The House That Built Me

• By: Miranda Lambert

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household.
house /haʊs/ A1	noun - a building for human habitation.
hand /hænd/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist, including the fingers and thumb.
front /frʌnt/ A2	noun - the forward part or surface of something.
stairs /steərz/ A2	noun - a set of steps leading from one floor of a building to another.
bedroom /ˈbedruːm/ A2	noun - a room for sleeping in.
guitar /ɡɪˈtɑːr/ A2	noun - a stringed musical instrument with a fretted fingerboard, typically having six strings, played by plucking or strumming with the fingers or a plectrum.
dog /dɒɡ/ A1	noun - a domesticated carnivorous mammal that typically has a long snout, an acute sense of smell, and a barking, howling, or whining voice.
yard /jɑːrd/ A2	noun - a piece of ground, usually adjoining a house, and normally covered with grass and other plants.
place /pleɪs/ A1	noun - a particular position or point in space.
brokenness /ˈbroʊkənnəs/ C1	noun - The state of being broken, damaged, or fragmented; emotional or spiritual distress.
healing /ˈhiːlɪŋ/ B2	noun - the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again.
memory /ˈmeməri/ A2	noun - something remembered from the past; a recollection.
pictures /ˈpɪktʃərz/ A1	noun - a painting or drawing.
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep.

Grammar:

• I know they say you can't go home again

  ➔ Impersonal 'they' + Modal verb 'can't' + Infinitive

  ➔ The impersonal "they" refers to people in general. "Can't go home" uses the modal verb "can't" expressing impossibility related to the act of "going" home after a certain time or under certain circumstances.

• I just had to come back one last time

  ➔ Past Tense 'had to' + Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "Had to come back" indicates a necessity or obligation in the past. The infinitive "to come back" explains the reason or purpose of the action.

• But these hand prints on the front steps are mine

  ➔ Possessive pronoun 'mine'

  ➔ "Mine" is a possessive pronoun that stands in for "my hand prints". It indicates ownership.

• Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar

  ➔ Relative Clause with 'where' + Past Simple + 'learned to' (Infinitive of purpose)

  ➔ "Where I did my homework..." is a relative clause modifying the bedroom. "Learned to play" shows the purpose of learning, using the infinitive "to play".

• I thought if I could touch this place or feel it

  ➔ Second Conditional (Mixed)

  ➔ This implies an unreal condition in the present. "If I could touch..." presents the condition (unlikely or imaginary). The main clause (not explicitly stated in this snippet but implied) would express a hypothetical result in the present.

• This brokenness inside me might start healing

  ➔ Modal Verb 'might' + Infinitive (speculation)

  ➔ "Might start" expresses possibility or uncertainty about the healing process beginning. It's less strong than "will start" or "would start."

• Out here, it's like I'm someone else

  ➔ Simile ('like')

  ➔ The word "like" is used to create a simile, comparing the feeling of being "out here" to being a different person.

• If I could just come in, I swear I'll leave

  ➔ First Conditional (shortened) + Future Simple

  ➔ This is a shortened first conditional. The 'if' clause expresses a possible condition: "If I could just come in". The result clause uses the future simple tense ('I'll leave') to express a future action that depends on the condition being met.

• You leave home, you move on And you do the best you can

  ➔ General statements using present simple

  ➔ Using present simple tense 'leave', 'move on', 'do', express general facts or truths. They apply to any relevant person at any relevant time.