Words – English Lyrics

• By: Birdy
• Album: Beautiful Lies

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the poignant emotions within Birdy's 'Words,' a song that delves into the challenges of communication and the complexities of relationships. This track provides a rich opportunity to explore themes of longing, vulnerability, and unspoken feelings, enhancing your understanding of emotional expression in the English language.

[English]

Waiting on you

Trying to keep your head strong

With nothing to lose

You raise your voice with something to prove

And all the things you say to me

I can't forget them

You don't leave

But you tell me with your eyes what you need

Oh, please

Do you think that I don't know what it means?

All the things you hide from me

I accept them

But I need you next to me

If I can't hold you now

Keep thinking that you might not come around

I have no words

I have no words to say

If I can't change your mind

Keep thinking, is this our last goodbye?

You say it first

You say it first to me

You're in the clear

While I'm waking up to nothing but tears

And you stay the same

Like I'm the only one that needed to change

You know, the things you said to me

Do you regret them?

I just need you next to me

If I can't hold you now

Keep thinking that you might not come around

I have no words

I have no words to say

If I can't change your mind

Keep thinking, is this our last goodbye?

You say it first

You say it first to me

So I

Can just forget you

Just forget you, ooh, ooh

Can just forget you

Just forget you, ooh, ooh

And If I can't hold you now

Keep thinking how you might not come around

And I have no words

I have no words to say

If I can't change your mind

Keep thinking, is this our last goodbye?

You say it first, you say it first to me

If I can't hold you now (if I can't hold you now)

Keep thinking that you might not come around (might not come around)

I have no words

I have no words to say

If I can't change your mind (if I can't change your mind)

Keep thinking, is this our last goodbye (our last goodbye)

You say it first

You say it first to me

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
word /wɜːrd/ A1	noun - a single unit of language that has meaning and can be spoken or written
strong /strɒŋ/ A2	adjective - having great physical power or mental determination
lose /luːz/ A2	verb - to no longer have something; to fail to win or keep
raise /reɪz/ B1	verb - to lift something to a higher position; to increase the amount or level of something
voice /vɔɪs/ A1	noun - the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song
prove /pruːv/ B1	verb - to demonstrate the truth or existence of something by evidence or argument
forget /fərˈɡɛt/ A2	verb - to fail to remember; to neglect to do something
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - the organs of sight
need /niːd/ A1	verb - to require something because it is essential or very important noun - a requirement, something essential or important
hide /haɪd/ A2	verb - to put or keep out of sight; to prevent from being seen or discovered
accept /əkˈsɛpt/ B1	verb - to receive something willingly; to agree to something
hold /hoʊld/ A2	verb - to grasp, carry, or support with one's hands or arms
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A1	verb - to make or become different noun - the act or process of becoming different
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; one's opinion or way of thinking
goodbye /ˌɡʊdˈbaɪ/ A1	noun - an act of saying farewell
first /fɜːrst/ A1	adjective - coming before all others in time or order
clear /klɪər/ B1	adjective - free from doubt, difficulty, or blame; easily understood
tears /tɪərz/ B1	noun - drops of clear salty liquid that are secreted from the eyes, for example when a person cries
regret /rɪˈɡrɛt/ B2	verb - to feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over something that has happened or been done
same /seɪm/ A1	adjective - identical; not different

Key Grammar Structures

• Waiting on you

  ➔ Present Participle (Continuous Action)

  ➔ The verb "waiting" is in the present participle form, indicating an ongoing action. The subject "I am" is often omitted in song lyrics or informal speech when the context is clear.

• You raise your voice with something to prove

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose/Adjective (Modifying Noun)

  ➔ The infinitive "to prove" acts as an adjective modifying "something", explaining the purpose or nature of "something". It answers the question "something for what?".

• And all the things you say to me

  ➔ Reduced Relative Clause (Omitted Relative Pronoun)

  ➔ This is a relative clause where the relative pronoun "that" or "which" is omitted because it acts as the object of the verb "say". The full clause would be "all the things [that/which] you say to me".

• But you tell me with your eyes what you need

  ➔ Embedded Question (Noun Clause)

  ➔ "what you need" is an embedded question acting as the direct object of the verb "tell". It follows the word order of a statement (subject + verb) rather than a direct question.

• Do you think that I don't know what it means?

  ➔ "That" Clause + Embedded Question within a Question

  ➔ This sentence combines a "that" clause ("that I don't know what it means") which functions as the object of "think", and within that clause, another embedded question ("what it means") acts as the object of "know".

• If I can't hold you now

  ➔ Conditional Clause (Type 1)

  ➔ This is the "if" clause of a first conditional sentence, expressing a real or possible condition in the present or future. The main clause states the likely result (e.g., "I need you next to me").

• Keep thinking that you might not come around

  ➔ Imperative + Gerund + "That" Clause + Modal Verb of Possibility

  ➔ This line uses an imperative verb "Keep" followed by a gerund "thinking", indicating a continuous action. The "that" clause "that you might not come around" acts as the object of "thinking", and "might" expresses possibility or uncertainty.

• You're in the clear / While I'm waking up to nothing but tears

  ➔ Temporal Clause with "While" (Contrast/Simultaneous Actions)

  ➔ The conjunction "While" introduces a temporal clause, indicating that the action of the second part ("I'm waking up to nothing but tears") happens at the same time as, and often in contrast to, the action in the main clause ("You're in the clear").

• Like I'm the only one that needed to change

  ➔ "Like" as a Conjunction (informal "as if") + Relative Clause

  ➔ Here, "Like" is used informally as a conjunction meaning "as if" or "as though", introducing a clause that describes a hypothetical situation. "that needed to change" is a relative clause modifying "the only one".

• So I / Can just forget you

  ➔ Conjunction of Result ("So")

  ➔ The conjunction "So" is used here to introduce a clause that expresses the result or consequence of the preceding statement (implied: "If you say it first to me").