Who's Lovin' You – English Lyrics

• By: Jackson 5
• Album: Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a musical journey with The Jackson 5's "Who's Lovin' You," a soulful masterpiece that offers a fantastic opportunity to delve into the nuances of English expression. Through Michael Jackson's incredibly mature and emotive vocal performance, listeners can grasp the profound feelings of heartbreak and regret, making it a powerful song to learn vocabulary related to emotions, relationships, and longing. Its clear, heartfelt lyrics and classic R&B structure provide an accessible yet rich foundation for language learners to connect with English on an emotional level.

[English]

When I had you (When I had you)

...

I treated you bad and wrong my dear

And girl since, since you went away

Don't you know I sit around

...

With my head hanging down

And I wonder who's lovin' you

I, I, I, I should have never, ever

Ever made you cry

And girl since, since you've been gone

Don't you know I sit around

With my head hanging down

And I wonder who's lovin' you

Life without love, huh

It's oh so lonely

I don't think, I don't think, I'm gonna make it

All my life (All my life), all my life yeah (All my life)

I've lost to you only

Come on and take it girl

...

Come on and take it, because

All

All I can do, all I can do since you've been gone is cry

...

And you

...

And ever wonder and worry your pretty little head 'bout what I do

Don't you know I sit around

With my head hanging down

And I wonder who's lovin' you

Who's loving you

Oh I, I, I gotta know yeah (Who's loving you)

I, I, I, I, I wonder (Who's loving you)

...

Who's loving you (Who's loving you)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
treated /ˈtriːtɪd/ A2	verb - to behave towards or deal with someone in a certain way.
bad /bæd/ A1	adjective - of poor quality or a low standard.
wrong /rɔːŋ/ A2	adjective - not correct or true; incorrect.
away /əˈweɪ/ A1	adverb - to or at a distance from a particular place.
sit /sɪt/ A1	verb - adopt or be in a position in which one's weight is supported by one's buttocks rather than one's feet.
head /hed/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck where the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and brain are.
hanging /ˈhæŋɪŋ/ A2	verb - suspend or be suspended from above with the lower part dangling freely.
wonder /ˈwʌndər/ B1	verb - feel curiosity or doubt about something.
lovin' /ˈlʌvɪn/ A1	verb - to feel great affection for (someone).
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow.
gone /ɡɔːn/ A1	adjective - no longer present; departed.
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ A2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company.
lost /lɒst/ A2	verb - be deprived of or cease to have or retain (something).
worry /ˈwʌri/ B1	verb - give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.
pretty /ˈprɪti/ A2	adjective - attractive in a delicate way without being truly beautiful.

Key Grammar Structures

• When I had you (When I had you)

  ➔ Past Simple Tense

  ➔ The phrase "When I had you" uses the past simple tense to describe a completed action or state in the past. It expresses a time when the speaker possessed or was with the person addressed.

• I treated you bad and wrong my dear

  ➔ Adverbs modifying verbs

  ➔ The words "bad" and "wrong" are used as adverbs, although they are often adjectives. Here, they modify the verb "treated", indicating how the speaker treated the other person.

• since you went away

  ➔ Past Simple with 'since' clause

  ➔ The phrase "since you went away" uses 'since' to indicate the start of a period. "Went away" is in the past simple, referring to the point when the person left.

• I should have never, ever made you cry

  ➔ Modal verb 'should have' + past participle (Third Conditional - regret)

  ➔ "Should have made" expresses regret about a past action. It means the speaker did something (made someone cry) that they now wish they hadn't done. "Never, ever" are intensifiers.

• Life without love, huh, it's oh so lonely

  ➔ Ellipsis and Emphatic 'so'

  ➔ "Life without love" is elliptical (missing a verb like 'is'). 'Huh' is an interjection. "Oh so lonely" uses "so" to emphasize the degree of loneliness.

• I don't think, I don't think, I'm gonna make it

  ➔ Future with 'gonna'

  ➔ 'Gonna' is a colloquial contraction of 'going to', used to express a future intention or prediction. The repetition of "I don't think" adds emphasis and hesitation.

• All I can do, all I can do since you've been gone is cry

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous with 'since' and emphasizing with "All...is"

  ➔ This sentence emphasizes the prolonged action of crying since the person left. The phrase "since you've been gone" uses the present perfect tense. The structure "All I can do...is cry" is an emphatic way of stating the limited actions possible.