Lonely Bed – English Lyrics

• By: Albert Cummings
• Album: The Long Way

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the depths of blues emotion with Albert Cummings' "Lonely Bed," a poignant song about love, betrayal, and loneliness. This track offers a chance to connect with heartfelt lyrics and soulful guitar work, capturing the raw essence of the blues genre.

[English]

Woman I want to ask you Why you do that anyway

I thought things were fine just yesterday

Woman you've got to tell me what's going through your head

You know I can't spend one more night sleeping in this lonely bed

Now I lay here thinking about what you did

I know it was wrong baby

but I'm ready to forgive

Baby you got to tell me what's going through your head

You know i can't spend one more night sleeping in this lonely bed

Tell me baby What it's gonna be

You gonna come back home, child Lord, and stay with me

Or I've got to..

Get myself another woman instead

You know I can't spend one more night sleeping in this lonely bed

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ask /æsk/ A1	verb - to put a question to someone
fine /faɪn/ A2	adjective - of high quality
tell /tel/ A1	verb - to communicate information to someone
head /hed/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ B1	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
bed /bed/ A1	noun - a piece of furniture for sleeping on
lay /leɪ/ A2	verb - to put something down gently or carefully
thinking /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/ A2	verb - using the mind actively to form connected thoughts
wrong /rɔːŋ/ A2	adjective - not correct or true; incorrect
ready /ˈredi/ A2	adjective - prepared for something
forgive /fərˈɡɪv/ B1	verb - to stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for an offense
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
stay /steɪ/ A1	verb - to remain in a place
woman /ˈwʊmən/ A1	noun - an adult female human being
instead /ɪnˈsted/ B1	adverb - as an alternative or substitute

Key Grammar Structures

• Woman I want to ask you Why you do that anyway

  ➔ Indirect Question/Embedded Question

  ➔ The structure "I want to ask you why you do that" uses an indirect question. Instead of asking "Why do you do that?", it's embedded within a larger sentence, changing the word order (subject-verb after "why" instead of verb-subject).

• I thought things were fine just yesterday

  ➔ Past Simple (thought) / Past Tense (were)

  ➔ Both verbs, "thought" and "were", are in the past tense indicating a past state and a past belief. "I "thought" things "were" fine".

• You know I can't spend one more night sleeping in this lonely bed

  ➔ Modal verb "can't" + Gerund "sleeping"

  ➔ "Can't" expresses inability or impossibility. "Sleeping" functions as a gerund here, acting like a noun to describe the activity of sleeping.

• Now I lay here thinking about what you did

  ➔ Present Continuous (thinking) in the Past

  ➔ While the overall tense is the past (implied by context and subsequent lines), "thinking" is in the present continuous form describing an action that was ongoing at that past point. It can also suggest a continuing result.

• I know it was wrong baby but I'm ready to forgive

  ➔ Past Simple (was) contrasted with Present Simple (am ready) + Infinitive (to forgive)

  ➔ The use of the past simple "was" indicates a past action, while "am ready to forgive" shows a current state of willingness.

• What it's gonna be

  ➔ Future with "gonna"

  ➔ "Gonna" is a colloquial contraction of "going to", used to express a future intention or prediction. "What is it going to be?"

• You gonna come back home, child Lord, and stay with me

  ➔ Future with "gonna" + Imperative (stay)

  ➔ "Gonna come" expresses a future action. "Stay with me" is an imperative, a direct command or request.

• Get myself another woman instead

  ➔ Reflexive Pronoun (myself) + "instead"

  ➔ "Myself" indicates that the subject is performing the action on themselves. "Instead" shows that the action (getting another woman) is an alternative to something else (her staying).