27 – English Lyrics

• By: Passenger
• Album: Sometimes It's Something, Sometimes It's Nothing At All

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw honesty of Passenger's "27," a poignant indie folk anthem that offers a deeply personal look at an artist's journey. Through its relatable lyrics, you can explore expressions of perseverance, self-reflection, and the universal experience of navigating life's complexities at a pivotal age. This song is special for its candid storytelling and the authentic voice of a troubadour, making it an engaging way to connect with the English language through heartfelt music.

[English]

27 years, 27 years old

Only thing I know, the only thing I get told

I gotta sell out if I want to get sold

Don't want the devil to be taking my soul

I write songs that come from the heart

I don't give a fuck if they get into the chart, or not

Only way I can be, is to say what I see

And have no shadow hanging over me

I don't know where I'm running but I know how to run

'Cause, running's the thing I've always done

Oh I don't know what I'm doing but I know what I've done

I'm a hungry heart, a loaded gun

27 years, 27 years now

Only thing I know, I know that I don't know how

To please everybody all of the time

'Cause everybody always fucking changing their minds

A little bit faded, a little bit jaded

Not gonna stop and I won't be persuaded

To write words I can't believe in

To see my face on a video screen

I don't know where I'm running but I know how to run

'Cause, running's the thing I've always done

Oh I don't know what I'm doing but I know what I've done

I'm a hungry heart, a loaded gun

27 years, 27 years done

Written 600 songs, only 12 get sung

87,000 cigarettes have passed through these lungs

And every single day I wish I'd never smoked one

A week brushing my teeth and a week getting my haircut

8 years sleeping, I'm still tired when I wake up

A whole year eating and I still lost weight, fuck

Five proper girlfriends and five messy breakups

27 birthdays, 27 new years

30,000 quid, just so I could have a few beers

Ever dying old hopes, ever growing new fears

Don't know where I'm going, but I know how I got here

Don't know where I'm running but I know how to run

'Cause, running's the thing I've always done, oh

Oh I don't know what I'm doing but I know what I've done

I'm a hungry heart, a loaded gun, oh

Said I don't know where I'm running but I know how to run

'Cause, running's the thing I've always done, oh

Oh I don't know what I'm doing but I know what I've done

I'm a hungry heart

I'm a loaded gun, oh

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
years /jɪərz/ A1	noun - a period of 365 days
know /nəʊ/ A1	verb - to be aware of something
thing /θɪŋ/ A1	noun - an object or concept
sell /sel/ A2	verb - to exchange goods or services for money
soul /səʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being
write /raɪt/ A1	verb - to inscribe words on a surface
songs /sɒŋz/ A1	noun - a short musical composition with words
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood
running /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot noun - the act of moving quickly on foot
hungry /ˈhʌŋɡri/ A2	adjective - feeling or showing hunger
gun /ɡʌn/ A2	noun - a weapon designed to fire a projectile
faded /ˈfeɪdɪd/ B1	adjective - having lost freshness or intensity of color
jaded /ˈdʒeɪdɪd/ B2	adjective - tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm
words /wɜːrdz/ A1	noun - a unit of language that has meaning
screen /skriːn/ A2	noun - a flat surface on which images are displayed
smoked /sməʊkt/ A2	verb - to inhale and exhale the smoke of tobacco
tired /ˈtaɪərd/ A1	adjective - in need of rest or sleep
weight /weɪt/ A2	noun - a measure of how heavy something is
breakups /ˈbreɪkʌps/ B1	noun - the ending of a romantic relationship
fears /fɪərz/ A2	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger

Key Grammar Structures

• I gotta sell out if I want to get sold

  ➔ Modal Verb (have to) in the present tense

  ➔ The phrase "I gotta" is a colloquial form of "I have to," expressing necessity or obligation.

• Don't want the devil to be taking my soul

  ➔ Present continuous passive

  ➔ The phrase "to be taking" is in the present continuous passive, indicating an ongoing action being done to the subject.

• Only way I can be, is to say what I see

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose

  ➔ The phrase "is to say" uses the infinitive form to express purpose or result.

• I don't know where I'm running but I know how to run

  ➔ Present continuous vs. Infinitive

  ➔ Contrasts between "I'm running" (present continuous) and "how to run" (infinitive) to show ongoing action vs. ability.

• Written 600 songs, only 12 get sung

  ➔ Past participle in passive voice

  ➔ The phrase "get sung" uses the past participle in a passive construction to indicate an action done to the songs.

• Ever dying old hopes, ever growing new fears

  ➔ Present participle as adjective

  ➔ The phrases "dying" and "growing" are present participles used as adjectives to describe hopes and fears.

• Don't know where I'm going, but I know how I got here

  ➔ Contrast between present tense and past tense

  ➔ Contrasts "I'm going" (present tense) with "I got" (past tense) to show uncertainty about the future vs. knowledge of the past.