A Perfect Mess – English Lyrics

• By: Mike Posner
• Album: The Layover Mixtape

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

So whats a young man to do

Had a million in the bank when I turned 22. Alright.

It might've saved me

Doing impressions of myself so people say it hasn't changed me.

If only that were true now. But ain't a artist in the game that can do what I do.

I ain't your little secret no more. But listen real close, and I give you

One more.

See all of these American dreams, that I find myself living out.

Mixed with all of these man-made woman that I find myself digging out.

They tell me all day long to get a bodyguard to help myself get around.

But I ain't ever been afraid of people getting inside, I'm more afraid of

What I got on the inside, getting out

And what was left.

A perfect mess.

And if we forget.

A perfect mess.

And what was left.

A perfect mess.

That we forget.

Been a while since 09 remember when I told you it was it was a matter of time

Did you believe me? Did it take this long?

I told Sean if I ever got on that I'd never ever buy a chain with ice.

And I didn't.

Before this all changed my life, from dreams in the dorm room to doing big things

In the boardroom.

See all of these non-American bottles that I find myself sipping out.

Mixed with all of the things Imma have to relearn and one day live without.

Mixed all of the things inside my head that I can't figure out.

But I ain't ever been afraid of people seeing inside, I'm more afraid of

What I got on the inside, getting out.

And what was left.

A perfect mess.

And if we forget.

A perfect mess.

And what was left.

A perfect mess.

That we forget.

Key Grammar Structures

• Had a million in the bank when I turned 22. Alright.

  ➔ Past Perfect

  ➔ The phrase 'Had a million' uses the Past Perfect to indicate an action completed before another past action ('turned 22').

• If only that were true now.

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood

  ➔ The phrase 'If only that were true' uses the Subjunctive Mood to express a wish or hypothetical situation.

• But ain't a artist in the game that can do what I do.

  ➔ Double Negative

  ➔ The phrase 'ain't a artist' uses a non-standard double negative, common in colloquial English for emphasis.

• I'm more afraid of what I got on the inside, getting out.

  ➔ Present Continuous with Future Meaning

  ➔ The phrase 'getting out' uses the Present Continuous to describe a future action or concern.

• And what was left. A perfect mess.

  ➔ Inversion for Emphasis

  ➔ The sentence 'And what was left' uses inversion to place emphasis on the subject.

• Remember when I told you it was it was a matter of time.

  ➔ Indirect Speech

  ➔ The phrase 'Remember when I told you' uses indirect speech to report a past conversation.

• Mixed with all of the things Imma have to relearn and one day live without.

  ➔ Contraction (Imma)

  ➔ 'Imma' is a contraction of 'I am going to,' common in informal English.