A Seat at the Table – English Lyrics

• By: Solange
• Album: A Seat at the Table

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the soulful sounds and powerful messages of Solange's "A Seat at the Table." This album is a profound exploration of Black womanhood, identity, and resilience, offering a unique opportunity to understand the experiences and emotions that shape Black lives in America. Dive in to learn the language of empowerment, healing, and unapologetic self-expression.

[English]

♪ Don't touch my hair ♪

♪ When it's the feelings I wear ♪

♪ Don't touch my soul ♪

♪ When it's the rhythm I know ♪

♪ Don't touch my crown ♪

♪ They say the vision I've found ♪

♪ Don't touch what's there ♪

♪ When it's the feelings I wear ♪

♪ They don't understand ♪

♪ What it means to me ♪

♪ Where we chose to go ♪

♪ Where we've been to know ♪

♪ They don't understand ♪

♪ What it means to me ♪

♪ Where we chose to go ♪

♪ Where we've been to know ♪

♪ You know this hair is my shit ♪

♪ Rolled the rod, I gave it time ♪

♪ But this here is mine ♪

♪ You know this hair is my shit ♪

♪ Rolled the rod, I gave it time ♪

♪ But this here is mine ♪

♪ What you say, oh ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ Don't touch my pride ♪

♪ They say the glory's all mine ♪

♪ Don't test my mouth ♪

♪ They say the truth is my sound ♪

♪ They don't understand ♪

♪ What it means to me ♪

♪ Where we chose to go ♪

♪ Where we've been to know ♪

♪ They don't understand ♪

♪ What it means to me ♪

♪ Where we chose to go ♪

♪ Where we've been to know ♪

♪ You know this hair is my shit ♪

♪ Rolled the rod, I gave it time ♪

♪ But this here is mine ♪

♪ You know this hair is my shit ♪

♪ Rolled the rod, I gave it time ♪

♪ But this here is mine ♪

♪ What you say, oh ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ To me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ To me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ To me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

♪ What you say to me ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
touch /tʌtʃ/ A2	verb - to put your hand or fingers on something or someone noun - the act of touching someone or something
hair /heər/ A1	noun - the fine threadlike strands growing from the skin of humans or animals
feelings /ˈfiːlɪŋz/ A2	noun - an emotional state or reaction
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal
rhythm /ˈrɪðəm/ B1	noun - a strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound
crown /kraʊn/ B2	noun - a ceremonial headdress worn by a monarch as a symbol of authority verb - to invest with regal power or authority
vision /ˈvɪʒən/ B2	noun - the ability to see
means /miːnz/ A2	verb - to intend to convey or refer to (a particular thing) noun - a method or course of action by which something can be accomplished
chose /tʃoʊz/ B1	verb - past tense of choose - to pick out or select (someone or something) as being the best or most appropriate of two or more alternatives.
know /noʊ/ A1	verb - to be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information
shit /ʃɪt/ B2	noun - (vulgar slang) nonsense; rubbish
rolled /roʊld/ A2	verb - past tense of roll - move or cause to move in a particular direction by turning over and over
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
mine /maɪn/ A1	pronoun - belonging to or associated with me
pride /praɪd/ B1	noun - a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that one values.
glory /ˈɡlɔːri/ B2	noun - high renown or honor won by notable achievements
test /test/ B1	verb - take measures to check the quality, performance, or reliability of (something), especially before putting it into widespread use or practice.
mouth /maʊθ/ A1	noun - the opening in the face through which food is ingested and vocalizations emerge.
truth /truːθ/ B1	noun - the quality or state of being true
sound /saʊnd/ A2	noun - vibrations that travel through the air or another medium and can be heard when they reach a person's or animal's ear.

Key Grammar Structures

• Don't touch my hair

  ➔ Imperative (negative)

  ➔ Uses "Don't" + base form of the verb to express a prohibition or command not to do something. "Don't touch" is the structure.

• When it's the feelings I wear

  ➔ Subordinate clause with 'when'

  ➔ 'When' introduces a subordinate clause indicating a time or condition. Here, it links the action of touching the hair to the feelings the speaker is expressing. The structure is "When + subject + verb + ...".

• They don't understand

  ➔ Present Simple (negative)

  ➔ Uses "don't" + base form of the verb to express that a group of people lack comprehension. Structure: "They" + "don't" + "understand".

• Where we chose to go

  ➔ Noun clause (indirect question)

  ➔ This phrase functions as a noun in the sentence. "Where" introduces the noun clause. Structure: "Where" + subject + verb + infinitive

• You know this hair is my shit

  ➔ Declarative statement with slang

  ➔ A simple declarative statement expressing ownership and pride. The word "shit" is used as slang to emphasize ownership and importance. "Is" is the linking verb connecting "hair" and "my shit".

• Rolled the rod, I gave it time

  ➔ Past Simple tense

  ➔ Expresses actions completed in the past. "Rolled" and "gave" are in the past simple tense. Indicates definitive actions at a specific point in the past.

• But this here is mine

  ➔ Demonstrative pronoun and possessive pronoun

  ➔ "This here" (non-standard) is used as a demonstrative pronoun, emphasizing something specific. "Mine" is a possessive pronoun showing ownership. Demonstrative and possessive pronouns are use to identify and claim possession of something, without restating the noun.