What Was I Made For? – English Lyrics

• By: Billie Eilish
• Album: Barbie (Soundtrack)

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the introspective beauty of Billie Eilish's "What Was I Made For?", a song that delves into the complexities of self-discovery and the search for purpose. Explore the language of vulnerability and resilience as Eilish's haunting vocals guide you through a journey of emotional exploration and quiet determination, offering a unique opportunity to connect with universal themes of identity and meaning.

[English]

♪♪♪

[VOCALIZING]

♪ I USED TO FLOAT ♪

♪ NOW I JUST FALL DOWN ♪

♪ I USED TO KNOW ♪

♪ BUT I’M NOT SURE NOW ♪

♪ WHAT I WAS MADE FOR ♪

♪ WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? ♪

♪ TAKING A DRIVE ♪

♪ I WAS AN IDEAL ♪

♪ LOOKED SO ALIVE ♪

♪ TURNS OUT I’M NOT REAL ♪

♪ JUST SOMETHING YOU PAID FOR ♪

♪ WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? ♪

♪ ‘CAUSE I, I ♪

♪ I DON’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL ♪

♪ BUT I WANNA TRY ♪

♪ I DON’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL ♪

♪ BUT SOMEDAY I MIGHT ♪

♪ SOMEDAY I MIGHT ♪

[VOCALIZING]

♪ WHEN DID IT END? ♪

♪ ALL THE ENJOYMENT ♪

♪ I’M SAD AGAIN ♪

♪ DON’T TELL MY BOYFRIEND ♪

♪ IT’S NOT WHAT HE’S MADE FOR ♪

♪ WHAT WAS I MADE FOR? ♪

♪ ‘CAUSE I, ‘CAUSE I ♪

♪ I DON’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL ♪

♪ BUT I WANNA TRY ♪

♪ I DON’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL ♪

♪ BUT SOMEDAY I MIGHT ♪

♪ SOMEDAY I MIGHT ♪

♪ THINK I FORGOT ♪

♪ HOW TO BE HAPPY ♪

♪ SOMETHING I’M NOT ♪

♪ BUT SOMETHING I CAN BE ♪

♪ SOMETHING I WAIT FOR ♪

♪ SOMETHING I’M MADE FOR ♪

♪ SOMETHING I’M MADE FOR ♪

[MUSIC FADES]

[FOOTSTEPS]

[FOOTSTEPS]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
float /floʊt/ B1	verb - to rest or move on or near the surface of a liquid without sinking
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to drop down from a higher level to a lower level noun - the act or an instance of falling
sure /ʃʊər/ A2	adjective - confident in what one thinks or knows; having no doubt that something is true or correct
made /meɪd/ A2	verb - past tense of make; to create or construct
drive /draɪv/ A2	noun - a journey in a vehicle verb - to operate a vehicle
ideal /aɪˈdiːəl/ B2	noun - a standard of perfection or excellence adjective - perfect; most suitable
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living; not dead
real /riːəl/ A2	adjective - actually existing or occurring; not imagined or false
paid /peɪd/ A1	verb - past tense of pay; give (someone) money for work done, goods received, or a debt incurred
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
try /traɪ/ A1	verb - to make an effort; to attempt
end /end/ A1	verb - to come to a finish noun - the final part of something
enjoyment /ɪnˈdʒɔɪmənt/ B2	noun - the state or feeling of enjoying something
sad /sæd/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy
boyfriend /ˈbɔɪfrend/ A1	noun - a male friend or acquaintance, often specifying a regular male companion with whom one has a romantic or sexual relationship
forgot /fərˈɡɒt/ A1	verb - past tense of forget; fail to remember
happy /ˈhæpi/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing pleasure or contentment
wait /weɪt/ A1	verb - stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or event noun - a period of waiting

Key Grammar Structures

• I USED TO FLOAT

  ➔ Used to + infinitive

  ➔ Expresses a past habit or state that is no longer true. Here, "used to float" means the speaker floated in the past, but doesn't anymore.

• BUT I’M NOT SURE NOW

  ➔ Present Simple negative with adverbs of time (now)

  ➔ Expresses a current state of uncertainty. "I'm not sure" indicates doubt in the present. "Now" emphasizes the current time.

• WHAT I WAS MADE FOR?

  ➔ Passive voice in the past simple tense in a question

  ➔ The passive voice is used to emphasize the object of the action (I) rather than the subject (who made me). It's in past simple to inquire about the purpose of creation in the past. "What was I made for?" means what purpose did someone have in creating me?

• TURNS OUT I’M NOT REAL

  ➔ Present Simple with "turns out" + statement

  ➔ "Turns out" introduces a surprising or unexpected realization. "I'm not real" is a statement about the speaker's current state, delivered as a recent finding.

• I DON’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL

  ➔ Indirect question / Embedded question using "how to" + infinitive

  ➔ "How to feel" acts as the object of the verb "know". The phrase implies a lack of understanding or ability to experience emotions. it expresses not a lack of knowledge (like knowing the definition of a word), but a lack of skill.

• BUT SOMEDAY I MIGHT

  ➔ Modal verb "might" indicating possibility (with ellipsis)

  ➔ "Might" indicates a possibility. The ellipsis implies the missing part: "someday I might know how to feel".

• IT’S NOT WHAT HE’S MADE FOR

  ➔ Relative clause with "what"

  ➔ "What he's made for" acts as a noun phrase, representing the purpose or intended function. In this case, it means the speaker's boyfriend shouldn't be burdened with her sadness.

• THINK I FORGOT HOW TO BE HAPPY

  ➔ Verb "think" + Object Clause with "how to + infinitive"

  ➔ Expresses a belief or opinion about a forgotten skill or ability. The speaker is contemplating whether they've lost the skill of being happy. Here we have an object clause for the verb think which is "I forgot how to be happy."