The Story – English Lyrics

• By: Brandi Carlile
• Album: The Story

Lyrics & Translation

Unlock the power of storytelling in language learning with Brandi Carlile's 'The Story.' The song's clear, narrative-driven lyrics provide a perfect opportunity to explore vocabulary related to life experiences and emotions. Its dynamic shift from gentle verses to a powerful chorus can help you understand the nuances of expression and intensity in English. 'The Story' is special because it reminds us that language, like life, is about connection and sharing our unique narratives with the world.

[English]

All of these lines across my face

Tell you the story of who I am

So many stories of where I've been

And how I got to where I am

But these stories don't mean anything

When you've got no one to tell them to

It's true, I was made for you

...

I climbed across the mountain tops

Swam all across the ocean blue

I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules

But baby I broke them all for you

Because even when I was flat broke

You made me feel like a million bucks

You do and I was made for you

...

You see the smile that's on my mouth

It's hiding the words that don't come out

And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed

They don't know my head is a mess

No, they don't know who I really am

And they don't know what I've been through like you do

And I was made for you

All of these lines across my face

Tell you the story of who I am

So many stories of where I've been

And how I got to where I am

But these stories don't mean anything

When you've got no one to tell them to

It's true, I was made for you

Oh yeah, well it's true

That I was made for you

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
face /feɪs/ A2	noun - the front part of the head that includes the eyes, nose, and mouth
story /ˈstɔː.ri/ A2	noun - a description of real or imaginary events
mountain /ˈmaʊ.n.tɪn/ B1	noun - a large natural elevation of the Earth's surface
ocean /ˈoʊ.ʃən/ B1	noun - a large body of saltwater that covers most of the Earth's surface
line /laɪn/ B1	noun - a long, narrow mark or band
rule /ruːl/ B2	noun - a principle or regulation governing conduct
money /ˈmʌn.i/ A2	noun - a medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
smile /smaɪl/ A2	noun - a facial expression showing happiness or amusement
mouth /maʊθ/ A2	noun - the opening in the face that takes in food and air
bless /blɛs/ B2	verb - to invoke divine favor upon someone
thank /θæŋk/ A2	verb - to express gratitude to someone
know /noʊ/ A2	verb - to be aware of information

Key Grammar Structures

• All of these lines across my face Tell you the story of who I am

  ➔ Relative Clause with "who"

  ➔ The clause "who I am" functions as a noun clause, specifically the object of the preposition "of" in "the story of who I am". "Who" introduces information about the subject

• So many stories of where I've been And how I got to where I am

  ➔ Noun Clauses with "where" and "how"

  ➔ "where I've been" and "how I got to where I am" are both noun clauses acting as objects of the preposition "of". "Where" indicates a place, and "how" describes the manner of arriving at that place.

• But these stories don't mean anything When you've got no one to tell them to

  ➔ Adverbial Clause of Time with "when"

  ➔ The clause "When you've got no one to tell them to" modifies the main clause "these stories don't mean anything", indicating the condition under which the stories lack meaning. "When" introduces the time or condition.

• It's true, I was made for you

  ➔ Passive Voice (was made)

  ➔ "Was made" indicates that the subject (I) was acted upon. The emphasis is on the action (being made) rather than the actor (who made them).

• I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules But baby I broke them all for you

  ➔ Parallel Structure and Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ "I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules" uses parallel structure with two independent clauses connected by "and." The phrase "for you" is a prepositional phrase modifying the verb "broke" in the second clause, indicating the beneficiary of the action.

• Because even when I was flat broke You made me feel like a million bucks

  ➔ Simile and Adverbial Clause of Time with "when"

  ➔ "You made me feel like a million bucks" is a simile comparing the feeling of worth to a large sum of money. "Even when I was flat broke" is an adverbial clause of time, indicating the circumstances under which the feeling of worth was experienced.

• You see the smile that's on my mouth

  ➔ Reduced Relative Clause

  ➔ The clause "that's on my mouth" is a relative clause modifying "the smile". It is reduced because the relative pronoun (that) and the auxiliary verb (is) are omitted.

• And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed They don't know my head is a mess

  ➔ Relative Clause with "who" and Noun Clause with "that"

  ➔ "who think that I'm blessed" is a relative clause modifying "my friends". "that I'm blessed" is a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb "think".