I Can Only Imagine – English Lyrics

• By: MercyMe

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heartfelt lyrics of MercyMe's iconic song "I Can Only Imagine" to deepen your understanding of English through its powerful message of faith and hope. This moving ballad, rich in emotional vocabulary and spiritual reflection, offers a unique opportunity to explore themes of comfort, wonder, and the afterlife. Its straightforward yet profound language makes it an excellent choice for learners to grasp spiritual concepts and expressions in English, while also experiencing the beauty of a song that has touched millions worldwide.

[English]

I can only imagine

What it will be like

When I walk by Your side

...

I can only imagine

What my eyes would see

When Your face is before me

I can only imagine

Yeah

Surrounded by Your glory

...

What will my heart feel?

Will I dance for You Jesus

Or in awe of You be still?

Will I stand in Your presence

Or to my knees, will I fall?

Will I sing hallelujah?

Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

When that day comes

And I find myself

Standing in the Son

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever, forever worship You

I can only imagine, yeah

I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory

What will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you Jesus

Or in awe of You be still?

Will I stand in your presence

Or to my knees will I fall?

Will I sing hallelujah?

Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine, yeah

I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory

What will my heart feel?

Will I dance for you Jesus

Or in awe of You be still?

Will I stand in your presence

Or to my knees, will I fall?

Will I sing hallelujah?

Will I be able to speak at all?

I can only imagine, yeah

I can only imagine

I can only imagine, yeah-yeah

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

...

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever, forever worship You

...

I can only imagine

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
imagine /ɪˈmædʒɪn/ B2	verb - to form a mental image or concept of something that is not real or not present
glory /ˈɡlɔː.ri/ B2	noun - great honor or fame
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood through the body
dance /dæns/ A2	verb - to move rhythmically to music
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection
speak /spiːk/ B1	verb - to express ideas or feelings with words
speak /spiːk/ B1	verb - to express ideas or feelings with words
worship /ˈwɜːr.ʃɪp/ B2	verb - to show reverence and adoration for a deity
presence /ˈprez.əns/ B2	noun - the state of being present in a place
fall /fɔːl/ A2	verb - to move downward suddenly
stand /stænd/ A2	verb - to be in an upright position
hallelujah /ˌhæl.ɪˈluː.jə/ B2	interjection - an exclamation of praise or joy, often religious

Key Grammar Structures

• I can only imagine What it will be like

  ➔ Future tense with "will be"

  ➔ This sentence uses the auxiliary verb "will" to express a future expectation or prediction about the state of being. "What it "will be" like" expresses speculation about the future experience.

• When I walk by Your side

  ➔ Present simple tense in a time clause

  ➔ The present simple ("walk") is used in the time clause introduced by "when" to describe a future event viewed as certain or scheduled. Even though the event is in the future, English grammar often uses the present simple in time clauses introduced by 'when', 'after', 'as soon as', etc.

• Will I dance for You Jesus Or in awe of You be still?

  ➔ Inversion for emphasis, future tense questions

  ➔ This line presents two future possibilities in question form. The structure "Will I dance... or will I be still?" shows the speaker pondering different reactions. Inversion is used, placing 'Will' before 'I'.

• Or to my knees, will I fall?

  ➔ Inversion for emphasis in a question

  ➔ The standard question form would be "Will I fall to my knees?" The inversion, placing "will" before "I", adds emphasis to the question and creates a more poetic effect.

• Will I be able to speak at all?

  ➔ Future ability with "will be able to"

  ➔ "Will be able to" expresses the future possibility or capability of performing an action. It's a more formal way of expressing future ability than using "can" in the future tense (which isn't grammatically correct).

• And I find myself Standing in the Son

  ➔ Present simple with a reflexive pronoun and present participle as a complement

  ➔ "Find myself standing" indicates discovering oneself in a particular state or action. "Myself" is a reflexive pronoun, reflecting the action back to the subject (I). "Standing" is a present participle functioning as a complement describing the state of "myself".