Sweet Leaf – English Lyrics

• By: Black Sabbath

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heavy roots of rock history with 'Sweet Leaf'! This song is a perfect gateway to learning English slang and rhythmic phrasing used in the counter-culture movement, offering a unique look at how language expresses lifestyle and rebellion through music.

[English]

作曲 : Bill Ward/Terrence Butler/Ozzy Osbourne/Tony Iommi

OZZY：'Alright, were now gonna do a number now entitled Sweet Leaf.'

Alright Now!

Won't you listen?

When I first met you, didn't realize,

I can't forget you or your surprise

You introduced me to my mind

And left me watching you and your kind, oh yeah baby!

OZZY:Alright!

I love you, Oh you know it.

My life was empty, forever on a down,

Until you took me, showed me around

My life is free now, my life is clear

I love you sweet leaf though you can't hear, oh yeah baby!

OZZY:Alright!

Come on now. Try it out!

Straight people don't know what you're about,

They put you down and shut you out

You gave to me a new belief,

And soon the world

FAN: yeah!

will love you sweet leaf.

Oh yeah the ****!!

OZZY:'Alright thank you.'

OZZY:'Yeah too much.'

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
realize /ˈriːəlaɪz/ B1	verb - to become aware of something
surprise /səˈpraɪz/ A2	noun - an unexpected event or fact
introduce /ˌɪntrəˈdjuːs/ B1	verb - to present someone to another person
empty /ˈempti/ A2	adjective - containing nothing; not filled
clear /klɪə(r)/ A2	adjective - easy to perceive, understand, or see
straight /streɪt/ B1	adjective - conventional or conforming to social norms
belief /bɪˈliːf/ B2	noun - an acceptance that something is true or exists
world /wɜːld/ A1	noun - the earth and all people and things on it
listen /ˈlɪsn/ A1	verb - to give attention to sound
forget /fəˈɡet/ A2	verb - to fail to remember
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of consciousness
kind /kaɪnd/ A2	noun - a group of people or things having similar characteristics

Key Grammar Structures

• Won't you listen?

  ➔ Future negative interrogative for invitation

  ➔ "Won't" is used here as a polite or insistent way to invite the listener to pay attention.

• When I first met you, didn't realize,

  ➔ Ellipsis of the subject in informal speech

  ➔ The subject "I" is omitted before "didn't" for a conversational, rhythmic flow.

• I can't forget you or your surprise

  ➔ Modal verb 'can't' for inability

  ➔ "Can't" expresses a lack of ability to perform the action of forgetting, emphasizing emotional attachment.

• You introduced me to my mind

  ➔ Causative/Transitive structure 'introduce someone to something'

  ➔ This structure is used metaphorically to suggest gaining self-awareness or enlightenment.

• My life was empty, forever on a down,

  ➔ Past simple state of being

  ➔ "Was" describes the past condition before the change, contrasting with the current state.

• Until you took me, showed me around

  ➔ Subordinate clause with 'until'

  ➔ 'Until' marks the turning point in time where the narrative shifts from negative to positive.

• Straight people don't know what you're about,

  ➔ Informal phrasal expression 'be about'

  ➔ 'To be about' here means to understand the nature, purpose, or essence of something.

• They put you down and shut you out

  ➔ Phrasal verbs 'put down' and 'shut out'

  ➔ "Put down" means to criticize; "shut out" means to exclude or ignore.