Thank God I'm A Country Boy – English Lyrics

• By: John Denver

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the heartwarming simplicity of country life with John Denver's "Thank God I'm A Country Boy." This feel-good anthem, written by John Martin Sommers, offers a glimpse into the beauty of rural living and the joy of cherishing life's simple pleasures. Learn how to express gratitude and find happiness in the everyday moments through this timeless classic.

[English]

Well, life on the farm is kinda laid back

Ain't much an old country boy like me can't hack

It's early to rise, early in the sack

Thank God, I'm a country boy

Well, a simple kinda life never did me no harm

A-raisin' me a family and workin' on a farm

My days are all filled with an easy country charm

Thank God, I'm a country boy

Well, I got me a fine wife, I got me old fiddle

When the sun's comin' up, I got cakes on the griddle

Life ain't nothin' but a funny, funny riddle

Thank God, I'm a country boy

When the work's all done, and the sun's settin' low

I pull out my fiddle, and I rosin up the bow

The kids are asleep, so I keep it kinda low

And thank God, I'm a country boy

I'd play "Sally Goodin" all day if I could

But the Lord and my wife wouldn't take it very good

So I fiddle when I can, work when I should

And thank God, I'm a country boy

Well, I got me a fine wife, I got me old fiddle

When the sun's comin' up, I got cakes on the griddle

Life ain't nothin' but a funny, funny riddle

Thank God, I'm a country boy, whoo hoo!

Well, I wouldn't trade my life for diamonds or jewels

I never was one of them money hungry fools

Rather have my fiddle and my farmin' tools

Thank God, I'm a country boy

Yeah, city folk drivin' in a black limousine

A lotta sad people thinkin' that's a-mighty keen

Son, let me tell ya now exactly what I mean

Thank God, I'm a country boy

Well, I got me a fine wife, I got me old fiddle

When the sun's comin' up, I got cakes on the griddle

Life ain't nothin' but a funny, funny riddle

Thank God, I'm a country boy

Well, my fiddle was my daddy's till the day he died

And he took me by the hand, held me close to his side

Said, "Live a good life, play the fiddle with pride

And thank God you're a country boy"

Well, my daddy taught me young how to hunt and how to whittle

Taught me how to work and play a tune on the fiddle

He taught me how to love and how to give just a little

And thank God I'm a country boy

Well, I got me a fine wife, I got me old fiddle

When the sun's comin' up, I got cakes on the griddle

Life ain't nothin' but a funny, funny riddle

Thank God, I'm a country boy

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
country /ˈkʌntri/ A2	adjective - relating to the countryside rather than a town; rural.
farm /fɑːrm/ A1	noun - an area of land and its buildings used for growing crops and rearing animals. verb - to use land for growing crops or raising animals.
hack /hæk/ B2	verb - (informal) to manage or cope with a situation or task successfully.
sack /sæk/ B2	noun - (informal) bed; often used in the idiom 'hit the sack' meaning to go to bed.
charm /tʃɑːrm/ B1	noun - the power or quality of delighting, attracting, or fascinating others.
wife /waɪf/ A1	noun - a married woman.
fiddle /ˈfɪdl/ B1	noun - a violin, especially one used to play folk music. verb - to play the fiddle.
griddle /ˈɡrɪdl/ B2	noun - a flat metal plate or pan used for cooking food, especially pancakes or flatbreads, over direct heat.
riddle /ˈrɪdl/ B1	noun - a puzzling or confusing person or thing.
rosin /ˈrɒzɪn/ C1	verb - to rub rosin (a sticky substance) on the bow of a stringed instrument to create friction.
bow /boʊ/ B2	noun - a rod with horsehair stretched along its length, used for playing stringed instruments.
jewels /ˈdʒuːəlz/ B1	noun - precious stones, typically a diamond or ruby, used in jewelry.
tools /tuːlz/ A2	noun - an implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function.
limousine /ˌlɪməˈziːn/ B2	noun - a large luxurious car, especially one driven by a chauffeur and used for transporting important people.
daddy /ˈdædi/ A1	noun - (informal) a father.
hunt /hʌnt/ A2	verb - to pursue and kill (wild animals) for sport or food.
whittle /ˈwɪtl/ B2	verb - to carve (wood) into an object by repeatedly cutting small slices from it.
pride /praɪd/ B1	noun - a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements or the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated.
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the existence of an individual human being or animal.
work /wɜːrk/ A1	noun - activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result. verb - to perform a task using mental or physical effort.

Key Grammar Structures

• Well, life on the farm is kinda laid back

  ➔ Present Simple Tense

  ➔ The verb 'is' is in the present simple tense, used to describe a general truth or a habitual action.

• It's early to rise, early in the sack

  ➔ Present Simple Tense with 'It's'

  ➔ 'It's' is a contraction of 'it is', used here in the present simple tense to state a habitual action.

• A-raisin' me a family and workin' on a farm

  ➔ Gerunds (-ing form)

  ➔ The -ing forms 'raisin'' and 'workin'' are gerunds, functioning as nouns to describe actions.

• When the sun's comin' up, I got cakes on the griddle

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ 'comin'' is the present participle form of 'come', used in the present continuous tense to describe an action happening now.

• Life ain't nothin' but a funny, funny riddle

  ➔ Double Negative

  ➔ The use of 'ain't' and 'nothin'' together is an example of double negative, which is common in informal English.

• When the work's all done, and the sun's settin' low

  ➔ Contractions and Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ 'work's' and 'sun's' are contractions of 'work is' and 'sun is', used in the present continuous tense.

• I'd play 'Sally Goodin' all day if I could

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 1)

  ➔ The structure 'I'd play... if I could' is a type 1 conditional sentence, used for a possible condition and result.

• He taught me how to love and how to give just a little

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The phrases 'how to love' and 'how to give' use the to-infinitive to express purpose.