21st Century Breakdown – English Lyrics

• By: Green Day
• Album: 21st Century Breakdown

Lyrics & Translation

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
blind /blaɪnd/ B1	adjective - unable to see
breakdown /ˈbreɪkdaʊn/ B2	noun - a failure
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the part of a person that thinks, feels, and reasons
poison /ˈpɔɪzən/ B2	noun - a substance that causes death or injury when swallowed, inhaled, or absorbed
blood /blʌd/ A1	noun - the red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins of humans and other vertebrate animals
security /sɪˈkjʊərəti/ B1	noun - the state of being free from danger or threat
desperate /ˈdɛspərət/ B2	adjective - feeling, showing, or involving a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with
decline /dɪˈklaɪn/ B2	noun - a gradual and continuous loss of strength, numbers, quality, or value
pride /praɪd/ B1	noun - a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of one's close associates, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired
scars /skɑːr/ B1	noun - a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not completely healed and fibrous connective tissue has developed
faith /feɪθ/ B1	noun - complete trust or confidence in someone or something
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal
damage /ˈdæmɪdʒ/ A2	noun - physical harm that impairs the value, usefulness, or normal function of something
freedom /ˈfriːdəm/ A2	noun - the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance.
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep.

Key Grammar Structures

• Born into Nixon, I was raised in hell.

  ➔ Passive voice

  ➔ The phrase "I was raised" uses the passive voice to indicate that the subject received the action.

• My generation is zero.

  ➔ Simple present tense

  ➔ The phrase "My generation is" uses the simple present tense to express a general truth.

• I think I'm losing what's left of my mind.

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase "I'm losing" uses the present continuous tense to indicate an ongoing action.

• I was made of poison and blood.

  ➔ Passive voice

  ➔ The phrase "I was made" uses the passive voice to indicate that the subject was created by an external force.

• Praise liberty.

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The phrase "Praise liberty" uses the imperative mood to give a command or request.

• We are the desperate in the decline.

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The phrase "We are the desperate" uses the present simple tense to describe a state of being.

• I sat in the waiting room, wasting my time.

  ➔ Past continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase "wasting my time" uses the past continuous tense to indicate an action that was ongoing in the past.