Watermelon Moonshine – English Lyrics

• By: Lainey Wilson
• Album: Whirlwind

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heart of country music with Lainey Wilson's "Watermelon Moonshine," a song that masterfully paints a picture of youthful romance and the unforgettable 'first times.' Through its vivid storytelling and relatable emotions, this track offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in authentic American English, especially colloquialisms related to love, nostalgia, and rural life. Its clear narrative and heartfelt delivery make it a special piece for language learners eager to understand cultural nuances and emotional depth in songwriting.

[English]

It was right after senior year

Just before the summer disappeared

We went a-ridin' them old farm ruts

Hangin' out on the gate of his truck

We threw a blanket 'neath the sunset

Bein' brave as 18 gets

We gave each other more than our hearts

With the help of a mason jar

Drinkin' watermelon moonshine

We cut the burn with a little lime

Parkin' back in them kudzu vines

I was his and every bit of that boy was mine

Too young to know what love was

But we were learnin' on a sweet buzz

There's never nothin' like the first time

And mine's always gonna taste like

Watermelon moonshine

I don't remember where we got it from

I just remember feelin' all grown up

Takin' pulls like it ain't no thing

Never told him it was my first drink

But I told him that he was the one

You're so sure when you're that young

You think you got it all figured out

And now I laugh when I think about

Drinkin' watermelon moonshine

We cut the burn with a little lime

Parkin' back in them kudzu vines

I was his and every bit of that boy was mine

Too young to know what love was

But we were learnin' on a sweet buzz

There's never nothin' like the first time

And mine's always gonna taste like

Watermelon moonshine

I thought that high would last forever

But that ain't what it does

Maybe we were drunk in love

Or maybe we were just...

...

Drinkin' watermelon moonshine

We cut the burn with a little lime

Parkin' back in them kudzu vines

I was his and every bit of that boy was mine

Too young to know what love was

But we were learnin' on a sweet buzz

There's never nothin' like the first time

And mine's always gonna taste like

Watermelon moonshine

Watermelon moonshine

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
summer /ˈsʌmər/ A1	noun - the warmest season of the year, between spring and autumn
farm /fɑːrm/ A1	noun - an area of land and its buildings used for growing crops and/or raising animals
truck /trʌk/ A1	noun - a large motor vehicle used for transporting goods
sunset /ˈsʌnset/ A2	noun - the time in the evening when the sun disappears or daylight fades
hearts /hɑːrts/ A1	noun - the organ in your chest that pumps blood around your body
moonshine /ˈmuːnʃaɪn/ B2	noun - illegally distilled liquor, especially corn whiskey
burn /bɜːrn/ A2	verb - to produce flames and heat noun - an injury caused by heat, radiation, or electricity
vines /vaɪnz/ A2	noun - a climbing plant
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a strong feeling of affection
sweet /swiːt/ A1	adjective - having a pleasant taste like that of sugar
taste /teɪst/ A1	noun - the sensation of flavor perceived in the mouth and throat on contact with a substance.
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for only a short time
grown /ɡroʊn/ A1	verb - past participle of grow; to have increased in size or number
high /haɪ/ A1	adjective - of great vertical extent noun - a state of euphoria caused by drugs or alcohol
drunk /drʌŋk/ B1	adjective - affected by alcohol to the extent of impaired physical and mental control

Key Grammar Structures

• Just before the summer disappeared

  ➔ Past Simple/Past Indefinite

  ➔ The verb "disappeared" is in the past simple tense, used to describe a completed action in the past.

• We went a-ridin' them old farm ruts

  ➔ "a-" prefix (Archaic/Informal)

  ➔ The prefix "a-" before "ridin'" is an archaic/dialectal form, equivalent to "riding". It adds a folksy, informal feel. Typically used with -ing verbs.

• Bein' brave as 18 gets

  ➔ Comparative as...as

  ➔ Uses the structure "as + adjective + as" to compare levels of bravery. "Bein' brave as 18 gets" means they were as brave as an 18-year-old can be.

• We gave each other more than our hearts

  ➔ Comparative (more than)

  ➔ The phrase "more than our hearts" implies they gave each other something beyond emotional commitment, possibly alluding to physical intimacy.

• Too young to know what love was

  ➔ "Too + adjective + to + infinitive"

  ➔ This construction expresses that they were not old enough to understand the concept of love. "Too young to know" means they lacked the maturity to comprehend what love truly meant.

• There's never nothin' like the first time

  ➔ Double Negative (Non-standard)

  ➔ The use of "never nothin'" is a double negative, which is considered non-standard English but common in certain dialects and informal speech. It emphasizes that the first time is unique and unforgettable.

• I don't remember where we got it from

  ➔ Indirect Question

  ➔ This sentence contains an indirect question: "where we got it from". Instead of asking directly "Where did we get it from?", it's embedded within a statement. Word order shifts from question (did we get) to statement (we got).

• Takin' pulls like it ain't no thing

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Informal)

  ➔ The phrase "like it ain't no thing" uses the subjunctive mood in an informal way. In standard English, it would be "like it weren't no thing" or "like it was nothing." The use of "ain't" further emphasizes the informal tone.

• Maybe we were drunk in love

  ➔ Past Continuous (to describe a state)

  ➔ While past continuous often describes actions in progress, here it describes a continuous state of being "drunk in love". It suggests a prolonged condition rather than a single event.