Why Don't You Bring Me Flowers? – English Lyrics

• By: Roxette
• Album: Good Karma

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic journey with Roxette's emotionally rich ballad, "Why Don't You Bring Me Flowers?". This song offers a beautiful opportunity to learn English through its clear, heartfelt lyrics and poignant theme of longing for affection. Its elegant simplicity and strong emotional core make it a special track for understanding expressive English in a melodic context.

[English]

Tell me why

Don't you

Bring me flowers?

Tell me why

Don't you

Notice me?

I'm not a stranger on a train

A teardrop in the rain

In the cold cold rain

I will throw the past on the fire

I will sing you to sleep where you're tired

When the summer's turning small

I'll buy you a sweater for the fall

Really soft

Like the moonlight

Bring out the potions to reveal the truth for me

Bring out a living soul to teach me how to breathe

Why don't you bring me flowers?

Tell me why

Don't you

Bring me flowers?

Tell me why

Don't you

Notice me?

I'm not a stranger on a train

A teardrop in the rain

In the cold cold rain

When the summer's turning small

I'll buy you a sweater for the fall

Really soft

Like the moonlight

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
bring /brɪŋ/ A1	verb - to carry or take something to a place or person
flowers /ˈflaʊərz/ A1	noun - the part of a plant that is often brightly colored and fragrant
notice /ˈnoʊtɪs/ A2	verb - to become aware of something or someone
stranger /ˈstreɪndʒər/ A1	noun - someone you do not know
teardrop /ˈtɪərˌdrɒp/ B1	noun - a drop of tears
throw /θroʊ/ A1	verb - to send something through the air with force
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - the state of burning
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - to produce musical sounds with the voice
sleep /sliːp/ A1	noun - a natural periodic state of rest verb - to rest in a state of sleep
summer /ˈsʌmər/ A1	noun - the warmest season of the year
sweater /ˈswɛtər/ A2	noun - a warm knitted garment for the upper body
soft /sɒft/ A1	adjective - smooth and pleasant to touch
moonlight /ˈmuːnlaɪt/ A2	noun - the light from the moon
potions /ˈpoʊʃənz/ B1	noun - a liquid with special powers or qualities
reveal /rɪˈviːl/ B1	verb - to make known or show something previously unknown
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual part of a person
breathe /briːð/ A1	verb - to inhale and exhale air

Key Grammar Structures

• Tell me why Don't you Bring me flowers?

  ➔ Interrogative structure: 'Why don't you...?' (Negative question for suggestion/complaint)

  ➔ This structure, using "Why don't you...?", is commonly employed to make a suggestion, a mild complaint, or to express a lack of understanding about why someone isn't doing something. Here, the speaker is expressing a complaint or a wish that the other person would bring flowers, implying 'You should bring me flowers, so why aren't you?'.

• I'm not a stranger on a train

  ➔ Negative statement with the verb 'to be' + noun phrase complement

  ➔ This sentence uses the negative form of the verb "to be" ('am not') followed by a noun phrase ("a stranger on a train") to state what the subject is *not*. It defines the speaker by negating a characteristic, emphasizing their desire for recognition.

• I will throw the past on the fire

  ➔ Future Simple (will + base form) for an intention or decision

  ➔ The Future Simple with "will" is used here to express a speaker's intention or a decision made at the moment of speaking about a future action. The phrase "I will throw the past on the fire" conveys a strong sense of resolve to move on from previous experiences.

• When the summer's turning small

  ➔ Temporal clause with 'when' + Present Continuous for gradual change

  ➔ The clause "When the summer's turning small" is a dependent temporal clause introduced by 'when', indicating a time. The Present Continuous verb phrase "is turning small" (contracted to 's turning small') describes a gradual, ongoing change or process, suggesting that summer is slowly fading or winding down.

• I'll buy you a sweater for the fall

  ➔ Ditransitive verb construction (verb + indirect object + direct object) + Future Simple (contraction 'I'll')

  ➔ The verb "buy" is a ditransitive verb here, taking two objects: "you" (the indirect object, who receives the item) and "a sweater" (the direct object, what is bought). "I'll" is the contraction of "I will", indicating a future action or intention.

• Like the moonlight

  ➔ Simile using 'like'

  ➔ A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things using "like" or "as" to make a description more vivid. Here, the softness of the sweater is compared to "the moonlight", evoking a gentle and delicate quality.

• to reveal the truth for me

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose (to + base verb)

  ➔ The infinitive phrase "to reveal the truth" functions as an adverbial phrase of purpose, explaining *why* the potions should be brought out. It answers the question "for what purpose?" or "in order to what?".

• to teach me how to breathe

  ➔ 'how to + infinitive' construction

  ➔ The structure "how to + infinitive" is used to express knowledge or instruction about the method or way of doing something. In the phrase "to teach me how to breathe", it refers to learning the method or technique of breathing, implying a struggle or a need for guidance.