Absolute Beginners – English Lyrics

• By: David Bowie

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can feel like being an 'absolute beginner,' and David Bowie's song of the same name is the perfect anthem for this journey. Its clear, heartfelt lyrics about new love and hope offer a beautiful and accessible way to engage with the English language. The song's grand, cinematic feel will not only inspire you but also help you connect with the powerful emotions that music and language can convey.

[English]

I've nothing much to offer

...

There's nothing much to take

I'm an absolute beginner

...

And I'm absolutely sane

...

As long as we're together

The rest can go to hell

I absolutely love you

...

But we're absolute beginners

...

With eyes completely open

...

But nervous all the same

If our love song

Could fly over mountains

Could laugh at the ocean

Just like the films

There's no reason

To feel all the hard times

To lay down the hard lines

It's absolutely true

...

Nothing much could happen

Nothing we can't shake

Oh we're absolute beginners

...

With nothing much at stake

...

As long as you're still smiling

There's nothing more I need

...

I absolutely love you

...

But we're absolute beginners

...

But if my love is your love

We're certain to succeed

If our love song

Could fly over mountains

Sail over heartaches

Just like the films

If there's reason

To feel all the hard times

To lay down the hard lines

It's absolutely true

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
beginner /bɪˈɡɪnər/ A2	noun - a person just starting to learn or do something
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
mountain /ˈmaʊntɪn/ B1	noun - a large natural elevation of the earth's surface
ocean /ˈoʊʃən/ B2	noun - a vast body of salt water that covers most of the Earth’s surface
film /fɪlm/ A2	noun - a movie or motion picture
reason /ˈriːzn/ B1	noun - a cause or explanation for an action or event
hard /hɑːrd/ A2	adjective - difficult to do or understand
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - a measured or measurable period during which an action occurs
truth /truːθ/ B2	noun - the actual state of a matter; factual correctness
chance /tʃæns/ B2	noun - a possibility of something happening
true /truː/ B2	adjective - in accordance with fact or reality

Key Grammar Structures

• There's nothing much to take

  ➔ Existential there + be + noun + to + verb

  ➔ Uses the structure *there's + noun + to + verb* to express the existence or presence of something with the purpose or possibility.

• As long as we're together

  ➔ Conditional clause with 'as long as' meaning 'provided that'

  ➔ The phrase *as long as* introduces a condition which must be true for the main clause to happen, similar to 'provided that'.

• I'm absolutely sane

  ➔ Adjective complement indicating state or condition

  ➔ Uses the adverb *absolutely* with the adjective *sane* to emphasize certainty about mental stability.

• If our love song could fly over mountains

  ➔ Conditional clause with 'could' indicating possibility

  ➔ The modal *could* suggests an ability or possibility in a hypothetical scenario.

• To feel all the hard times

  ➔ Infinitive phrase expressing purpose or emotional state

  ➔ Uses the infinitive *to feel* to show purpose or the experience of emotional states.

• If my love is your love

  ➔ Conditional clause with 'if' expressing a hypothetical situation

  ➔ The *if* clause presents a hypothetical condition that influences the meaning of the main clause.