That's What Friends Are For – English Lyrics

• By: Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder
• Album: Love Songs

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heartwarming lyrics of "That's What Friends Are For" to explore the universal theme of unwavering companionship. This iconic song, brought to life by the legendary collaboration of Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder, is not only a musical masterpiece but also a significant piece of social history. Its heartfelt message about friendship and solidarity resonated deeply, while its impact as a charity single, raising millions for AIDS research, showcases the profound ability of music to drive positive change.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
friends /frɛndz/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to feel deep affection for (someone) noun - an intense feeling of deep affection
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs that detect light
smile /smaɪl/ A1	verb - to form one's features into a pleased expression noun - a pleased facial expression
times /taɪmz/ A1	noun - occasions
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - to be desired or approved of
bad /bæd/ A1	adjective - not good; of poor quality or low standard
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation
way /weɪ/ A1	noun - a method, style, or manner of doing something.
chance /tʃæns/ A2	noun - a possibility of something happening
apart /əˈpɑːrt/ B1	adverb - separated by a distance
sure /ʃʊr/ B1	adjective - confident or certain of something
count /kaʊnt/ B1	verb - rely on someone
shining /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/ B2	adjective - emitting or reflecting light
forever /fərˈevər/ B2	adverb - for all future time

Key Grammar Structures

• And I never thought I'd feel this way

  ➔ Conditional sentences (Type 3 implied) / Contractions

  ➔ Implies 'If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have thought I'd feel this way.' 'I'd' is a contraction of 'I would'. Type 3 conditional refers to a hypothetical situation in the past.

• As far as I'm concerned

  ➔ Idiomatic Expression / Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ "As far as I'm concerned" means 'in my opinion' or 'from my point of view.' It is a common idiomatic expression using a prepositional phrase.

• I'm glad I got the chance to say

  ➔ Past Simple / Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "I got the chance" is Past Simple tense. "To say" is an infinitive of purpose, explaining *why* the speaker got the chance.

• And if I should ever go away

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 1 variant with 'should')

  ➔ Using 'should' in the 'if' clause expresses a slightly more formal or less likely condition. It emphasizes the hypothetical nature of going away.

• To feel the way we do today

  ➔ Infinitive of Manner / Relative Clause (implied)

  ➔ "To feel" describes *how* to close your eyes. There's an implied relative clause: "the way *that* we feel today."

• Knowing you can always count on me, for sure

  ➔ Present Participle Clause of Reason / Phrasal Verb

  ➔ "Knowing..." introduces the reason *why* you should keep smiling. "Count on" is a phrasal verb meaning 'rely on'.

• That's what friends are for

  ➔ Cleft Sentence / Subject-Complement

  ➔ A cleft sentence emphasizes a particular piece of information. "That's what friends are for" highlights the *purpose* of friends. 'Friends' is the subject and 'what friends are for' is a noun clause acting as the subject complement.

• I'll be on your side forever more

  ➔ Future Simple / Adverbial Phrase of Time

  ➔ "I'll be" is the Future Simple tense, indicating a future action or state. "Forever more" is an adverbial phrase specifying the duration of the action.