wait in the truck – English Lyrics

• By: HARDY, Lainey Wilson

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the powerful narrative of HARDY and Lainey Wilson's "Wait in the Truck," a modern country murder ballad that tackles the difficult topic of domestic violence. Learn about the song's origins, its poignant message, and the emotional impact it has had on listeners, offering a unique opportunity to understand the complexities of justice, morality, and the human spirit through song.

[English]

I got turned around in some little town

I'd never been to before

Working my way through a middle-of-June

Midnight thunderstorm

There was something in the headlights

It stopped me on a dime

Well, she was scared to death, so I said

"Climb in," and then she climbed

Oh, yeah

...

Well, she was bruised and broke from head to toe

With a tear in her blood-stained shirt

She didn't tell the whole truth, but she didn't have to

I knew what had happened to her

I didn't load her down with questions

That girl had been through enough

I just threw it in drive, looked in those eyes

And I asked her where he was

I don't know if he's an angel

'Cause angels don't do what he did

He was hellbent to find the man behind

All the whiskey scars I hid

I never thought my day of justice

Would come from a judge under a seat

But I knew right then I'd never get hit again

When he said to me

"Wait in the truck

Just wait in the truck"

Well, I knocked and knocked and no one came

So I kicked in his double-wide door

I let the hammer drop before he got

To that 12 he was reaching for

I didn't try to hide my pistol

I didn't even try to run

I just sat on the porch, smoking one of his cigarettes

And waited for the cops to come

I don't know if he's an angel

'Cause angels don't do what he did

He was hellbent to find the man behind

All the whiskey scars I hid

I never thought my day of justice

Would come from a judge under a seat

But I knew right then I'd never get hit again

When he said to me

"Wait in the truck

Just wait in the truck"

Whoa (whoa)

Have mercy on me, Lord

Have mercy on me

Have mercy on me (hey), Lord

It's been 60 months and she still comes

To see me from time to time

It was worth the price, to see a brighter side

Of the girl I picked up that night

And I might be here forever

It ain't paradise, that's true

But it's whole hell of a lot better

Than the place I sent him to, yeah

(Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on me)

Wait in the truck (have mercy on me)

Just wait in the truck

(Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on me)

Wait in the truck (Lord, have mercy)

Just wait in the truck

(Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on me) have mercy on me, Lord

Have mercy on me

(Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on me) have mercy on me, Lord

Have mercy on me

(Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on me) wait in the truck

Just wait in the truck

(Have mercy, have mercy, have mercy on me) wait in the truck

Just wait in the truck (please have me mercy)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
truck /trʌk/ A1	noun - a large motor vehicle designed to carry heavy loads
town /taʊn/ A1	noun - a populated area, typically smaller than a city
scared /skerd/ A1	adjective - afraid or frightened
bruised /bruːzd/ B1	adjective - having a discolored mark on the skin caused by a blow
broke /broʊk/ A1	adjective - having been fractured or damaged
tear /tɪr/ A2	noun - a drop of clear salty liquid secreted from glands in the eye
truth /truːθ/ A2	noun - the actual state of a matter
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - the organs of sight
angel /ˈeɪndʒəl/ A2	noun - a spiritual being believed to act as a messenger of God
justice /ˈdʒʌstɪs/ B2	noun - fairness in the way people are treated
door /dɔːr/ A1	noun - a hinged or sliding barrier used to close off an entrance
hammer /ˈhæmər/ A2	noun - a tool with a heavy metal head used for driving nails
pistol /ˈpɪstl/ B1	noun - a small firearm designed to be held in one hand
cigarettes /ˌsɪɡəˈrets/ A2	noun - a thin cylinder of tobacco rolled in paper for smoking
cops /kɒps/ B1	noun - police officers
mercy /ˈmɜːrsi/ B2	noun - compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is in one's power to punish or harm.
brighter /ˈbraɪtər/ B2	adjective - giving out or reflecting more light
price /praɪs/ A2	noun - the amount of money expected, required, or given in payment for something.

Key Grammar Structures

• I got turned around in some little town I'd never been to before.

  ➔ Past Perfect Tense (I'd never been)

  ➔ The past perfect "I'd never been" indicates an action completed before another action in the past (getting turned around). It emphasizes the temporal sequence of events.

• Well, she was bruised and broke from head to toe.

  ➔ Passive Voice (implied), Descriptive Adjectives

  ➔ While not explicitly passive (using 'was' + past participle), it implies she "was bruised" and "was broke", suggesting someone else inflicted the damage. The adjectives "bruised" and "broke" paint a vivid picture of her condition.

• I don't know if he's an angel 'Cause angels don't do what he did.

  ➔ Indirect Question (if), Subordinate Clause ('Cause)

  ➔ "I don't know if he's an angel" is an indirect question, rephrasing a direct question like "Is he an angel?". "'Cause" is a shortened form of "because", introducing a subordinate clause explaining why the speaker doubts the man's angelic nature.

• He was hellbent to find the man behind all the whiskey scars I hid.

  ➔ Adjective + Preposition Combination (hellbent to), Relative Clause (that I hid)

  ➔ "Hellbent to" is an adjective describing the man's determination. "That I hid" is a relative clause modifying "whiskey scars", providing more information about them.

• I let the hammer drop before he got To that 12 he was reaching for

  ➔ Past Simple, Time Clause (before)

  ➔ The simple past tense "let" describes a completed action. The time clause introduced by "before" establishes the sequence of actions. Note that 'To that 12 he was reaching for' is a shortened way of saying 'To that 12-gauge shotgun he was reaching for'.

• It's been 60 months and she still comes To see me from time to time

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous Tense (It's been), Adverbial Phrase (from time to time)

  ➔ "It's been" is the contracted form of "It has been", indicating an action (the passage of time) that started in the past and continues to the present. "From time to time" is an adverbial phrase indicating that the action (she comes to see me) happens occasionally.

• It was worth the price, to see a brighter side Of the girl I picked up that night

  ➔ Gerund (seeing), Past Simple, Complex Sentence

  ➔ "To see a brighter side" acts as a noun clause of purpose. It explain the meaning of what the price was paid for. "Seeing" functions as the gerund here, indicating the action he's willing to accept consequences for.