If I Had Eyes – English Lyrics

• By: Jack Johnson

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the gentle yet profound world of Jack Johnson's 'If I Had Eyes'. This beautifully crafted song offers a unique opportunity to learn English through its clear, introspective lyrics that tell a story of love, loss, and the wisdom gained from hindsight. Its laid-back acoustic style makes the words easy to follow, while the emotional depth of its themes—like regret and the passage of time—provide rich context for understanding everyday expressions and deeper human sentiments. What makes this song special is its relatable narrative combined with Johnson's signature soothing delivery, making complex feelings accessible through simple, poetic language.

[English]

♪ ♪

♪ IF I HAD EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD ♪

♪ I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU THAT YOU LOOKED GOOD AS I WALKED AWAY ♪

♪ ♪

♪ IF YOU COULD HAVE TRIED TO TRUST THE HAND THAT FED ♪

♪ YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN HUNGRY BUT YOU'D NEVER REALLY BE ♪

♪ ♪

♪ MORE OF THIS OR LESS OF THIS OR IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE ♪

♪ OR ARE WE JUST HOLDING ON TO THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANYMORE ♪

♪ ♪

♪ SOMETIMES TIME DOESN'T HEAL ♪

♪ NO NOT AT ALL ♪

♪ IT JUST STANDS STILL ♪

♪ WHILE WE FALL ♪

♪ IN OR OUT OF LOVE ♪

♪ AGAIN I DOUBT ♪

♪ I'M GOING TO WIN YOU BACK ♪

♪ WHEN YOU'VE GOT EYES LIKE THAT ♪

♪ THAT WON'T LET ME IN ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ALWAYS LOOKING OUT ♪

♪ ♪

♪ (VOCALIZING) ♪

♪ ♪

♪ (VOCALIZING) ♪

♪ ♪

♪ A LOT OF PEOPLE SPEND THEIR TIME JUST FLOATING ♪

♪ WE WERE VICTIMS TOGETHER BUT LONELY ♪

♪ YOU'VE GOT HUNGRY EYES THAT JUST CAN'T LOOK FORWARD ♪

♪ CAN'T GIVE THEM ENOUGH BUT WE JUST CAN'T START OVER ♪

♪ BUILDING WITH BENT NAILS WE'RE FALLING BUT HOLDING ♪

♪ I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP ANYMORE OF YOUR TIME ♪

♪ ♪

♪ TIME TIME TIME ♪

♪ SOMETIMES TIME DOESN'T HEAL ♪

♪ NO NOT AT ALL ♪

♪ IT JUST STANDS STILL ♪

♪ WHILE WE FALL ♪

♪ IN OR OUT OF LOVE ♪

♪ AGAIN I DOUBT ♪

♪ I'M GOING TO WIN YOU BACK ♪

♪ WHEN YOU'VE GOT EYES LIKE THAT ♪

♪ THAT WON'T LET ME IN ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ALWAYS LOOKING OUT ♪

♪ (VOCALIZING) ♪

♪ ALWAYS LOOKING ♪

♪ (VOCALIZING) ♪

♪ ALWAYS LOOKING OUT ♪

♪ (VOCALIZING) ♪

♪ ALWAYS LOOKING OUT ♪

♪ (VOCALIZING) ♪

♪ ALWAYS LOOKING OUT ♪

♪ (VOCALIZING) ♪

♪ ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - the organs of sight
trust /trʌst/ A2	verb - to believe in the reliability of someone or something
hungry /ˈhʌŋɡri/ A1	adjective - feeling an uneasy or painful sensation from lack of food
heal /hiːl/ A2	verb - to make or become well again
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to move downward, typically rapidly and freely
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a deep affection for someone
win /wɪn/ A1	verb - to be successful or victorious in a contest or conflict
back /bæk/ A1	noun - the rear surface of the human body adverb - in or to a previous place or condition
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events
hold /hoʊld/ A1	verb - to carry or support with the hands or arms
look /lʊk/ A1	verb - to direct one's gaze toward someone or something
forward /ˈfɔːrwərd/ A2	adverb - toward the front; ahead
victim /ˈvɪktɪm/ B1	noun - a person harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime or other event
difference /ˈdɪfərəns/ A2	noun - the state or relation of being different
doubt /daʊt/ A2	verb - to feel uncertain about
nail /neɪl/ A1	noun - a small metal spike with a flattened point, used for fastening

Key Grammar Structures

• IF I HAD EYES IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD / I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU THAT YOU LOOKED GOOD AS I WALKED AWAY

  ➔ Mixed Conditional (Type 2 condition, Type 3 result)

  ➔ This structure combines a hypothetical condition about the present or future ("If I **had eyes**") with a hypothetical past result ("I **would have told** you"). It expresses regret or a missed opportunity in the past due to a current, unreal condition.

• IF YOU COULD HAVE TRIED TO TRUST THE HAND THAT FED

  ➔ Third Conditional (Past Unreal Conditional) with 'could have'

  ➔ "If you **could have tried**" expresses a past hypothetical ability or possibility that did not actualize. It suggests that a different past action was possible but didn't happen, leading to an implied different outcome.

• OR ARE WE JUST HOLDING ON TO THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANYMORE

  ➔ Defining Relative Clause with 'that'

  ➔ The clause "**that we don't have anymore**" is a defining relative clause. It provides essential information about "things," specifying which particular things the speaker is referring to. Without it, the meaning of "things" would be unclear.

• OR ARE WE JUST HOLDING ON TO THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANYMORE

  ➔ Present Continuous (for ongoing action)

  ➔ "**Are we just holding on**" uses the present continuous tense to describe an action that is currently in progress or is happening over a period of time, emphasizing its ongoing nature.

• SOMETIMES TIME DOESN'T HEAL

  ➔ Simple Present (Negative Form)

  ➔ "**Doesn't heal**" uses the simple present tense in its negative form to express a general truth or a repeated occurrence that is not true. "Sometimes" reinforces the idea of a recurring but not constant truth.

• AGAIN I DOUBT I'M GOING TO WIN YOU BACK

  ➔ 'Going to' (Future Prediction/Intention)

  ➔ "I'm **going to win** you back" uses the "going to" future to express a prediction based on present evidence or a strong intention. In this context, it's a prediction of an unlikely future event.

• WHEN YOU'VE GOT EYES LIKE THAT THAT WON'T LET ME IN

  ➔ Relative Clause with 'that' + Modal Verb of Negation

  ➔ The second "**that won't let me in**" is a relative clause that describes the characteristic of the "eyes." "**Won't**" (will not) is a modal verb expressing a refusal or an inability in the future.

• A LOT OF PEOPLE SPEND THEIR TIME JUST FLOATING

  ➔ Verb Pattern: 'spend time' + Gerund (-ing form)

  ➔ The phrase "spend their time just **floating**" illustrates a common verb pattern where "spend time" is followed by a gerund (the -ing form of a verb) to indicate the activity performed during that time.

• BUILDING WITH BENT NAILS WE'RE FALLING BUT HOLDING

  ➔ Present Participle (for simultaneous action/state)

  ➔ "**Building**" and "**holding**" are present participles used here to describe actions or states that are happening concurrently with "we're falling," highlighting multiple ongoing situations. "Bent" is a past participle used as an adjective.

• WHEN YOU'VE GOT EYES LIKE THAT

  ➔ 'Have got' (for possession/characteristic)

  ➔ "**You've got eyes**" is an informal way of expressing possession or describing a characteristic, equivalent to "you have eyes." It is common in spoken English.