The Harder They Come – English Lyrics

• By: Jimmy Cliff
• Album: The Harder They Come

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in a new culture, and Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come" is a perfect gateway to the vibrant world of Jamaican Patois and reggae. This song is special not only for its infectious rhythm but also for its powerful story of struggle and defiance that helped introduce reggae to the world. By listening to this classic, you can pick up on the unique cadence and vocabulary of Jamaican English, all while being moved by a timeless message of perseverance.

[English]

Well, they tell me of a pie up in the sky

Waiting for me when I die

But between the day you're born and when you die

They never seem to hear even your cry

So as sure as the sun will shine

I'm gonna get my share now, what's mine

And then the harder they come

The harder they fall, one and all

Ooh, the harder they come

The harder they fall, one and all

Well, the oppressors are trying to keep me down

Trying to drive me underground

And they think that they have got the battle won

I say forgive them Lord, they know not what they've done

'Cause, as sure as the sun will shine

I'm gonna get my share now, what's mine

And then the harder they come

The harder they fall, one and all

Ooh, the harder they come

Harder they fall, one and all

...

And I keep on fighting for the things I want

Though I know that when you're dead you can't

But I'd rather be a free man in my grave

Than living as a puppet or a slave

So as sure as the sun will shine

I'm gonna get my share now, what's mine

And then the harder they come

The harder they fall, one and all

Ooh, the harder they come

Harder they fall, one and all

Hey, the harder they come

The harder they fall, one and all

...

Hey, the harder they come

The harder they fall, one and all

Hey, the harder they come

The harder they fall, one and all

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
tell /tel/ A1	verb - to communicate information to someone
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth.
die /daɪ/ A1	verb - to stop living
born /bɔːrn/ A1	verb - brought into life
hear /hɪər/ A1	verb - to perceive with the ear
cry /kraɪ/ A2	verb - to shed tears noun - a loud utterance
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that provides light and heat to the earth
shine /ʃaɪn/ A2	verb - to emit light
come /kʌm/ A1	verb - to move toward someone or something
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to drop to the ground
oppressors /əˈpresər/ B2	noun - a person or group that uses power unjustly
drive /draɪv/ A2	verb - to force into a specified state or situation
underground /ˈʌndərɡraʊnd/ B1	noun - a secret or subversive organization or movement adjective - secret; subversive
battle /ˈbætl/ B1	noun - a sustained fight between opposing forces
forgive /fərˈɡɪv/ B2	verb - to stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for an offense
fighting /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/ B1	verb - taking part in a violent struggle
dead /ded/ A2	adjective - no longer alive
free /friː/ A1	adjective - not under the control or power of someone else; able to do or say what you want
grave /ɡreɪv/ B1	noun - a hole dug in the ground to receive a coffin or body
living /ˈlɪvɪŋ/ A2	adjective - alive
puppet /ˈpʌpɪt/ B1	noun - a doll with movable limbs
slave /sleɪv/ A2	noun - a person who is owned by someone else

Key Grammar Structures

• Well, they tell me of a pie up in the sky

  ➔ Indirect Speech / Reported Speech

  ➔ The original statement could have been something like 'There's a pie up in the sky'. The structure 'they tell me of...' reports what someone else said.

• Waiting for me when I die

  ➔ Present Participle as Adjective / Reduced Relative Clause

  ➔ "Waiting" modifies "pie". It's a shortened form of "that is waiting".

• Between the day you're born and when you die

  ➔ Time Clause (using "when")

  ➔ "When you die" introduces a time clause modifying the main clause's timeframe, showing that something happens during a specified period.

• They never seem to hear even your cry

  ➔ "Seem" + Infinitive

  ➔ "Seem" is followed by the infinitive "to hear". This structure expresses an appearance or impression. The use of "even" emphasizes the lack of attention.

• So as sure as the sun will shine

  ➔ Conditional Sentence Type 1 (Implied)

  ➔ The phrase implies a condition: 'If the sun shines (which it will, as it is a certainty), then...'. This is a way to express certainty about the consequent.

• I'm gonna get my share now, what's mine

  ➔ "Gonna" (Going to) - Informal Future / Possessive Pronoun

  ➔ "Gonna" is an informal contraction of "going to", used for future intentions. "What's mine" is a possessive pronoun, referring to 'what belongs to me'.

• And then the harder they come, The harder they fall, one and all

  ➔ The...the Construction (Parallel Increase/Decrease)

  ➔ This structure expresses that as one thing increases (how hard someone comes), another thing also increases (how hard they fall). It shows a proportional relationship.

• I'd rather be a free man in my grave

  ➔ "Would rather" + Infinitive without "to"

  ➔ "Would rather" expresses preference. It's followed by the base form of the verb without 'to' (be).