Wherever I Live – English Lyrics

• By: Alessia Cara
• Album: The Pains of Growing

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music can be an incredibly immersive experience, and Alessia Cara's "Wherever I Live" offers a wonderful opportunity for English learners. The song's clear and narrative lyrics about life on the road provide relatable vocabulary for travel and daily routines. What makes this song special for language learning is its introspective and emotional storytelling, allowing you to connect with the feelings of solitude and self-discovery, which are universal themes. By exploring the lyrics, you can learn conversational phrases and descriptive language in a modern pop context.

[English]

There's yelling in the hallway

I found refuge on a twin bed

Of this three-star hotel

I hear the laughter from the TV

Static, Rachel talks to Phoebe

About the cat that smells

And I know this place is haunted, oh

I swear I hear somebody knocking

But I can't really tell

And this outlet's busted

Phone died, and I can't charge it

What a life, man, what a life this is, mmm

Just me, myself, and nothing

But I taught me how to love it

Home is wherever I live

Ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah

I remember I owe mom a call

As I hang my stray hairs on the

Shower walls for decoration

I wonder what I'd hear if rooms could talk

And I wonder why I'm thinking that at all

I'm going crazy

And this toilet's rusted

Food came, but I don't trust it

What a life, man, what a life this is, yeah

Just me, myself and nothing

But I taught me how to love it

Home is wherever I live

Ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah

Hard to sleep sometimes

With no one by my side

I do my best to find the sense in it

The more the days go by

The more myself and I

Shake hands and realize the

Benefits of independence

And it's really something

To make homes of worn-out luggage

What a life, man, what a life this is, yeah

Just me, myself and nothing

But somehow I've learned to love it

Home is wherever I live

(Ah, ah, ah, ah) Home is wherever I live

(Ah, ah, ah, ah) Home is wherever I live

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household
live /lɪv/ B1	verb - to reside permanently in a particular place verb - to be alive; to exist
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to feel deep affection or strong attachment toward someone or something
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the existence of an individual human being or animal; the period between birth and death
refuge /ˈrɛfjʊdʒ/ B2	noun - a safe or sheltered place
hallway /ˈhɔːlweɪ/ B1	noun - a corridor or passage inside a building
haunted /ˈhɔːntɪd/ B2	adjective - frequently visited by ghosts; having a lingering, eerie presence
independence /ˌɪndɪˈpɛndəns/ B2	noun - the state of being self‑reliant or free from outside control
luggage /ˈlʌɡɪdʒ/ B1	noun - the bags, suitcases, and other containers used to carry personal belongings while traveling
rusted /rʌstɪd/ B2	adjective - covered with rust; corroded
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ B1	adjective - mentally unsound; wildly enthusiastic or eccentric
trust /trʌst/ B1	verb - to have confidence in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something
shake /ʃeɪk/ B1	verb - to move quickly back and forth or up and down
realize /ˈriːəlaɪz/ B2	verb - to become fully aware of something as a fact; to achieve something desired
benefits /ˈbɛnɪfɪts/ B1	noun - advantages or profits derived from something
find /faɪnd/ A1	verb - to discover or locate something
sense /sɛns/ B1	noun - a feeling that something is true or likely; a particular faculty of perception (sight, hearing, etc.)
yelling /ˈjɛlɪŋ/ B1	verb - to shout loudly, often in anger or excitement

Key Grammar Structures

• I swear I hear somebody knocking

  ➔ Present simple with 'swear' for emphasis

  ➔ The verb 'swear' here is used to emphasize the speaker's belief in hearing knocking, even if it's not clear.

• I taught me how to love it

  ➔ Reflexive pronoun 'me' as indirect object

  ➔ The reflexive pronoun 'me' is used here because the action of teaching is directed back to the subject herself.

• Home is wherever I live

  ➔ Present simple with 'be' for a general truth

  ➔ The present simple with 'be' is used to express a general truth or a timeless statement about the concept of home.

• I wonder what I'd hear if rooms could talk

  ➔ Second conditional with 'if' for hypothetical situations

  ➔ The second conditional is used to talk about hypothetical or unreal situations, such as rooms being able to talk.

• The more the days go by, the more myself and I shake hands

  ➔ Comparative correlative structure

  ➔ This structure compares two clauses, showing that as one thing increases, another increases proportionally.