Thanksgiving Prayer – English Lyrics

• By: Joanne Cash
• Album: Unbroken

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the heartfelt sincerity of Joanne Cash's "Thanksgiving Prayer." This song, rich with simple yet profound language, offers a beautiful way to understand expressions of gratitude and love in English. Its clear, prayer-like structure and focus on universal themes of family and blessings make it particularly special for language learners.

[English]

We've come to the time in the season

When family and friends gather near

To offer a prayer of Thanksgiving

For blessings we've known through the year

To join hands and thank the creator

Now when Thanksgiving is due

And this year when I count my blessings

I'm thanking the Lord, He made you

This year when I count my blessings

I'm thanking the Lord, He made you

I'm grateful for the laughter of children

The sun, and the wind, and the rain

The colour of blue in your sweet eyes

The sight of a high ball and train

The moon rise over the prairie

And old love that you've made new

This year when I count my blessings

I'm thanking the Lord, He made you

This year when I count my blessings

I'm thanking the Lord, He made you

And when the time comes to be going

It won't be in sorrow or tears

I'll kiss you goodbye, and I'll go on my way

Grateful for all of the years

I'll thank for all that you gave me

For teaching me what love can do

Thanksgiving Day for the rest of my life

I'm thanking the Lord, He made you

Thanksgiving Day for the rest of my life

I'm thanking the Lord, He made you

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
season /ˈsiːzən/ A1	noun - each of the four divisions of the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) marked by particular weather patterns and daylight hours, resulting from the earth's changing position relative to the sun.
family /ˈfæməli/ A1	noun - a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.
friends /frendz/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.
prayer /preər/ B1	noun - a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or another deity.
thanksgiving /ˌθæŋksˈɡɪvɪŋ/ B1	noun - the expression of gratitude, especially to God.
blessings /ˈblɛsɪŋz/ B1	noun - God's favor and protection.
year /jɪər/ A1	noun - the time taken by the earth to make one revolution around the sun.
hands /hændz/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist, including the palm, fingers, and thumb.
creator /kriˈeɪtər/ B2	noun - a person or thing that brings something into existence.
laughter /ˈlæftər/ B1	noun - the action or sound of laughing.
children /ˈtʃɪldrən/ A1	noun - a young human being below the age of puberty or full physical development.
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that provides light and heat to Earth
wind /wɪnd/ A1	noun - the perceptible natural movement of the air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction.
rain /reɪn/ A1	noun - moisture condensed from the atmosphere that falls visibly in separate drops.
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - each of a pair of globular organs in the head through which people and vertebrate animals see; the eyeball and its associated structures.
sweet /swiːt/ A2	adjective - having a pleasant taste, especially as a result of containing sugar.
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection.
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
grateful /ˈɡreɪtfʊl/ B1	adjective - feeling or showing an appreciation of kindness; thankful.

Key Grammar Structures

• We've come to the time in the season

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense (We have come)

  ➔ The "present perfect" indicates an action that started in the past and continues to have relevance in the present. Here, it suggests that the act of arriving at this time of year has significance now.

• For blessings we've known through the year

  ➔ Relative Clause with Omitted Relative Pronoun

  ➔ The sentence could also be written as "For blessings that we've known through the year". The relative pronoun "that" (or "which") is often omitted when it is the object of the relative clause.

• Now when Thanksgiving is due

  ➔ Adverbial Clause of Time introduced by "when"

  ➔ The word "when" introduces a subordinate clause indicating time. Here, it signifies that something is happening at the time that Thanksgiving is expected or required.

• I'm thanking the Lord, He made you

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense emphasizing ongoing action and appositive phrase (He made you)

  ➔ "I'm thanking" emphasizes the continuous and heartfelt nature of the gratitude. "He made you" is a concise expression. The meaning of 'made' is more along the lines of 'created' or 'brought into existence'.

• The colour of blue in your sweet eyes

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase acting as Adjective (of blue)

  ➔ The phrase "of blue" modifies "colour", specifying which colour is being referred to. It functions like an adjective describing the noun.

• And old love that you've made new

  ➔ Relative Clause with present perfect "you've made" modifying "love".

  ➔ The relative clause "that you've made new" describes the noun "love". The use of the present perfect "you've made" suggests that the act of renewing the old love is recent and has present relevance.

• It won't be in sorrow or tears

  ➔ Future Simple (It will not be) + Prepositional phrase

  ➔ The "future simple" expresses a prediction about the future. The prepositional phrase "in sorrow or tears" specifies the state or manner in which something will *not* be.