You're A Friend Of Mine – English Lyrics

• By: Clarence Clemons, Jackson Browne

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into 'You're A Friend Of Mine,' an uplifting 1980s anthem that beautifully articulates the essence of a steadfast friendship. This classic duet offers a chance to explore expressions of loyalty, support, and the joy found in lasting bonds, making it a perfect song to appreciate the language of camaraderie and heartfelt connection.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
friend /frend/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
stand /stænd/ A1	verb - to be in or rise to an upright position, supported by one's feet.
laugh /læf/ A1	verb - make the sounds and movements of the face and body that express amusement or happiness
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
know /noʊ/ A1	verb - be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information.
come /kʌm/ A1	verb - move or travel towards or into a place thought of as near or familiar to the speaker.
call /kɔːl/ A2	verb - to give someone a telephone call
depend /dɪˈpend/ B1	verb - rely on
years /jɪər/ A1	noun - the time taken by the earth to make one revolution around the sun.
thick /θɪk/ B1	adjective - with opposite surfaces far apart.
thin /θɪn/ A2	adjective - with opposite surfaces close together.
doubt /daʊt/ B1	noun - a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction.
hell /hel/ B1	noun - a place regarded in various religions as a spiritual realm of evil and suffering, often traditionally depicted as a place of perpetual fire.
forget /fərˈɡet/ A2	verb - fail to remember.
fought /fɔːt/ A2	verb - past tense of fight, take part in a violent struggle involving physical force or weapons.
favorite /ˈfeɪvərɪt/ A2	adjective - preferred to all others of the same kind.
win /wɪn/ A1	verb - be successful or victorious in a contest or conflict.

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm gonna stand right by your side through thick or thin

  ➔ "Gonna" (going to) - informal future; Idiom: "through thick and thin"

  ➔ "Gonna" is a contraction of "going to," used here for a casual future tense. "Through thick and thin" is an idiom meaning to support someone during both good times ("thick") and bad times ("thin").

• A walk through hell ain't bad compared to where we've been

  ➔ "Ain't" - informal negative form of "is not"; "Compared to" - prepositional phrase used for comparison; Present Perfect "we've been"

  ➔ "Ain't" is a very informal and often considered grammatically incorrect way to say "is not." "Compared to" sets up a comparison between the difficulty of walking through hell and the difficulties the speaker and their friend have already experienced (indicated by present perfect "we've been").

• Know that I intend to be the one who always makes you laugh until you cry

  ➔ Relative clause: "who always makes you laugh"; "Until" - time conjunction

  ➔ The relative clause "who always makes you laugh" modifies "the one", further specifying who the speaker intends to be. "Until" indicates the duration of the laughing, extending "until you cry."

• You can call on me until the day you die

  ➔ Modal verb "can" (ability/permission); Phrasal verb "call on" (to visit or ask for help); "Until" - time conjunction

  ➔ "Can" expresses the ability to call on the speaker. "Call on" is a phrasal verb that means both to visit someone and to ask them for help. "Until" establishes the time frame, extending until the person dies.

• The girls we knew, who thought you were cool

  ➔ Relative clause "who thought you were cool" modifying "The girls we knew"

  ➔ This sentence uses a relative clause to add extra information about the girls. The relative clause "who thought you were cool" tells us that those girls considered the person being addressed as cool.

• I never introduced my favorite ones to you

  ➔ Past simple tense "introduced"; "Ones" as a pronoun referring back to "girls"

  ➔ The sentence uses the past simple to describe a completed action in the past. The word "ones" is used as a pronoun to avoid repeating the word "girls", referring to the speaker's favorite girls.