone

So you can have a little whine and a moan

And it's only because you're feeling alone

At first, when I see you cry

Yeah, it makes me smile

Yeah, it makes me smile

At worst, I feel bad for a while

But then I just smile

I go ahead and smile

La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la

La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la

La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la

La-la-la

At first when I see you cry (When I see you cry)

Yeah, it makes me smile (Makes me smile)

Yeah, it makes me smile (Yeah, it makes me smile)

At worst, I feel bad for a while (I feel bad for a while)

But then I just smile (But then I just smile)

I go ahead and smile (I go ahead and smile)

At first when I see you cry (When I see you cry)

Yeah, it makes me smile (Yeah, it makes me smile)

Yeah, it makes me smile (It makes me smile)

At worst, I feel bad for a while (Feel bad for a while)

But then I just smile (Then I just smile)

I go ahead and smile (I go ahead and smile)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
smile /smaɪl/ A1	verb - to make a happy expression with your face noun - a happy expression made by curving the lips
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears
bad /bæd/ A1	adjective - not good
help /hɛlp/ A1	verb - to assist
light /laɪt/ A2	noun - the natural agents that stimulate sight adjective - not heavy
lost /lɔst/ B1	adjective - unable to find one's way
call /kɔːl/ A2	verb - to shout out or speak to someone
alone /əˈloʊn/ A2	adjective - having no one else with you
friends /frɛndz/ A1	noun - people you know well and like
want /wɔnt/ A1	verb - to desire something
f--n' N/A C2	verb - a vulgar term for sexual intercourse, used for emphasis
mental /ˈmɛntəl/ B2	adjective - relating to the mind
tunnel /ˈtʌn.əl/ B2	noun - an underground passage
end /ɛnd/ A1	noun - the final part of something
messed up /mɛst ʌp/ C1	verb phrase - to make a mistake or cause problems
way /weɪ/ A1	noun - a method or manner of doing something

Key Grammar Structures

• When you first left me, I was wantin' more

  ➔ Past Continuous tense ('was wantin')

  ➔ Used to describe an action in progress at a specific time in the past. Here, 'was wantin' indicates the speaker's desire for more at the time of the breakup.

• I never been on my own that way

  ➔ Present Perfect tense ('never been')

  ➔ Used to describe an action or state that started in the past and continues to the present, or that happened at an unspecified time before now. 'Never been' emphasizes the speaker's lack of experience in being alone before.

• But with a little help from my friends

  ➔ Prepositional phrase ('with a little help')

  ➔ This phrase indicates how the speaker managed to overcome the difficult situation. It uses the preposition 'with' to show the means or agent of the action.

• Now you're calling me up on the phone

  ➔ Present Continuous tense ('are calling')

  ➔ Used to describe an action happening at the present moment or around it. Here, 'are calling' describes an action happening now (the ex is calling).

• So you can have a little whine and a moan

  ➔ Modal verb 'can' followed by base form of the verb ('have')

  ➔ Used to express ability or possibility. Here, 'can' indicates the reason for the ex's phone call - to whine and moan (an ability to do this).

• Yeah, it makes me smile

  ➔ Object pronoun ('me')

  ➔ The object pronoun 'me' is used as the object of the verb 'makes.' It refers to the speaker.

• At worst, I feel bad for a while

  ➔ Adverbial phrase of time ('for a while')

  ➔ This phrase indicates the duration of the feeling of sadness. 'For a while' means for a short period of time.

• I go ahead and smile

  ➔ Verb phrase 'go ahead and smile'

  ➔ This is an idiomatic expression meaning to proceed with and continue to smile. 'Go ahead' implies a deliberate action.

• You say that you want me back

  ➔ Reported speech ('that you want me back')

  ➔ This line uses reported speech to convey what the ex-partner says. The phrase 'that you want me back' is the reported content.

• And I tell you it don't mean jack

  ➔ Contraction ('don't')

  ➔ This line uses the contraction 'don't' for 'do not'. This is common in informal spoken English to show casualness.