Wavin' Flag – English Lyrics

• By: Young Artists For Haiti

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic journey with "Wavin' Flag" by Young Artists For Haiti! This song is a powerful example of how music can convey deep emotion and a crucial message. By engaging with its lyrics, you can learn vocabulary related to social issues, hope, and collective action, while also appreciating the nuances of Canadian English delivered by a diverse array of artists. Its clear narrative and heartfelt delivery make it an excellent resource for understanding spoken English in a meaningful context. What makes it special is its origin as a collaborative humanitarian effort, transforming a popular song into an anthem of global solidarity and resilience.

[English]

When I get older

I will be stronger

They'll call me freedom

Just like a wavin' flag

Born from a throne

Older than Rome

But violent prone

Poor people zone

But it's my home

All I have known

Where I got grown

But now it's gone

Out of the darkness

In came the carnage

Threatening my very survival

Fractured my streets

And broke all my dreams

Now feels like defeat to wretched retreat

So we strugglin'

Fighting to eat

And we wonderin'

If we'll be free

We cannot wait for some faithful day

It's too far away so right now I'll 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

Whoa-oh-oh

So many wars settling scores

All that we've been through

And now there is more

I hear them say love is the way

Love is the answer that's what they say

But we're not just dreamers

Of broken down grievers

Our hand will reach us

And we will not see ya

This can't control us

No, it can't hold us down

We gon' pick it up even though we still struggling

Au nom de la survie

And we wondering

Battant pour nos vies

We patiently wait

For some other day

That's too far away so right now I 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

Whoa-oh-oh

When I get older

I will be stronger

They'll call me freedom

Just like a wavin' flag

And then it goes back (uh)

And then it goes back (well, alright)

And then it goes back

Whoa-oh-oh

How come when the media stops covering

And there's a little help from the government

We forget about the people still struggling

And assume that it's really all love again, nah

See we don't have to wait for things to break apart

If you weren't involved before it's never too late to start

You probably think that it's too far to even have to care

Well, take a look at where you live, what if it happened there?

You have to know the urge to make a change lies within

And we can be the reason that they see the flag rise again

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

Then it goes back

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

Whoa-oh-oh

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

Whoa-oh-oh

When I get older

When I get older

I will be stronger

Just like a wavin' flag

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
older /ˈoʊldər/ A2	adjective - having lived for a long time; not young
stronger /ˈstrɔːŋɡər/ B1	adjective - having power or strength
freedom /ˈfriːdəm/ B2	noun - the state of being free
wavin' /ˈweɪvɪn/ B2	verb - to move one's hand or arm in greeting or as a signal
carnage /ˈkɑːrnɪdʒ/ C1	noun - the killing of a large number of people
survival /sərˈvaɪvəl/ B2	noun - the state of continuing to live or exist
struggling /ˈstrʌɡlɪŋ/ B1	verb - to make a great effort to do something
dreams /driːmz/ A2	noun - thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep
wars /wɔːrz/ A2	noun - conflicts between different countries or groups
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A2	verb - to make or become different
hope /hoʊp/ A2	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen
darkness /ˈdɑːrk.nəs/ B1	noun - the absence of light
defeat /dɪˈfiːt/ B2	noun - the act of losing a battle or contest
hopeful /ˈhoʊpfəl/ B2	adjective - feeling or inspiring optimism about a future event

Key Grammar Structures

• When I get older, I will be stronger

  ➔ First Conditional (Type 1)

  ➔ Expresses a real and possible condition. "When" introduces the condition, and "will be" indicates the likely result in the future. It talks about possible events in the future.

• Just like a wavin' flag

  ➔ Simile

  ➔ Uses "like" or "as" to compare two unlike things. Here, freedom is being compared to a "wavin' flag" to evoke a sense of hope, identity and resilience.

• All that we've been through

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous Tense

  ➔ "We've been through" indicates an action that started in the past and continues to the present, emphasizing the duration and ongoing nature of the experience.

• I hear them say love is the way

  ➔ Indirect Speech (Reported Speech)

  ➔ Reports what someone else said. "I hear them say" introduces the reported statement, "love is the way". The tense doesn't change because it is a general truth.

• If you weren't involved before it's never too late to start

  ➔ Mixed Conditional

  ➔ Combines a past condition with a present result. "If you weren't involved before" (past unreal condition) "it's never too late to start" (present result).