For My Daughter – English Lyrics

• By: Kane Brown

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the emotional depth of Kane Brown's "For My Daughter" to explore powerful themes of family, commitment, and overcoming personal history, all while enhancing your English listening and comprehension skills through its clear, storytelling lyrics. This song offers a relatable narrative that will resonate with many, making it an excellent choice for language learners to connect with authentic American country music and its rich vocabulary.

[English]

Someone to play catch with, out in the backyard

To pick up the pieces of your first broken heart

Someone to say slow down when you turn 16

Yeah, I grew up without a dad

I'm gonna be the best one I can be

Someone to scare the monsters

When it's dark in your room

Someone to put their foot down

When you want a tattoo

And not just say I love you

But show you what it means

Yeah, I grew up without a dad

I'm gonna be the best one I can be

They say dads are supposed to shape you and in a way I guess mine did

I knew what I wouldn't do if I ever had a kid

They say history repeats itself

Well, I guess that's up to me

Yeah, I grew up without a dad

I'm gonna be the best one I can be

Someone to let you fall down and teach you how to get back up

Teach you how to be sweet like mamma and how to be tough

Yeah, I'll never be perfect

But sure as those lines are pink

Yeah, I grew up without a dad

I'm gonna be the best one I can be

They say dads are supposed to shape you and in a way I guess mine did

I knew what I wouldn't do if I ever had a kid

They say history repeats itself

Well, I guess that's up to me

I grew up without a dad

I'm gonna be the best one I can be

...

Yeah, I can't change the past

But the past has sure changed me

I grew up without a dad

I'm gonna be the best one I can be

I said I'm gonna be a dad

And I'm gonna be the best one I can be

The best one I can be

Love you, baby girl

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
play /pleɪ/ A1	verb - to engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose
catch /kætʃ/ A2	verb - to intercept and hold (something thrown, propelled, or falling)
backyard /ˈbækjɑːrd/ A2	noun - a yard or garden at the back of a house
pieces /ˈpiːsɪz/ A1	noun - a portion or part of something
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - an organ that pumps blood through the body
dad /dæd/ A1	noun - father
monsters /ˈmɒnstərz/ A2	noun - a frightening imaginary creature
dark /dɑːrk/ A1	adjective - with little or no light
room /ruːm/ A1	noun - a space within a building
foot /fʊt/ A1	noun - the end part of the leg below the ankle
tattoo /tæˈtuː/ B1	noun - a permanent mark or design made on the skin verb - to mark or design the skin
shape /ʃeɪp/ B1	verb - to give a particular form or shape to something
kid /kɪd/ A1	noun - a child or young person
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to drop down unintentionally
tough /tʌf/ A2	adjective - strong and durable; difficult
perfect /ˈpɜːrfɪkt/ B1	adjective - having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be
past /pæst/ A2	noun - the time before the present

Key Grammar Structures

• Someone to play catch with, out in the backyard

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The infinitive phrase "to play catch with" expresses the purpose or reason for having "someone". It explains what that person is for.

• To pick up the pieces of your first broken heart

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ Similar to the previous line, "to pick up the pieces" explains the purpose of having 'someone'. It showcases the supportive role he intends to play.

• Yeah, I grew up without a dad

  ➔ Past Simple

  ➔ "Grew up" is the past simple tense indicating a completed action in the past. It emphasizes a state or a situation that existed in the past.

• I'm gonna be the best one I can be

  ➔ Future with "gonna"

  ➔ "Gonna" is a colloquial contraction of "going to" and indicates a future intention or plan. The entire phrase expresses the speaker's strong commitment to becoming the best father he can be.

• They say dads are supposed to shape you...

  ➔ Passive voice with modal verb

  ➔ "are supposed to be shaped" is passive voice with the modal verb "supposed to", indicating a general expectation or obligation. It signifies what is generally believed or expected of fathers.

• I knew what I wouldn't do if I ever had a kid

  ➔ Conditional sentence (Type 2)

  ➔ This is a type 2 conditional sentence. "If I ever had a kid" is the *if* clause (past simple, subjunctive mood), and "I wouldn't do" is the main clause (would + base form). It expresses a hypothetical situation in the present or future and its likely consequence.

• Well, I guess that's up to me

  ➔ Idiomatic Expression

  ➔ "Up to me" is an idiomatic expression meaning it is the speaker's responsibility or decision to determine the outcome.

• But the past has sure changed me

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense

  ➔ "has changed" uses the present perfect to indicate an action that started in the past and continues to have relevance or impact in the present. The inclusion of "sure" intensifies the impact, emphasizing the undeniable effect of the past.