WHO I WAS – English Lyrics

• By: NF, mgk
• Album: FEAR EP

Lyrics & Translation

Through the raw and honest lyrics of "WHO I WAS," you can explore the language of vulnerability and self-reflection. This song offers a unique opportunity to learn expressions related to personal struggles, growth, and the complexities of looking back at one's past. The powerful storytelling from both NF and MGK makes this a compelling song for language learners who want to connect with music on a deeper emotional level.

[English]

Ash and dust

Everythin' I care about enough

Burnin' up (yeah)

Nothin' left of who I thought I was (alright, turn my, uh, vocals up)

(And then just let it run) I was

Uh, stuck in traffic, tryna find my way to a home that I've never known

On a GPS with no address

So, I'll follow my heart, but my heart is scattered

Like my father's ashes in the back of the rental after I dropped his urn

Probably a metaphor for everythin' I've learned

Like how the only love I'll have is gonna crash and burn

Or how the poorest I've felt was after the most I've earned

The biggest lie told is that no one should be concerned

There's gotta be another highway that don't lead to Hell

A star to lead me through the darkest night like Christian Bale

I hid from God for more than two decades of life

And when I came back to the light, He didn't ask me if I'm Christian still

Just opened up His arms and embraced me like I'm His Son

Erasin' all the archetypes of what people like me become

Since I was young, my personality split like serpent's tongue

But all the poison in my body still ain't make me numb

I lost a best friend and felt all that

Cryin' on his open casket while I knelt on that

I had a best man picked out for my weddin'

But instead of gettin' married, I carried guilt and left all that

A vagabond that broke a bond for Boca Raton

Who all along regretted he never kept all that

I left everythin' behind but this engagement ring and a frozen heart

I'm standin' in the fire to melt all that, yeah

Ash and dust

Everythin' I care about enough (burn)

Burnin' up

Nothin' left of who I thought I was

I was

...

I, I, I was (yeah, burn)

Lash out

Need to take a breath and calm down

Try to regulate, don't know how

Wasn't taught that in my house

Kids of my own, I step back

Look at those smiles and feel sad

Hope they don't wind up like dad

Stuck in this loop like I am

I've called you, never heard back

After everythin' we've been through, the good and the bad

You're 'bout to throw it all away and overreact

Because I overreacted, karma I guess

My temper gets the best of me

A part of me that I wish I knew how to get rid of

It's the issue I have, my MO

Say I need you and I love you to death

Then turn around and go and treat you like you nothin' but trash, I know

I know I messed that part up, but

I know, I know, I know, I know, I know

Yeah, I know

Sometimes, I lash out

Need to take a breath and calm down

Try to regulate, don't know how

Wasn't taught that in my house

Kids of my own, I step back

Look at those smiles and feel sad

Hope they don't wind up like dad

Stuck in this loop like I am, I -

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ash /æʃ/ A2	noun - the powdery residue left after something is burned
dust /dʌst/ A2	noun - tiny, dry particles of matter that float in the air
burn /bɜːn/ B1	verb - to be on fire; to cause something to be on fire
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood; the centre of emotion
lie /laɪ/ A2	noun - a false statement made intentionally
highway /ˈhaɪweɪ/ B2	noun - a main road, especially one that connects cities
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - the heat and light produced by combustion
guilt /ɡɪlt/ B2	noun - a feeling of having done something wrong
regret /rɪˈɡrɛt/ B2	verb - to feel sorry about something that has happened or been done
poison /ˈpɔɪzən/ C1	noun - a substance that can cause illness or death when introduced into a living organism
lost /lɒst/ B1	verb - to fail to keep possession of; to misplace
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a deep affection or strong feeling of attachment
calm /kɑːm/ B1	verb - to make or become tranquil; to soothe
breath /brɛθ/ A1	noun - the air taken into or expelled from the lungs
vagabond /ˈvæɡəbɒnd/ C2	noun - a person who wanders from place to place without a settled home or regular job
loop /luːp/ B2	noun - a shape produced by a curve that bends around and crosses itself
cry /kraɪ/ A2	verb - to shed tears, typically as an expression of emotion

Key Grammar Structures

• Nothin' left of who I thought I was

  ➔ Contraction (shortened form of 'nothing')

  ➔ The word 'Nothin'' is a contraction of 'nothing,' commonly used in informal or poetic contexts.

• So, I'll follow my heart, but my heart is scattered

  ➔ Future tense with 'will' (shortened to 'I'll')

  ➔ 'I'll' is a contraction of 'I will,' indicating a future action.

• Like how the only love I'll have is gonna crash and burn

  ➔ Going to (future) + verb

  ➔ 'Gonna' is a colloquial form of 'going to,' used to express future plans or predictions.

• I hid from God for more than two decades of life

  ➔ Past tense with 'for' + duration

  ➔ The phrase 'for more than two decades' indicates the duration of the past action.

• Erasin' all the archetypes of what people like me become

  ➔ Gerund (verb + -ing) as a noun

  ➔ 'Erasin'' is a gerund, functioning as a noun to describe the action of erasing.

• Since I was young, my personality split like serpent's tongue

  ➔ Possessive apostrophe ('serpent's')

  ➔ The apostrophe in 'serpent's' indicates possession, showing that the tongue belongs to the serpent.

• I lost a best friend and felt all that

  ➔ Past tense with 'lost' + object

  ➔ The verb 'lost' is in the past tense, indicating a completed action in the past.

• Hope they don't wind up like dad

  ➔ Negative contraction ('don't') + phrasal verb ('wind up')

  ➔ 'Don't' is a contraction of 'do not,' and 'wind up' is a phrasal verb meaning to end up in a certain state.