Tennessee Orange – English Lyrics

• By: Megan Moroney

Lyrics & Translation

Through the lens of a classic Southern football rivalry, "Tennessee Orange" offers a fun and relatable way to learn about American culture and regional pride. The song's conversational lyrics and clear storytelling make it an excellent choice for those looking to practice their English listening skills while enjoying a modern country hit.

[English]

(baby giggling)

(baby rambling)

(country music)

♪ Mama, I'm calling ♪

♪ I've got some news ♪

♪ Don't ya tell daddy ♪

♪ He'll blow a fuse ♪

♪ Don't worry, I'm doing okay ♪

♪ I know you raised me to know right from wrong ♪

♪ It ain't what you think and I'm still writing songs ♪

♪ Just never thought I'd see the day ♪

♪ I've never felt this way ♪

♪ I met somebody and he's got blue eyes ♪

♪ He opens the door and he don't make me cry ♪

♪ He ain't from where we're from ♪

♪ But he feels like home, yeah ♪

♪ He's got me doing things I've never done ♪

♪ In Georgia, they call it a sin ♪

♪ I'm wearing Tennessee orange for him ♪

♪ Took me to Knoxville last Saturday ♪

♪ And I wore the hat on his dash to the game ♪

♪ It sure wasn't Athens, but I fell for him ♪

♪ Under those Neyland lights ♪

♪ I met somebody and he's got blue eyes ♪

♪ He opens the door and he don't make me cry ♪

♪ He ain't from where we're from ♪

♪ But he feels like home, yeah ♪

♪ He's got me doing things I've never done ♪

♪ In Georgia they call it a sin ♪

♪ I'm wearing Tennessee orange for him ♪

(country music)

♪ Mama, forgive me ♪

♪ I like him a lot ♪

♪ Hell, I'm learning the words to Old Rocky Top ♪

♪ And he's got a smile that makes me forget ♪

♪ I've always looked better in red ♪

♪ But I met somebody and he's got blue eyes ♪

♪ He opens the door and he don't make me cry ♪

♪ He ain't from where we're from ♪

♪ But he feels like home, yeah ♪

♪ He's got me doing things I've never done ♪

♪ I met somebody and he's got blue eyes ♪

♪ He opens the door and he don't make me cry ♪

♪ He ain't from where we're from ♪

♪ But he feels like home, yeah ♪

♪ He's got me doing things I've never done ♪

♪ In Georgia, they call it a sin ♪

♪ And I still want the Dogs to win ♪

♪ But I'm wearing Tennessee orange for him ♪

♪ I'm wearing Tennessee orange for him ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
news /njuːz/ A2	noun - newly received or noteworthy information
songs /sɒŋz/ A1	noun - a musical composition with words
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs of vision
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - place where one lives
things /θɪŋz/ A1	noun - objects; items
sin /sɪn/ B2	noun - an act against religious or moral law
orange /ˈɒrɪndʒ/ A1	noun - a color between red and yellow adjective - of the color orange
hat /hæt/ A1	noun - a covering for the head
lights /laɪts/ A1	noun - sources of illumination
smile /smaɪl/ A1	noun - a facial expression indicating pleasure verb - to express pleasure with a smile
blow /bloʊ/ B1	verb - to expel air forcefully through the mouth or nose
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears
felt /felt/ A2	verb - past tense of feel; to experience an emotion or sensation
worry /ˈwʌri/ A2	verb - to feel or show anxiety and concern about actual or potential problems
wrong /rɒŋ/ A1	adjective - not correct or true; incorrect

Key Grammar Structures

• Don't ya tell daddy

  ➔ Informal contraction and imperative

  ➔ "Don't ya" is an informal contraction of "don't you". This is followed by an imperative verb "tell" making it a command/request not to tell her father. The use of "ya" instead of "you" is common in some dialects.

• He'll blow a fuse

  ➔ Future tense with idiom

  ➔ "He'll blow a fuse" uses the future tense auxiliary "will" (contracted to "'ll"). "Blow a fuse" is an idiom meaning to become very angry.

• I know you raised me to know right from wrong

  ➔ Past tense, infinitive of purpose

  ➔ "Raised" is the past tense of "raise". The phrase "to know right from wrong" uses the infinitive "to know" to express the purpose of her upbringing.

• It ain't what you think

  ➔ Informal contraction, present tense

  ➔ "Ain't" is an informal contraction for "is not" or "are not" or "am not". Here, it is used in place of "is not".

• I met somebody and he's got blue eyes

  ➔ Past simple, present perfect continuous(implied)

  ➔ "Met" is the past simple form of "meet". "He's got" is a contraction of "he has got", an alternative to "he has" for possession. The blue eyes are relevant to what follows.

• He ain't from where we're from

  ➔ Negative form, relative clause

  ➔ "Ain't" is a negative form (is not). "Where we're from" is a relative clause acting as an adverbial, modifying the preposition "from". "we're" is the contracted form of "we are".

• He's got me doing things I've never done

  ➔ Causative "have/get" construction, past participle

  ➔ "He's got me doing..." is a causative construction, meaning he is causing or influencing her to do things. "I've never done" uses the present perfect to indicate that she has not experienced those things before.

• In Georgia, they call it a sin

  ➔ Simple present tense, impersonal pronoun

  ➔ "Call" is used in the simple present tense to express a general truth or common belief. "They" is an impersonal pronoun referring to people in general in Georgia.