Sweet Leaf – English Lyrics

• By: Black Sabbath
• Album: Master of Reality

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the roots of heavy metal with Black Sabbath's 'Sweet Leaf.' This song is an excellent choice for English learners interested in 1970s slang, personification, and the evolution of rock music terminology. Its rhythmic delivery provides a great way to practice enunciation and mid-tempo cadence.

[English]

Alright now!

...

Won't you listen?

...

When I first met you, didn't realize

I can't forget you or your surprise

You introduced me to my mind

And left me wanting you and your kind

Oh, yeah

...

I love you

...

Oh, you know it

...

My life was empty, forever on a down

Until you took me, showed me around

My life is free now, my life is clear

I love you sweet leaf, though you can't hear

Oh, yeah baby!

...

Come on now, try it out!

...

Straight people don't know what you're about

They put you down and shut you out

You gave to me a new belief

And soon the world will love you sweet leaf

Oh, yeah baby!

...

Come on now, try it out!

...

Oh, yeah!

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
realize /ˈriːəlaɪz/ B1	verb - to become aware of something
forget /fəˈɡet/ A2	verb - to fail to remember
surprise /səˈpraɪz/ A2	noun - an unexpected event or fact
introduce /ˌɪntrəˈdjuːs/ B1	verb - to present someone to another
empty /ˈempti/ A2	adjective - containing nothing; not filled
forever /fəˈrevə/ A2	adverb - for all time; eternally
clear /klɪə(r)/ A2	adjective - easy to perceive, understand, or see
leaf /liːf/ A1	noun - the green part of a plant
straight /streɪt/ B1	adjective - conventional or traditional in behavior
belief /bɪˈliːf/ B1	noun - an acceptance that something is true
world /wɜːld/ A1	noun - the earth and all people on it
shut /ʃʌt/ A2	verb - to close something

Key Grammar Structures

• When I first met you, didn't realize

  ➔ Ellipsis in informal speech

  ➔ The speaker omits the subject 'I' before "didn't realize", which is common in song lyrics and informal English.

• I can't forget you or your surprise

  ➔ Modal verb 'can't' (inability)

  ➔ Using "can't" to express the speaker's inability to stop thinking about the subject.

• You introduced me to my mind

  ➔ Past Simple Tense

  ➔ The verb "introduced" is in the past simple to describe a completed action in the past.

• My life was empty, forever on a down

  ➔ Adverbial phrase of state

  ➔ The phrase "on a down" is an idiomatic way to describe being in a state of depression or negative emotion.

• My life is free now, my life is clear

  ➔ State-of-being verb (Linking verb)

  ➔ Using the linking verb "is" to connect the subject to adjectives describing its current state.

• I love you sweet leaf, though you can't hear

  ➔ Concessive clause (Conjunction 'though')

  ➔ The conjunction "though" is used to introduce a contrasting idea or a concession.

• Straight people don't know what you're about

  ➔ Noun clause (what you're about)

  ➔ The noun clause "what you're about" acts as the object of the verb "know".

• And soon the world will love you sweet leaf

  ➔ Future Simple Tense (Prediction)

  ➔ Using "will" to make a prediction about the future.