Turn Me On – English Lyrics

• By: Norah Jones
• Album: Come Away With Me

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Norah Jones's captivating "Turn Me On" – a song that wraps profound longing and tender emotion in a soothing, jazz-infused melody. Its clear, evocative lyrics and Norah's silky vocals make it an excellent choice for English language learners, offering a gentle yet deeply felt exploration of universal themes of love, absence, and renewed hope. Experience how simple, heartfelt words can convey complex feelings, enhancing your understanding and appreciation of English through song.

[English]

Like a flower, waiting to bloom

Like a lightbulb in a dark room

I'm just sittin' here

Waiting for you

To come on home

And turn me on

...

Like the desert

Waiting for the rain

Like a school kid

Waiting for the spring

I'm just sittin' here

Waiting for you

To come on home

And turn me on

...

My poor heart

It's been so dark

Since you've been gone

...

After all you're the one who turns me off

But you're the only one who can turn me back on

My hi-fi is waiting for a new tube

The glass is waiting for some fresh ice-cubes

I'm just sittin' here

Waiting for you

To come on home

And turn me on

Turn me on

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
flower /ˈflaʊər/ A2	noun - a plant that produces colorful petals and a sweet smell
lightbulb /ˈlaɪtˌbʌlb/ B1	noun - an electric light device with a glass enclosure and a filament
rain /reɪn/ A1	noun - water falling in drops from the clouds
spring /sprɪŋ/ A2	noun - the season between winter and summer
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood through the body
dark /dɑːrk/ A2	adjective - having little or no light
turn /tɜːrn/ A2	verb - to cause to change direction or position
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where someone lives
waiting /ˈweɪ.tɪŋ/ A2	verb - the act of staying in one place until an event happens
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where someone lives
off /ɔːf/ A2	adjective - not functioning or active
back /bæk/ B1	adjective - toward the rear or reverse side
cubes /kjuːbz/ B2	noun - solid objects with flat square faces, typically used in ice or games

Key Grammar Structures

• Like a flower, waiting to bloom

  ➔ Present participle as adjective (descriptive adjective)

  ➔ "waiting" is a present participle acting as an adjective, describing the flower. It means the flower is in the *process* of waiting. The entire phrase uses simile to describe the speaker's feeling.

• Like a lightbulb in a dark room

  ➔ Prepositional phrase as adverbial of place

  ➔ "in a dark room" specifies the location of the lightbulb and serves as an adverbial of place, modifying the understood verb 'is'. Simile is still a main driver.

• I'm just sittin' here

  ➔ Present continuous tense (action happening now)

  ➔ "I'm sittin'" (sitting) is the present continuous, indicating that the action of sitting is ongoing at the moment of speaking. "just" is an adverbial of degree modifying the verb.

• Waiting for you to come on home

  ➔ Gerund phrase as object of a preposition / Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "Waiting for you to come on home" is a gerund phrase acting as the object of the preposition 'for'. Alternatively, "to come on home" can be understood as an infinitive of purpose, explaining *why* the speaker is waiting. The grammar is complex as the 'you' is implied subject of 'to come'.

• My poor heart, It's been so dark

  ➔ Present perfect continuous tense (past action with present result)

  ➔ "It's been so dark" is the present perfect continuous tense, indicating that the darkness started in the past and continues up to the present moment. The present result is the heart is still suffering. "So" is an adverb of degree modifying the adjective "dark".

• Since you've been gone

  ➔ Present perfect tense (state resulting from a past action)

  ➔ "Since you've been gone" uses the present perfect tense to describe the state of *being gone* which started in the past and continues to be true now. "Since" functions as a subordinator introducing a dependent clause.

• After all you're the one who turns me off

  ➔ Relative clause (identifying a specific noun)

  ➔ "who turns me off" is a relative clause that identifies the specific *one* being referred to. "who" is the relative pronoun.

• But you're the only one who can turn me back on

  ➔ Modal verb of ability (can)

  ➔ "can turn me back on" uses the modal verb "can" to express the ability or possibility of the person turning the speaker back on.