Wavin' Flag – English Lyrics

• By: K'NAAN

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the powerful message of freedom and hope in K'Naan's "Wavin' Flag." Originally written about the struggles in Somalia, this song's uplifting chorus and themes of resilience offer valuable vocabulary and cultural insights, making it an inspiring choice for English language learners.

[English]

When I get older I will be stronger

They'll call me freedom just like a wavin' flag

When I get older I will be stronger

They'll call me freedom just like a wavin' flag

And then it goes back, and then it goes back

And then it goes back, oh

Born to a throne, stronger than Rome

But violent prone, poor people zone

But it's my home, all I have known

Where I got grown, streets we would roam

Out of the darkness, I came the farthest

Among the hardest survival

Learn from these streets, it can be bleak

Accept no defeat, surrender, retreat

So we struggling, fighting to eat

And we wondering when we'll be free

So we patiently wait for that fateful day

It's not far away, but for now we say

When I get older I will be stronger

They'll call me freedom just like a wavin' flag

And then it goes back, and then it goes back

And then it goes back, oh

So many wars, settling scores

Bringing us promises, leaving us poor

I heard them say, "Love is the way"

"Love is the answer," that's what they say

But look how they treat us, make us believers

We fight their battles, then they deceive us

Try to control us, they couldn't hold us

'Cause we just move forward like Buffalo Soldiers

But we struggling, fighting to eat

...

And we wondering, when we'll be free

So we patiently wait for that faithful day

It's not far away but for now we say

When I get older I will be stronger

They'll call me freedom just like a wavin' flag

And then it goes back, and then it goes back

And then it goes back, and then it goes

When I get older I will be stronger

They'll call me freedom just like a wavin' flag

And then it goes back, and then it goes back

And then it goes back, and then it goes

And then it goes

And everybody will be singing it

...

And you and I will be singing it

And we all will be singing it

When I get older, I will be stronger

They'll call me freedom just like a wavin' flag

And then it goes back, and then it goes back

And then it goes back, and then it goes

When I get older, I will be stronger

They'll call me freedom just like a wavin' flag

And then it goes back, and then it goes back

And then it goes back, oh

When I get older, when I get older

I will be stronger just like a wavin' flag

Just like a wavin' flag, just like a wavin' flag

Flag, flag, just like a wavin' flag

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
strong /strɔŋ/ B1	adjective - having great physical power and strength
freedom /ˈfriːdəm/ B2	noun - the state of being free
struggle /ˈstrʌɡl/ B2	verb - to make a great effort to do something noun - a forceful or violent effort to get free of restraint
darkness /ˈdɑːrk.nəs/ B2	noun - the absence of light
battle /ˈbæt.əl/ B2	noun - a fight between armed forces verb - to fight or struggle against someone or something
wait /weɪt/ A2	verb - to stay in one place until something happens
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
poor /pʊr/ A2	adjective - having little money
wonder /ˈwʌn.dər/ B1	verb - to think about something with curiosity
fight /faɪt/ A2	verb - to use physical force to harm someone
day /deɪ/ A1	noun - a period of 24 hours
flag /flæɡ/ A1	noun - a piece of cloth with a special design
promise /ˈprɒm.ɪs/ B1	noun - a declaration that something will or will not be done verb - to assure someone that something will happen

Key Grammar Structures

• When I get older I will be stronger

  ➔ Second conditional tense with 'will' to express future intent based on a condition

  ➔ 'Will' is used to indicate a future action or intention

• And then it goes back

  ➔ Simple present tense used for habitual or repeated actions

  ➔ The phrase indicates a habitual or recurring action

• Born to a throne, stronger than Rome

  ➔ Passive voice used with 'born to' to express innate origin or destiny

  ➔ 'Born to' expresses innate qualities or destiny

• They'll call me freedom

  ➔ Future simple tense with 'will' indicating a future act of naming or calling

  ➔ 'Will' shows a prediction or promise about a future action

• And everybody will be singing it

  ➔ Simple future tense with 'will' for an ongoing or collective action

  ➔ 'Will' expressing a future, collective, or ongoing action performed by many people

• Just like a wavin' flag

  ➔ Simile comparing something to a waving flag, using 'like' as a comparison tool

  ➔ 'Like' introduces a comparison between two different things

• They'll call me freedom just like a wavin' flag

  ➔ Future simple tense with 'will' implying a future naming or labeling

  ➔ 'Will' indicates a prediction or expectation for future labeling or identification