Soft to Be Strong – English Lyrics

• By: MARINA
• Album: Love + Fear

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the empowering message of MARINA's 'Soft to Be Strong' and learn how vulnerability can be a source of strength. This beautiful ballad is not only a moving piece of music but also a great opportunity to explore nuanced emotional language in English. The clear and heartfelt lyrics make it an excellent song for language learners to connect with and understand.

[English]

I know it's hard to be soft

I know it hurts to be kind

I know that when love is lost

It's only fear in disguise

...

And I guess I've known it all along

The truth is you have to be soft to be strong

Finally I feel the fear is gone

I found out love has to be soft to be strong

Soft to be strong

Soft

I believe the world is beautiful

Only the weak ones are cruel

I choose to love you without fear

No shame in being sincere

And I guess I've known it all along

The truth is you have to be soft to be strong

Finally I feel the fear is gone

I found out love has to be soft to be strong

Soft to be strong

And I made myself believe

Other people wanted to hurt me

I took my bitterness and made it sweet

I took a broken heart and made it beat

...

Somebody hurt me long ago

And though to heal a heart is slow

It's just a consequence of pain

There is no use in laying blame

And I guess I've known it all along

The truth is you have to be soft to be strong

Finally I feel the fear is gone

I found out love has to be soft to be strong

Soft to be strong

Soft to be strong

Soft to be strong

Soft

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
soft /sɒft/ A2	adjective - not hard or firm; gentle
strong /strɒŋ/ A1	adjective - having great physical power or emotional resilience
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a deep feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
fear /fɪə(r)/ A1	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by danger
hard /hɑːrd/ A1	adjective - difficult or requiring effort
kind /kaɪnd/ A2	adjective - having a friendly and gentle nature
hurt /hɜːrt/ A2	verb - to cause physical or emotional pain
truth /truːθ/ A2	noun - the quality of being true or real
beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfl/ A2	adjective - pleasing to the senses, especially visually
weak /wiːk/ A2	adjective - lacking strength or power
cruel /kruːəl/ B1	adjective - willfully causing pain or suffering
choose /tʃuːz/ A2	verb - to select from a number of possibilities
sincere /sɪnˈsɪə(r)/ B2	adjective - genuine and honest in feelings
bitterness /ˈbɪtənəs/ C1	noun - a feeling of resentment or anger
sweet /swiːt/ A1	adjective - pleasant or agreeable in taste or manner
broken /ˈbrəʊkən/ A2	adjective - damaged or shattered, often emotionally
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ in the chest or the center of emotions
heal /hiːl/ B1	verb - to recover from injury or emotional pain
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - physical or emotional suffering
blame /bleɪm/ B1	noun - responsibility for a fault or wrong

Key Grammar Structures

• I know it's hard to be soft

  ➔ Present simple tense with 'to be'

  ➔ The phrase uses the present simple tense with 'to be' to express a general truth or habitual action. Here, 'it's hard' is a fixed expression using the present simple.

• I guess I've known it all along

  ➔ Present perfect with 'have known'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present perfect tense with 'have known' to indicate an action that started in the past and is relevant to the present. 'I've known' suggests the knowledge has been continuous.

• The truth is you have to be soft to be strong

  ➔ Present simple with 'have to'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense with 'have to' to express necessity or obligation. 'You have to' emphasizes that being soft is essential to being strong.

• I believe the world is beautiful

  ➔ Present simple with 'believe'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense with 'believe' to express a personal opinion or belief that is generally true. 'I believe' introduces a statement of personal conviction.

• No shame in being sincere

  ➔ Present simple with 'be' in negative form

  ➔ The phrase uses the present simple tense with 'be' in the negative form to express a general truth. 'No shame' is a fixed expression indicating the absence of something.