You've Got a Friend in Me – English Lyrics

• By: Randy Newman
• Album: Toy Story

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the heartwarming essence of friendship through Randy Newman's timeless classic, "You've Got a Friend in Me." Originally created for *Toy Story*, this song uses simple yet heartfelt lyrics to teach the value of loyalty, support, and enduring companionship. Learn how Newman's composition became an anthem for friendship, resonating with audiences of all ages and making it a perfect way to explore themes of trust and camaraderie.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
friend /frend/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a way or course taken in getting from a starting point to a destination
bed /bed/ A1	noun - a piece of furniture for sleep or rest
pal /pæl/ A2	noun - a friend
troubles /ˈtrʌbəlz/ A2	noun - problems or difficulties
folks /foʊks/ A2	noun - people in general
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to have a strong affection for noun - an intense feeling of affection
years /jɪərz/ A1	noun - a period of twelve months
friendship /ˈfrendʃɪp/ B1	noun - the state of being friends
destiny /ˈdestɪni/ B2	noun - the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future
rough /rʌf/ B1	adjective - having an uneven or irregular surface; not smooth or level
warm /wɔːrm/ A2	adjective - having or producing a comfortable and appropriate degree of heat
smarter /ˈsmɑːrtər/ A2	adjective - having or showing quick intelligence or ready mental capability
stronger /ˈstrɔːŋɡər/ A2	adjective - having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks
die /daɪ/ A2	verb - to stop living

Key Grammar Structures

• When the road looks rough ahead

  ➔ Subordinate Clause with "when"

  ➔ This uses "when" to introduce a time clause, indicating the condition under which the following statement applies. "Looks" is the simple present tense used to describe the state of the road.

• And you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed

  ➔ Present Simple tense of “to be” and preposition "from" indicating distance.

  ➔ "You're" is a contraction of "you are", using the present simple tense of the verb "to be". The preposition "from" indicates separation or distance. "Miles and miles" emphasizes the great distance.

• You just remember what your old pal said

  ➔ Imperative (Remember) followed by a noun clause beginning with 'what'.

  ➔ "Remember" is an imperative verb, giving a direct command. The phrase "what your old pal said" acts as the object of the verb "remember", and "what" introduces a noun clause functioning as the object.

• There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you

  ➔ Double Negative (isn't... wouldn't) used for emphasis and Conditional Sentence (Type 2)

  ➔ The double negative emphasizes the speaker's willingness to do anything. "I wouldn't do" is a hypothetical statement, characteristic of a type 2 conditional (although the "if" clause is implied, not explicitly stated).

• Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am

  ➔ Modal verb "might" expressing possibility, Comparative Adjective "smarter" + than

  ➔ "Might" suggests a possibility, not a certainty. "Smarter than" is a comparative form, used to compare the speaker's intelligence to that of others.

• Bigger and stronger too, maybe

  ➔ Comparative Adjectives, Ellipsis

  ➔ "Bigger and stronger" are comparative adjectives describing potential attributes of other people. The sentence is elliptical, meaning some words are omitted but understood: "They might be bigger and stronger too, maybe."

• But none of them will ever love you the way I do

  ➔ Future Simple with "will", adverb "ever", Relative Clause implied

  ➔ "Will love" is the future simple tense. "Ever" emphasizes the certainty that this will never happen. "The way I do" implies a relative clause: "the way that I love you".

• It's me and you, boy

  ➔ Subject complement using pronouns (me, you)

  ➔ "It's" is a contraction of "It is". The sentence identifies who "it" refers to – "me and you". Using "me" after "It's" is grammatically correct but sometimes considered informal in spoken English. It's a subject complement, renaming the subject "it".

• Our friendship will never die

  ➔ Future Simple with 'will' and adverb of frequency 'never'.

  ➔ "Will die" is the future simple tense, indicating a future action. The adverb "never" indicates that the action will not happen.