We're Going To Be Friends – English Lyrics

• By: The White Stripes
• Album: White Blood Cells

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heartwarming simplicity of The White Stripes' “We're Going to Be Friends,” a gentle folk-rock tune that paints a vivid picture of childhood innocence and the excitement of a new school year. Its clear and evocative lyrics, filled with everyday scenes like walking to school, chasing bugs, and learning the alphabet, make it an excellent song for language learners. The straightforward narrative and repetitive structure offer an accessible way to pick up English vocabulary related to school, nature, and emotions, while its nostalgic melody makes it a memorable and enjoyable listen.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fall /fɔːl/ A2	noun - the season after summer and before winter verb - to drop or descend
school /skuːl/ A1	noun - an institution for educating children
bell /bel/ A1	noun - a hollow metal object that makes a ringing sound when struck
shoes /ʃuːz/ A1	noun - footwear
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn noun - an act of traveling on foot
blues /bluːz/ B1	noun - feeling of sadness or depression
climb /klaɪm/ A2	verb - to go up or ascend
fence /fens/ A2	noun - a barrier enclosing an area
books /bʊks/ A1	noun - a written work published in printed form
pens /penz/ A1	noun - an instrument for writing or drawing with ink
park /pɑːrk/ A1	noun - a public garden or area of land used for recreation
tree /triː/ A1	noun - a woody perennial plant
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A2	noun - the solid surface of the earth
bugs /bʌɡz/ A2	noun - an insect
sound /saʊnd/ A2	noun - vibrations that travel through the air and can be heard adjective - in good condition; healthy

Key Grammar Structures

• I can tell that we are gonna be friends

  ➔ Future with "gonna"

  ➔ "Gonna" is a colloquial contraction of "going to", used to express the future tense. It's informal and indicates an intention or prediction.

• Safely walk to school without a sound

  ➔ Adverb of manner ("safely")

  ➔ The adverb "safely" modifies the verb "walk", describing *how* the action is performed. It indicates that the walking is done in a safe manner.

• There's dirt on our uniforms

  ➔ Contraction "There's" (There is)

  ➔ "There's" is a contraction of "there is". It is used to indicate the existence of something.

• From chasing all the ants and worms

  ➔ Gerund as Object of Preposition ("chasing")

  ➔ The word "chasing", formed by adding "-ing" to the verb "chase", functions as a noun, specifically a gerund. It serves as the object of the preposition "from".

• Teacher marks our height against the wall

  ➔ Transitive verb ("marks") with a direct object ("our height")

  ➔ The verb "marks" requires a direct object to complete its meaning. "Our height" is what the teacher is marking, therefore it is the direct object.

• And we don't notice any time pass

  ➔ Negative auxiliary verb "don't" + base verb "notice"

  ➔ "Don't" is the contracted form of "do not". It's used with the base form of the verb to create a negative statement in the present simple tense.

• Teacher thinks that I sound funny

  ➔ Noun clause with "that" as a complement

  ➔ The clause "that I sound funny" is a noun clause acting as the object of the verb "thinks". The word "that" introduces this clause, functioning as a complementizer.

• Tonight I'll dream while I'm in bed

  ➔ Future tense with contraction "I'll" and subordinate clause introduced by "while"

  ➔ "I'll" is a contraction of "I will", used for forming the future tense. The word "while" introduces a subordinate clause indicating when the action of dreaming will occur.