With A Little Help From My Friends (Remastered 2009) – English Lyrics

• By: The Beatles
• Album: The Beatles 1967 - 1970

Lyrics & Translation

This iconic song by The Beatles offers a fantastic opportunity to learn English through its simple yet profound lyrics. Its clear and conversational style, particularly through Ringo Starr's lead vocal as the character 'Billy Shears,' makes the themes of friendship, vulnerability, and reliance on others easily understandable. The song's enduring popularity and uplifting message about getting through life with the support of friends can make language learning a more engaging and emotionally resonant experience. Additionally, the song's role as the second track on the groundbreaking *Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band* album provides a cultural context that enriches the learning journey.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - to produce musical sounds with the voice
tune /tjuːn/ A2	noun - a sequence of musical notes; a melody verb - to adjust a musical instrument to the correct pitch
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn
ears /ɪərz/ A1	noun - the organ of hearing
song /sɔːŋ/ A1	noun - a musical composition with words
key /kiː/ A2	noun - a set of related musical notes based on a particular note
help /help/ A1	noun - the action of helping someone verb - to give assistance to someone
friends /frendz/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
away /əˈweɪ/ A1	adverb - to or at a distance from a particular place
worry /ˈwʌri/ B1	verb - to be anxious or uneasy about actual or potential problems noun - a state of anxiety and concern about actual or potential problems
alone /əˈloʊn/ A2	adjective - having no one else present
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
sad /sæd/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing sorrow; unhappy
need /niːd/ A1	verb - require (something) because it is essential or very important noun - a thing that is necessary or desirable
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A2	verb - accept (something) as true; feel sure of the truth of
sight /saɪt/ B1	noun - the ability to see noun - something that one sees
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.

Key Grammar Structures

• What *would* you think if I *sang* out of tune?

  ➔ Second Conditional

  ➔ Uses the structure "If + past simple, would + base form". It describes hypothetical or unreal situations in the present or future. "sang" is the past simple form, and "would think" is the conditional clause.

• Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song

  ➔ Imperative + 'and' + Future Simple

  ➔ "Lend" is the imperative. The structure indicates a direct consequence: *if* you lend me your ears, *then* I will sing.

• Oh, I *get by* with a little help from my friends

  ➔ Phrasal Verb: "get by"

  ➔ "Get by" means to manage or survive with limited resources. It implies managing a situation, often with difficulty.

• What *do* I *do* when my love is away?

  ➔ Present Simple question with auxiliary "do"

  ➔ Uses the auxiliary verb "do" to form a question in the present simple tense. It asks about a general, habitual action.

• Does it worry you *to be* alone?

  ➔ Infinitive as subject complement

  ➔ The infinitive phrase "to be alone" acts as the subject complement describing what "it" (the situation) is like. The sentence essentially asks if the state of being alone causes worry.

• I need *somebody to love*

  ➔ Infinitive phrase modifying a noun

  ➔ The infinitive phrase "to love" modifies the noun "somebody". It specifies what kind of "somebody" is needed. It functions as an adjective.

• Would you believe in a love *at first sight*?

  ➔ Prepositional phrase of time: "at first sight"

  ➔ "At first sight" is a common idiom that means immediately upon seeing someone or something. It functions as an adverbial phrase.

• Yes, I'm *certain* that it happens all the time

  ➔ Adjective expressing certainty + 'that' clause

  ➔ The adjective "certain" expresses a strong belief. The "that" clause introduces the content of that belief: "that it happens all the time".