Take Me to the River – English Lyrics

• By: Lorde
• Album: Everyone’s Getting Involved

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the soulful depths and avant-pop stylings of Lorde's "Take Me to the River." This iconic song, originally by Al Green and famously covered by Talking Heads, offers a rich lyrical tapestry to explore. Lorde's modern interpretation, crafted with a raw, youthful energy, makes it special for language learners. You can learn expressive vocabulary related to love, desire, and emotional transformation, as well as appreciate how artists reinterpret classic themes across different genres. Its compelling narrative and emotional delivery make it a captivating listen for anyone wanting to connect with English through music.

[English]

I don't know why I love her like I do

All the changes you put me through

Take my money, my cigarettes

I haven't seen the worst of it yet

I wanna know that you'll tell me

"I love to stay"

Take me to the river, drop me in the water

Take me to the river, dip me in the water

And wash him down, washing me down

...

Down

I don't know why you treat me so bad

Think of all the things we could have had

Love is a notion that I can't forget

My sweet sixteen I would never regret

I wanna know that you'll tell me

"I love to stay"

Take me to the river, drop me in the water

Push me in the river, dip me in the water

And wash him down, washing me

Hug me, squeeze me

Love me, tease me

'Til I can't, 'til I can't

I can't take no more

Dip me in the water, drop me in the river

Push me in the water, drop me in the river

And wash him down, washing me down

...

I don't know why I love you like I do

All the trouble you put me through

Sixteen candles there on my wall

And here am I, the biggest fool of them all

I wanna know that you'll tell me

"I'd love to stay"

Take me to the river and drop me in the water

Dip me in the river and drop me at the water

And wash him down, washing me down

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to have deep affection for someone noun - deep affection or emotional attachment
river /ˈrɪvər/ A1	noun - a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel
water /ˈwɔːtər/ A1	noun - a clear liquid essential for life
drop /drɒp/ A2	verb - to fall or let something fall vertically
wash /wɒʃ/ A1	verb - to clean with water
push /pʊʃ/ A1	verb - to exert force on something to move it
hug /hʌɡ/ A2	verb - to hold someone tightly in one's arms
squeeze /skwiːz/ B1	verb - to press firmly
tease /tiːz/ B1	verb - to playfully provoke or mock
trouble /ˈtrʌbəl/ A2	noun - problems or difficulties
candle /ˈkændl/ A1	noun - a cylindrical wax stick with a wick for lighting
fool /fuːl/ A2	noun - a person who acts unwisely
sixteen /ˈsɪkstiːn/ A1	number - the number 16
notion /ˈnoʊʃən/ B1	noun - a general idea or belief
regret /rɪˈɡrɛt/ B1	verb - to feel sad or sorry about something

Key Grammar Structures

• I don't know why I love her like I do

  ➔ Indirect question with "why" + "like" as a conjunction + pro-verb "do"

  ➔ The phrase "I don't know why" introduces an indirect question. "like I do" uses "like" as a conjunction meaning "in the way that" and "do" as a pro-verb to avoid repeating "love her".

• All the changes you put me through

  ➔ Relative clause with an implied relative pronoun (that/which)

  ➔ The phrase "you put me through" modifies "All the changes". A relative pronoun like "that" or "which" is omitted, which is common in informal English when it's the object of the relative clause.

• I haven't seen the worst of it yet

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense with "yet" and Superlative Adjective

  ➔ The "Present Perfect" ("haven't seen") indicates an action that started in the past and continues up to the present. "Yet" is used in negative sentences to mean "up to this point". "The worst" is the superlative form of "bad/ill".

• Think of all the things we could have had

  ➔ Modal Perfect (could have + past participle)

  ➔ "Could have had" expresses a past possibility that did not happen, or regret about a missed opportunity.

• Love is a notion that I can't forget

  ➔ Defining Relative Clause with "that"

  ➔ "That I can't forget" is a defining relative clause that provides essential information about the noun "notion". "That" refers to "notion" and acts as the object of the verb "forget".

• I wanna know that you'll tell me "I'd love to stay"

  ➔ Informal Contraction "wanna" + Conditional "I'd love to"

  ➔ "Wanna" is an informal contraction of "want to". "I'd love to" is a contraction of "I would love to", expressing a strong desire or willingness, often in a conditional or polite context.

• 'Til I can't, 'til I can't, I can't take no more

  ➔ Double Negative for emphasis (informal)

  ➔ "Can't take no more" uses two negative words ("can't" and "no") to express a strong negative meaning, which is grammatically incorrect in standard English but common in informal speech and song lyrics for emphasis. In standard English, it would be "I can't take any more" or "I can take no more."

• washing me down

  ➔ Present Participle as an Adverbial Phrase

  ➔ "Washing me down" uses the present participle form of the verb ("-ing") to describe an action that is happening simultaneously with or as a result of the main action (being dipped/dropped in the water). It functions adverbially, modifying the action of "dip/drop".

• And here am I, the biggest fool of them all

  ➔ Inversion with "here" + Superlative Adjective

  ➔ "Here am I" is an inverted sentence structure (adverb + verb + subject) used for emphasis or dramatic effect. "The biggest fool" is a superlative adjective phrase, indicating the highest degree of foolishness among a group.