What's Up – English Lyrics

• By: 4 Non Blondes

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotion of 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up," a powerful 90s rock anthem. Its deeply relatable lyrics, filled with questions about life and society, offer a fantastic opportunity to explore authentic English expressions of frustration and hope. Linda Perry's distinctive vocals and the song's enduring message make it a special and engaging piece for language learners.

[English]

♪♪♪

♪ 25 YEARS AND MY LIFE IS STILL ♪

♪ TRYING TO GET UP THAT GREAT BIG HILL OF HOPE ♪

♪ FOR A DESTINATION ♪

♪ I REALIZED QUICKLY WHEN I KNEW I SHOULD ♪

♪ THAT THE WORLD WAS MADE UP OF THIS BROTHERHOOD OF MAN ♪

♪ FOR WHATEVER THAT MEANS ♪

♪ AND SO I CRY SOMETIMES WHEN I'M LYING IN BED ♪

♪ JUST TO GET IT ALL OUT WHAT'S IN MY HEAD ♪

♪ AND I, I AM FEELING A LITTLE PECULIAR ♪

♪ AND SO I WAKE IN THE MORNING AND I STEP OUTSIDE ♪

♪ AND I TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND I GET REAL HIGH ♪

♪ AND I SCREAM FROM THE TOP OF MY LUNGS, WHAT'S GOING ON ♪

♪ AND I SAID HEY, YEAH, YEAH ♪

♪ HEY, YEAH, YEAH ♪

♪ I SAID, HEY ♪

♪ WHAT'S GOING ON ♪

♪ AND I SAID HEY, YEAH, YEAH ♪

♪ HEY, YEAH, YEAH ♪

♪ I SAID HEY ♪

♪ WHAT'S GOING ON ♪

♪ [VOCALIZING] ♪

♪ [VOCALIZING] ♪

♪ [VOCALIZING] ♪

♪ [VOCALIZING] ♪

♪♪♪

♪ [VOCALIZING] ♪

♪ [VOCALIZING] ♪

♪ [VOCALIZING] ♪

♪ [VOCALIZING] ♪

♪♪♪

♪ AND I TRY ♪

♪ OH MY GOD, DO I TRY ♪

♪ I TRY ALL THE TIME ♪

♪ IN THIS INSTITUTION ♪

♪ AND I PRAY ♪

♪ OH MY GOD, DO I PRAY ♪

♪ I PRAY EVERY SINGLE DAY ♪

♪ FOR A REVOLUTION ♪

♪ AND SO I CRY SOMETIMES WHEN I'M LYING IN BED ♪

♪ JUST TO GET IT ALL OUT WHAT'S IN MY HEAD ♪

♪ AND I, I AM FEELING A LITTLE PECULIAR ♪

♪ AND SO I WAKE IN THE MORNING AND I STEP OUTSIDE ♪

♪ AND I TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND I GET REAL HIGH ♪

♪ AND I SCREAM FROM THE TOP OF MY LUNGS, WHAT'S GOING ON ♪

♪ AND I SAID, HEY, YEAH, YEAH ♪

♪ HEY, YEAH, YEAH ♪

♪ I SAID, HEY ♪

♪ WHAT'S GOING ON ♪

♪ AND I SAID, HEY, YEAH, YEAH ♪

♪ HEY, YEAH, YEAH ♪

♪ I SAID, HEY ♪

♪ WHAT'S GOING ON ♪

♪ AND I SAID ♪

♪ HEY, YEAH, YEAH (WAKE IN THE MORNING) ♪

♪ (AND I STEP OUTSIDE) ♪

♪ HEY, YEAH, YEAH (I TAKE A DEEP BREATH) ♪

♪ (AND I GET REAL HIGH) ♪

♪ I SAID, HEY ♪

♪ WHAT'S GOING ON ♪

♪ AND I SAID ♪

♪ HEY, YEAH, YEAH (WAKE IN THE MORNING) ♪

♪ (AND I STEP OUTSIDE) ♪

♪ HEY, YEAH, YEAH (I TAKE A DEEP BREATH) ♪

♪ YEAH, YEAH, YEAH (AND I GET REAL HIGH) ♪

♪ I SAID, HEY ♪

♪ WHAT'S GOING ON ♪

♪ [VOCALIZING] ♪

♪ [VOCALIZING] ♪

♪ [VOCALIZING] ♪

♪ [VOCALIZING] ♪

♪♪♪

♪ 25 YEARS AND MY LIFE IS STILL ♪

♪ TRYING TO GET UP THAT GREAT BIG HILL OF HOPE ♪

♪ FOR A DESTINATION ♪

♪ MM ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter
cry /kraɪ/ A2	verb - to shed tears
morning /ˈmɔrnɪŋ/ A1	noun - the period of time from sunrise to noon
breath /brɛθ/ B1	noun - the air taken into or expelled from the lungs
scream /skrim/ B1	verb - to make a loud, high-pitched sound
high /haɪ/ A2	adjective - of great vertical extent
hope /hoʊp/ B1	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen
destination /ˌdɛstəˈneɪʃən/ B2	noun - the place to which someone or something is going or being sent
institution /ˌɪnstɪˈtuːʃən/ B2	noun - an established organization or foundation, especially one dedicated to education, public service, or culture
revolution /ˌrɛvəˈluːʃən/ B2	noun - a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system
peculiar /pɪˈkjuːliər/ B2	adjective - strange or unusual
world /wɜrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries and peoples
get /ɡɛt/ A1	verb - to obtain or receive
step /stɛp/ A1	verb - to move by lifting the foot and setting it down in a new position
lying /ˈlaɪɪŋ/ B1	verb - to be in a horizontal position on a surface
big /bɪɡ/ A1	adjective - of considerable size or extent
top /tɑp/ A2	noun - the highest or uppermost point

Key Grammar Structures

• "And I cried sometimes when I'm lying in bed"

  ➔ Use of the simple present tense with 'I' and 'sometimes' indicating habitual action.

  ➔ 'Sometimes' modifies the verb to show frequency.

• "And I step outside"

  ➔ Simple present tense for habitual or immediate actions following 'I'.

  ➔ 'Step' is in the simple present indicating a habitual action.

• "And I take a deep breath"

  ➔ Use of 'take' + noun phrase to describe performing an action.

  ➔ 'Take' is a verb used with nouns to express performing an action.

• "And I scream from the top of my lungs"

  ➔ Use of 'from the top of' to specify location or extent.

  ➔ 'Scream' is in the present tense, describing a habitual or expressive action.

• "And I pray oh my God, do I pray"

  ➔ Use of modal auxiliary 'do' for emphasis in questions or negatives.

  ➔ 'Do' is used to add emphasis or form questions in the present tense.

• "I try all the time in this institution"

  ➔ Present simple tense indicating habitual effort or action.

  ➔ 'Try' in the present tense expresses ongoing or habitual effort.

• "And I realize quickly when I knew I should"

  ➔ Past simple tense 'knew' with 'should' expressing a past realization of obligation.

  ➔ 'Knew' is past simple, indicating a completed realization.