Something in the Orange – English Lyrics

• By: Zach Bryan
• Album: American Heartbreak

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and Zach Bryan's 'Something in the Orange' offers a masterclass in emotional expression. The song's poetic and vivid lyrics provide a rich tapestry of feelings, from the physical sensation of heartbreak to the visual metaphor of a sunset. By exploring the nuances of his words, you can learn to convey complex emotions in a deeply personal and authentic way, all while being moved by a truly special piece of songwriting.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
dusk /dʌsk/ B2	noun - the darker stage of twilight
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.
bones /boʊnz/ A2	noun - any of the pieces of hard, whitish tissue making up the skeleton in humans and other vertebrates.
mind /maɪnd/ A2	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.
weight /weɪt/ A2	noun - a body's relative mass or the quantity of material contained by it, giving rise to a downward force; the heaviness of a person or thing.
miss /mɪs/ A2	verb - feel sadness at the absence of.
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that provides light and heat to Earth
orange /ˈɔːrɪndʒ/ A1	noun - a color between red and yellow
poisoned /ˈpɔɪzənd/ B2	verb - to kill or harm with poison
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between one day and the next
dancin' /ˈdænsɪŋ/ A1	verb - moving rhythmically to music
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - the organs of sight
voice /vɔɪs/ A2	noun - the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song.
wood /wʊd/ A1	noun - the hard fibrous material that forms the main substance of a tree or shrub.
trees /triːz/ A1	noun - a woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk
grass /ɡræs/ A1	noun - vegetation consisting of typically short plants with long, narrow leaves, growing wild or cultivated on lawns and pasture, and as a fodder crop.
headlights /ˈhedlaɪts/ A2	noun - a powerful light at the front of a vehicle
dew /djuː/ B1	noun - tiny drops of water that form on cool surfaces at night, when atmospheric vapor condenses.

Key Grammar Structures

• It'll be fine by dusk light, I'm tellin' you, baby

  ➔ Future simple with 'will' (contracted to 'll')

  ➔ This shows a prediction or promise about the future. "It'll" is a contraction of "it will." The phrase "by dusk light" indicates the time frame for the prediction.

• These things eat at your bones and drive your young mind crazy

  ➔ Present simple (general truth), conjunction 'and'

  ➔ The present simple describes a general truth or habit. The conjunction "and" connects two actions that happen as a consequence.

• But when you place your head between my collar and jaw

  ➔ Subordinating conjunction 'when' + present simple

  ➔ The conjunction "when" introduces a time clause. The present simple "place" describes the action that will trigger the consequence described in the main clause.

• I'm damned if I do, and I'm damned if I don't

  ➔ Passive voice with 'be' + past participle (damned), conditional 'if'

  ➔ "I'm damned" uses the passive voice to show that the speaker is facing a negative consequence regardless of their actions. The "if" clause introduces a hypothetical situation and its inevitable outcome.

• If I say I miss you, I know that you won't

  ➔ Conditional sentence (type 1), 'that' clause

  ➔ This is a type 1 conditional, expressing a real possibility in the future. The 'that' clause functions as the object of the verb 'know'.

• Somethin' in the orange tells me we're not done

  ➔ Informal contraction "Somethin'", present simple, indirect speech

  ➔ "Somethin'" is a colloquial contraction of "something." The present simple "tells" conveys a recurring feeling. The phrase after "tells me" is an example of indirect speech (reporting what something is communicating).

• Where the hell am I supposed to go?

  ➔ Wh-question, modal verb 'supposed to'

  ➔ This is a question using the "wh-" word "where." The phrase "supposed to" expresses obligation or expectation.

• I need to hear you say you've been waitin' all night

  ➔ Present simple, 'need to' + infinitive, present perfect continuous, informal 'waitin''

  ➔ "Need to" expresses necessity. "You've been waitin'" is the present perfect continuous, emphasizing the duration of the waiting. "Waitin'" is an informal contraction of "waiting."

• If you leave today, I'll just stare at the way

  ➔ Conditional sentence (type 1), future simple with 'will' (contracted to 'll')

  ➔ This is a type 1 conditional sentence, expressing a real possibility in the future. 'I'll' is a contraction of 'I will', indicating a future action. The 'if' clause sets the condition, and the main clause describes the likely consequence.