'Til You Can't – English Lyrics

• By: Cody Johnson

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language is about more than just words; it's about understanding culture and the universal truths that connect us. Cody Johnson's "'Til You Can't" offers a perfect opportunity to dive into the heart of modern country storytelling. The song's clear, direct language and its powerful, relatable message about making the most of every moment provide an inspiring and memorable way to learn everyday American English expressions and heartfelt sentiments. What makes this song special is its universal appeal and the genuine emotion behind it, making your language journey both meaningful and motivating.

[English]

You can tell your old man

You'll do some large-mouth fishing another time

You just got too much on your plate

To bait and cast a line

You can always put a rain check in his hand

'Til you can't

...

You can keep putting off forever

With that girl whose heart you hold

Swearing that you'll ask someday, further down the road

You can always put a diamond on her hand

'Til you can't

...

If you got a chance, take it

Take it while you got a chance

If you got a dream chase it

'Cause a dream won't chase you back

If you're gonna love somebody

Hold 'em as long and as strong and as close as you can

'Til you can't

...

There's a box of greasy parts sitting in the trunk of that '65

Still waitin' on you and your grandad to bring it back to life

You can always get around to fixing up that Pontiac

'Til you can't

If you got a chance, take it

Take it while you got a chance

If you got a dream chase it

'Cause your dream won't chase you back

If you're gonna love somebody

Hold on as long and as strong and as close as you can

'Til you can't

...

So take that phone call from your mama

And just talk away

'Cause you never know how bad you wanna

'Til you can't someday

Don't wait on tomorrow, 'cause tomorrow may not show

Say your sorry's, your I love you's

'Cause man, you never know

If you got a chance, take it

Take it while you got a chance

If you got a dream chase it

'Cause a dream won't chase you back

If you're gonna love somebody

Hold 'em as long and as strong and as close as you can

'Til you can't

Yeah, if you got a chance, take it

Take it while you got a chance

If you got a dream chase it

'Cause a dream won't chase you back

If you're gonna love somebody

Hold 'em as long and as strong and as close as you can

Until you can't

'Til you can't

Yeah, take it

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
tell /tel/ A1	verb - to communicate information
fish /fɪʃ/ A1	verb - to try to catch fish noun - a cold-blooded aquatic animal
plate /pleɪt/ A1	noun - a dish
bait /beɪt/ B2	noun - food used to attract fish verb - to provoke or harass
cast /kæst/ B1	verb - to throw something
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - organ pumping blood
hold /hoʊld/ A1	verb - to grasp or support
diamond /ˈdaɪəmənd/ B1	noun - a precious stone
chance /tʃæns/ A2	noun - opportunity
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep verb - to experience a dream
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to have a strong affection for someone noun - intense feeling of affection
strong /strɔːŋ/ A2	adjective - having great power or force
trunk /trʌŋk/ B1	noun - compartment of car
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter
fix /fɪks/ A2	verb - to repair
call /kɔːl/ A1	verb - to telephone someone noun - an act of telephoning
talk /tɔːk/ A1	verb - to speak noun - a conversation
tomorrow /təˈmɒroʊ/ A1	noun - the day after today

Key Grammar Structures

• You can tell your old man you'll do some large-mouth fishing another time

  ➔ modal verb + base verb (can tell)

  ➔ Use of **can** to express ability or possibility in present tense.

• If you got a chance, take it

  ➔ conditional clause + imperative (if + present tense, take it)

  ➔ Using a **conditional clause** to express an action that depends on a certain condition, followed by a **imperative** to suggest action.

• Chase it

  ➔ imperative verb (chase) + object (it)

  ➔ The use of the **imperative** mood to give a direct command or encouragement to perform an action.

• Hold 'em as long and as strong and as close as you can

  ➔ comparative and superlative structures (as long as, as strong as, as close as)

  ➔ Using **comparative** and **superlative** structures to emphasize the extent or degree of holding something.

• Say your sorry's, your I love you's

  ➔ possessive pronouns + noun (your sorry's, your I love you's)

  ➔ Use of **possessive pronouns** followed by **noun forms** to refer to multiple instances of apologies or love expressions.

• Until you can't

  ➔ temporal phrase with **until** + negative contraction (**can't**)

  ➔ Use of **until** to specify the end point of an action in time, combined with **negative contraction** for emphasis on the limit.