1901 – English Lyrics

• By: Birdy
• Album: Birdy

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a captivating musical journey with Birdy's "1901." This soulful cover offers a unique opportunity to appreciate how a song's meaning and emotion can be transformed through a different artist's interpretation. Listening to Birdy's piano-driven, melancholic version allows learners to engage with the subtle nuances of emotional expression in English lyrics and vocal delivery, making it an excellent piece for understanding nuanced language usage in a musical context. The stripped-back arrangement makes the lyrics particularly clear, aiding comprehension.

[English]

Counting all different ideas drifting away

Past and present, they don't matter

Now the future's sorted out

Watch her moving in elliptical patterns

Think it's not what you say

What you say is way too complicated

For a minute, though, I couldn't tell how to fall out

It's twenty seconds till the last call

Calling hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

Lie down, you know it's easy

Like we did it all summer long

And I'll be anything you ask, and more

Going hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

It's not a miracle we needed

No, I wouldn't let you think so

Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it

Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it

Girlfriend, oh, your girlfriend is drifting away

Past and present eighteen-fifty five nineteen oh one

Watch them build up a material tower

Think it's not gonna stay

Anyway, I think it's overrated

For a minute thought I couldn't tell how to fall out

It's twenty seconds till the last call

Calling hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

Lie down, you know it's easy

Like we did it all summer long

And I'll be anything you ask, and more

Going hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

It's not a miracle we needed

No, I wouldn't let you think so

Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it

Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it

Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it

Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it

Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it

Fold it, fold it, fold it, fold it

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
drifting /ˈdrɪftɪŋ/ B2	verb - moving slowly, especially because of a current of air or water
ideas /aɪˈdiːəz/ A2	noun - a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action
future /ˈfjuːtʃər/ A2	noun - the time that is to come
sorted /ˈsɔːrtɪd/ B1	adjective - organized; arranged
moving /ˈmuːvɪŋ/ A1	verb - going in a specified direction or manner; changing position.
patterns /ˈpætərnz/ B1	noun - a repeated decorative design
complicated /ˈkɒmplɪkeɪtɪd/ B2	adjective - consisting of many interconnecting parts or elements; intricate.
fall /fɔːl/ A2	verb - to drop down
call /kɔːl/ A1	verb - to give someone or something a specified name
easy /ˈiːzi/ A1	adjective - achieved without great effort; presenting few difficulties.
summer /ˈsʌmər/ A1	noun - the warmest season of the year
miracle /ˈmɪrəkl/ B1	noun - a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws
fold /foʊld/ A2	verb - bend (something flexible and relatively flat) over on itself so that one part of it covers another.
girlfriend /ˈɡɜːrlfrend/ A2	noun - a female friend
build /bɪld/ A1	verb - construct (something, typically a large structure) by putting parts or materials together.
material /məˈtɪriəl/ B1	noun - a substance which something is made or composed of.
tower /ˈtaʊər/ A2	noun - a tall narrow building or part of a building
overrated /ˌoʊvərˈreɪtɪd/ B2	adjective - having a higher opinion of (someone or something) than is deserved.

Key Grammar Structures

• Counting all different ideas drifting away

  ➔ Present participle used as a noun (gerund)

  ➔ In this line, "Counting" is a gerund that acts as the subject of the sentence.

• It's twenty seconds till the last call

  ➔ It's + time expression

  ➔ This structure is used to indicate a specific time remaining until an event.

• Think it's not what you say

  ➔ Indirect speech

  ➔ This line uses indirect speech to convey someone's thoughts or beliefs.

• It's not a miracle we needed

  ➔ Negative form with 'needed'

  ➔ This line expresses a negation of a past necessity.

• Like we did it all summer long

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ This line uses the past simple tense to describe an action that occurred in the past.

• Girlfriend, oh, your girlfriend is drifting away

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ This line uses the present continuous tense to indicate an ongoing action.