The Greatest – English Lyrics

• By: Sia
• Album: This Is Acting (Deluxe Version)

Lyrics & Translation

Explore Sia's powerful song "The Greatest," a track woven with electropop and reggae influences, which offers not only a message of perseverance and being 'the greatest' despite challenges but also serves as a poignant tribute to lost lives. Through its raw emotion and visual storytelling, the song invites you to reflect on themes of freedom and human potential, making it a deeply meaningful piece of contemporary music.

[English]

作词 : Sia Furler/Greg Kurstin/Blair Mackichan

作曲 : Sia Furler/Greg Kurstin/Blair Mackichan

Uh-oh, runnin' out of breath, but I

Oh, I, I got stamina

Uh-oh, running now, I close my eyes

Well, oh, I got stamina

And uh-oh, I see another mountain to climb

But I, I, I got stamina

Uh-oh, I need another lover, be mine

Cause I, I, I got stamina

...

Don't give up, I won't give up

Don't give up, no no no

Don't give up, I won't give up

Don't give up, no no no

I'm free to be the greatest, I'm alive

I'm free to be the greatest here tonight, the greatest

The greatest, the greatest alive

The greatest, the greatest alive

...

Well, uh-oh, runnin' out of breath, but I

Oh, I, I got stamina

Uh-oh, runnin' now, I close my eyes

But, oh, I got stamina

And oh yeah, runnin' through the waves of love

But I, I got stamina

And oh yeah, I'm runnin' and I've just enough

And uh-oh, I got stamina

...

Don't give up, I won't give up

Don't give up, no no no

Don't give up, I won't give up

Don't give up, no no no

I'm free to be the greatest, I'm alive

I'm free to be the greatest here tonight, the greatest

The greatest, the greatest alive

The greatest, the greatest alive

Oh-oh, I got stamina

Oh-oh, I got stamina

Oh-oh, I got stamina

Oh-oh, I got stamina

...

Don't give up (no no), I won't give up (no no)

Don't give up, no no no (nah)

Don't give up, I won't give up

Don't give up, no no no

I'm free to be the greatest, I'm alive

I'm free to be the greatest here tonight, the greatest

The greatest, the greatest alive

(Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up, no no no)

The greatest, the greatest alive

(Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up, no no no)

...

The greatest, the greatest alive

(Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up; I got stamina)

The greatest, the greatest alive

(Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up; I got stamina)

The greatest, the greatest alive

(Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up; I got stamina)

The greatest, the greatest alive

(Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up; I got stamina)

The greatest, the greatest alive

(Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up; I got stamina)...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
stamina /ˈstæmɪnə/ B2	noun - endurance; resilience and strength to sustain physical or mental effort
breath /brɛθ/ B1	noun - the air taken into or expelled from the lungs
mountain /ˈmaʊn.tən/ A2	noun - a large natural elevation on the earth's surface
climb /klaɪm/ A2	verb - to go upward or ascend
lover /ˈlʌvər/ B1	noun - a person who loves someone; a romantic partner
greatest /ˈɡreɪtɪst/ B2	adjective - most great; the best or most important
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - not dead; living
waves /weɪvz/ A2	noun - long bodies of water that move in a rising and falling pattern
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a strong affection for someone or something
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - the organs of sight
running /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ B1	verb - the action of moving swiftly on foot
free /friː/ A2	adjective - not constrained; independent
give /ɡɪv/ A1	verb - to present voluntarily; to hand over
see /siː/ A1	verb - to perceive with the eyes
close /kloʊz/ A2	verb - to cause (something) to be shut; to bring together
need /niːd/ A2	verb - to require something; to be in want of

Key Grammar Structures

• Don't give up, I won't give up

  ➔ Imperatives; contraction (Don't) and future negative (won't) + will

  ➔ In this line, the word "Don't" is the contraction of do not, and the clause "I won't give up" uses will in the negative form.

• I'm free to be the greatest here tonight

  ➔ Adjective + to-infinitive (free to + verb) as complement

  ➔ The adjective "free" is followed by the to-infinitive "to be" to describe suitability or ability, i.e., being able to act as the greatest.

• I see another mountain to climb

  ➔ Noun + to-infinitive postmodifier (mountain to climb)

  ➔ A postmodifier: the noun "mountain" is followed by the infinitive clause "to climb" to describe which mountain.

• Runnin' out of breath

  ➔ Present participle form (runnin') as a participial phrase modifying subject

  ➔ The -ing form here is a participle used in a reduced clause, giving the idea of ongoing action: "Running out of breath..."

• I see another mountain to climb

  ➔ See + object + bare infinitive (to climb) in a structure similar to relative clause

  ➔ The infinitive clause "to climb" functions as a postmodifier of "mountain" to indicate purpose or characteristic.

• And oh yeah, I'm runnin' and I've just enough

  ➔ Present continuous (I'm runnin') + present perfect (I've) + adjective/quantifier nuance

  ➔ The line mixes a continuous action with a completed-state idea: running (ongoing) and having just enough (have + just + enough).

• I'm alive

  ➔ Copular be + adjective (state of being)

  ➔ The verb be is used to describe a state of existence: being alive.

• The greatest, the greatest alive

  ➔ Superlative adjective (greatest) modifying noun phrase

  ➔ Greatest is the superlative form of great, used to emphasize extremity or uniqueness.

• I close my eyes

  ➔ Simple present with verb 'close' (stative action)

  ➔ Close is a plain present tense action here, describing a habitual or immediate action in the moment.

• I'm alive

  ➔ Copular be + adjective (state of being)

  ➔ The be verb links the subject to a state descriptor (alive).