Work Song – English Lyrics

• By: Hozier

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Hozier's deeply emotive "Work Song," a masterpiece that masterfully blends gospel, blues, and folk to tell a profound story of love's redemptive power. This song offers a rich lyrical landscape filled with poetic imagery and raw emotion, providing an excellent opportunity to explore nuanced English vocabulary related to love, devotion, and resilience. Its haunting melody and powerful narrative make it special, inviting listeners to connect with themes that transcend cultural and personal boundaries while appreciating Hozier's unique vocal style and songwriting depth.

[English]

Boys workin' on empty

Is that the kinda way to face the burning heat?

I just think about my baby

I'm so full of love I could barely eat

There's nothing sweeter than my baby

I'd never want once from the cherry tree

'Cause my baby's sweet as can be

She give me toothaches just from kissin' me

When my time comes around

Lay me gently in the cold dark earth

No grave can hold my body down

I'll crawl home to her

That's when my baby found me

I was three days on a drunken sin

I woke with her walls around me

Nothin' in her room, but an empty crib

And I was burnin' up a fever

I didn't care much, how long I lived

But I swear I thought I dreamed her

She never asked me once about the wrong I did

When my time comes around

Lay me gently in the cold dark earth

No grave can hold my body down

I'll crawl home to her

When my time comes around

Lay me gently in the cold dark earth

No grave can hold my body down

I'll crawl home to her

My babe would never fret none

About what my hands and my body done

If the Lord don't forgive me

I'd still have my baby and my babe would have me

When I was kissing on my baby

And she put her love down soft and sweet

In the low lamp light I was free

Heaven and hell were words to me

When my time comes around

Lay me gently in the cold dark earth

No grave can hold my body down

I'll crawl home to her

When my time comes around

Lay me gently in the cold dark earth

No grave can hold my body down

I'll crawl home to her

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
work /wɜːrk/ A2	verb - to do a job or task noun - employment or occupation
burning /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ B1	adjective - on fire; very hot or passionate
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - a deep affection or attachment verb - to feel deep affection for someone
sweet /swiːt/ A2	adjective - having a sugary taste
tree /triː/ A2	noun - a woody plant with branches and leaves
cry /kraɪ/ B1	verb - to shed tears
feel /fiːl/ A2	verb - to experience emotion or physical sensation
earth /ɜːrθ/ A2	noun - the planet we live on
body /ˈbɒd.i/ A2	noun - the physical structure of a person or animal
dark /dɑːrk/ A2	adjective - having little or no light
home /hoʊm/ A1
give /ɡɪv/ A2	verb - to hand over

Key Grammar Structures

• When my time comes around

  ➔ Conditional clause with 'when' + present tense

  ➔ 'When' introduces a time-based condition or event, which is expressed in the present tense to indicate future certainty.

• Lay me gently in the cold dark earth

  ➔ Imperative verb used as a request or suggestion

  ➔ The phrase uses the imperative form to express a wish or request politely.

• No grave can hold my body down

  ➔ Negative modal verb with 'can' + base verb

  ➔ 'Can' is used with 'not' to form a negative modal, indicating impossibility or prohibition.

• I'd still have my baby and my babe would have me

  ➔ Conditional sentences with 'would' to indicate hypothetical or future-in-the-puture scenarios

  ➔ 'Would' is used in conditional sentences to talk about hypothetical or future possibilities.

• Nothin' in her room, but an empty crib

  ➔ Negation with 'nothing' (contracted form 'nothin'') + preposition

  ➔ 'Nothin' is a colloquial contraction of 'nothing', used informally in speech.

• Heaven and hell were words to me

  ➔ Verb 'to be' in past tense ('were') used to equate 'heaven and hell' with 'words'

  ➔ The verb 'to be' in the past tense 'were' is used here to equate abstract concepts with words, emphasizing their significance.