I Look to You – English Lyrics

• By: Whitney Houston

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can be a powerful journey, and Whitney Houston's 'I Look to You' offers a special and emotional entry point into English. The song's lyrics are a heartfelt prayer, using clear and direct language to express universal feelings of vulnerability and hope. Houston's masterful and emotive vocal performance makes the vocabulary easy to understand and remember, allowing learners to connect with the profound message of finding strength in the face of adversity. This makes it an inspiring choice for anyone looking to learn English through the power of music.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
lay /leɪ/ A1	verb - to put something down in a flat position
lost /lɔːst/ A2	adjective - unable to find one's way
strength /strɛŋkθ/ B1	noun - the quality or state of being strong
storm /stɔːrm/ B1	noun - a violent disturbance of the atmosphere
darkened /ˈdɑːrkənd/ B2	verb - to make or become dark
searching /ˈsɜːrʧɪŋ/ B2	verb - to look for something
battle /ˈbætəl/ B2	noun - a fight between armed forces
melody /ˈmɛlədi/ B2	noun - a sequence of notes that is musically satisfying
regret /rɪˈɡrɛt/ B2	noun - a feeling of sadness or disappointment about something that has happened
free /friː/ B1	adjective - not under the control or in the power of another
shine /ʃaɪn/ B1	verb - to give off light
make /meɪk/ A1	verb - to create or form something

Key Grammar Structures

• After giving it my all

  ➔ prepositional phrase indicating a point in time or condition

  ➔ The phrase 'after giving it my all' shows an action completed before another point in time.

• Who on earth can I turn to

  ➔ interrogative sentence with a modal verb expressing possibility or ability

  ➔ The sentence uses a question form with 'can' to ask about ability or possibility.

• In you I can be strong

  ➔ prepositional phrase with inversion for emphasis

  ➔ This structure emphasizes the subject 'you' by placing it after the preposition 'in'.

• And when melodies are gone

  ➔ subordinate clause indicating a condition or time

  ➔ The clause 'when melodies are gone' sets a temporal or conditional context for the main idea.

• Nothing to do but lift my head

  ➔ expression with infinitive 'to do' indicating lack of alternative action

  ➔ The phrase 'Nothing to do but lift my head' implies that no other actions are possible besides the stated one.

• My levees are broken, oh Lord

  ➔ possessive pronoun plus plural noun indicating ownership; passive voice construction

  ➔ The phrase uses 'my' to show possession and presents an image of damage or loss.