Used To Be Young – English Lyrics

• By: Miley Cyrus
• Album: Endless Summer Vacation

Lyrics & Translation

"Used To Be Young" is a poignant ballad from Miley Cyrus that offers a deeply personal look at her journey of growing up and evolving. Through its honest lyrics, the song explores themes of personal transformation, self-forgiveness, and embracing change, making it an excellent piece to learn English vocabulary related to reflection, emotional maturity, and life's transitions. Listening to the song can help users understand how to express complex feelings about personal growth and acceptance.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
truth /truːθ/ B1	noun - the quality or state of being true
bulletproof /ˈbʊlɪt.pruːf/ B2	adjective - impossible to be affected by criticism or attack
fooling /ˈfuː.lɪŋ/ B1	verb - to trick or deceive
separate /ˈsep(ə)rət/ B1	adjective - forming or viewed as a unit apart or by itself verb - to cause to move or be apart
fast /fɑːst/ A2	adjective - moving or capable of moving at high speed
past /pɑːst/ A2	noun - the time before the present
chasing /ˈtʃeɪsɪŋ/ B1	verb - pursuing someone or something
open /ˈəʊpən/ A1	adjective - not closed or sealed
broken /ˈbrəʊkən/ A2	adjective - having been fractured or damaged
hearts /hɑːrts/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ B1	adjective - mentally deranged
fun /fʌn/ A1	noun - enjoyment or amusement
wild /waɪld/ B1	adjective - living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated.
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for only a short time
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
changed /tʃeɪndʒd/ A1	verb - make or become different
run /rʌn/ A1	noun - an act or period of running
crying /ˈkraɪɪŋ/ A1	verb - to shed tears
regrets /rɪˈɡrets/ B2	noun - a feeling of sadness or disappointment about something that one has done or failed to do
crowded /ˈkraʊdɪd/ B1	adjective - full of people
messed /mɛst/ B1	verb - to make a mistake or do something wrong
wasted /ˈweɪstɪd/ B2	adjective - used or expended carelessly or for no purpose

Key Grammar Structures

• The truth is bulletproof

  ➔ Present Simple (Stating a fact)

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense to state a general truth or a fact. The subject is "truth," the verb is "is," and the adjective "bulletproof" describes the subject.

• Me and who you say I was yesterday have gone our separate ways

  ➔ Past Simple, Present Simple, Present Perfect (compound sentence)

  ➔ This is a complex sentence. "Who you say I was yesterday" uses the past simple "was" within a relative clause referring to a past identity. "Have gone" uses the present perfect indicating a completed action with relevance to the present.

• Cause that's for chasing cars

  ➔ Present Simple (Reason/Explanation)

  ➔ Uses the present simple to explain the reason something is or was a certain way. "That" refers to previous behavior, and "is" links it to "chasing cars" as a representation of youthful recklessness.

• Turns out open bars lead to broken hearts

  ➔ Present Simple (General Truth/Cause and Effect)

  ➔ This uses the present simple to state a general truth or cause-and-effect relationship. Open bars (cause) lead to broken hearts (effect).

• I know I used to be crazy

  ➔ Past Habit ('used to')

  ➔ "Used to" + infinitive indicates a past habit or state that is no longer true.

• You tell me time has done changed me

  ➔ Present Perfect (Informal Usage)

  ➔ This line uses a slightly non-standard grammatical structure. The intended meaning is, 'Time has changed me.' "Done" is added for emphasis or in informal speech. It still functions as the present perfect.

• It's not worth crying about

  ➔ 'Worth' + gerund

  ➔ The structure "worth + gerund (-ing form)" expresses that something does not justify the action. "Crying" is the gerund acting as a noun.

• Those wasted nights are not wasted

  ➔ Passive Voice, Negation

  ➔ "Wasted nights are not wasted." Although seemingly redundant, the first "wasted" is an adjective describing the nights, while the second "wasted" functions as a passive verb implying that the nights did indeed occur. The negation further emphasizes that the nights had value, despite being considered wasteful.