All Star – English Lyrics

• By: Smash Mouth

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of Smash Mouth's "All Star," a song that's more than just a catchy tune—it's an anthem for self-acceptance and resilience. By exploring its upbeat lyrics and powerful message, you can gain insight into colloquial English expressions and learn how music can inspire and uplift. This iconic track, known for its widespread cultural impact, offers a fun and memorable way to connect with the language through its engaging narrative and universally relatable themes.

[English]

- All right, state your name and power.

- I am the Waffler, with my griddle of justice

I bash the enemy in the head or I burn them like so.

(skin searing)

- Ooh. - Next.

- Hi, I am Pencil Head.

- And I am Son of Pencil Head.

- [Pencil Head] We erase crime.

- Two generations of...

- Right. - Yes, thank you.

(arms whooshing)

(crowd screaming)

- I'd say there's potential.

♪ Somebody once told me

♪ The world is gonna roll me

♪ I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed ♪

♪ She was looking kind of dumb

♪ With her finger and her thumb ♪

♪ In the shape of an L on her forehead ♪

♪ Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming ♪

♪ Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running ♪

♪ Didn't make sense not to live for fun ♪

♪ Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb ♪

♪ So much to do, so much to see ♪

♪ So what's wrong with taking the back streets? ♪

♪ You'll never know if you don't go ♪

♪ You'll never shine if you don't glow ♪

♪ Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play ♪

♪ Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid ♪

♪ And all that glitters is gold ♪

♪ Only shooting stars, break the mold ♪

♪ It's a cool place and they say it gets colder ♪

♪ You're bundled up now, wait till you get older ♪

♪ But the meteor men beg to differ ♪

♪ Judging by the hole in the satellite picture ♪

♪ The ice we skate is getting pretty thin ♪

♪ The water's getting warm so you might as well swim ♪

♪ My world's on fire, how about yours? ♪

♪ That's the way I like it and I never get bored ♪

♪ Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play ♪

♪ Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid ♪

♪ All that glitters is gold

♪ Only shooting stars break the mold ♪

(whistling)

(Go for the moon)

(Go for the moon)

(tires screeching)

(Go for the moon)

(Go for the moon)

♪ Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play ♪

♪ Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid ♪

♪ And all that glitters is gold ♪

♪ Only shooting stars

♪ Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas? ♪

♪ I need to get myself away from this place ♪

♪ I said "Yep, what a concept

♪ I could use a little fuel myself ♪

♪ And we could all use a little change" ♪

♪ Well, the years start coming and they don't stop coming ♪

♪ Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running ♪

♪ Didn't make sense not to live for fun ♪

♪ Your brain gets smart, but your head gets dumb ♪

♪ So much to do, so much to see ♪

♪ So what's wrong with taking the back streets? ♪

♪ You'll never know if you don't go (Go!) ♪

♪ You'll never shine if you don't glow ♪

♪ Hey now, you're an all-star, get your game on, go play ♪

♪ Hey now, you're a rock star, get the show on, get paid ♪

♪ And all that glitters is gold ♪

♪ Only shooting stars break the mold ♪

♪ And all that glitters is gold ♪

♪ Only shooting stars break the mold ♪

(applause)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features.
roll /roʊl/ A2	verb - to move or cause to move in a particular direction by turning over and over.
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A2	noun - the solid surface of the earth.
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move at a speed faster than a walk; to go quickly.
fun /fʌn/ A1	noun - enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure.
head /hed/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck where the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth are.
streets /striːts/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town.
shine /ʃaɪn/ A2	verb - to give out a bright light.
game /ɡeɪm/ A1	noun - a form of play or sport, especially a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or chance.
stars /stɑːrz/ A1	noun - a fixed luminous point in the night sky that is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun.
place /pleɪs/ A1	noun - a particular position or area.
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - combustion or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke.
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A1	noun - the act or instance of making or becoming different.
smart /smɑːrt/ A2	adjective - having or showing a quick-witted intelligence.
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - of or at a low or relatively low temperature.
gold /ɡoʊld/ A1	noun - a yellow precious metal that is highly valued.

Key Grammar Structures

• Somebody once told me The world is gonna roll me

  ➔ "gonna" (going to) - Informal future tense

  ➔ "Gonna" is a colloquial shortening of "going to", commonly used to express future intentions or predictions. It is less formal than "will" or "shall".

• I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed

  ➔ "Ain't" - Non-standard negative auxiliary verb

  ➔ "Ain't" is a non-standard contraction that can replace "am not", "is not", "are not", "has not", or "have not". Its use is generally considered grammatically incorrect in formal English, but it's common in informal speech and some dialects.

• Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming

  ➔ Present Simple for habitual actions

  ➔ The "start coming" and "don't stop coming" use the present simple to describe a continuous, habitual action over time.

• Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running

  ➔ Past Simple - Simple past tense

  ➔ "Fed" and "hit" are in the past simple tense, indicating completed actions in the past.

• Didn't make sense not to live for fun

  ➔ Double Negative (informal)

  ➔ While grammatically frowned upon in formal contexts, the double negative "didn't make sense not to" is used for emphasis, essentially meaning "it made sense to live for fun".

• So what's wrong with taking the back streets?

  ➔ Question Formation with Preposition "with"

  ➔ The question is formed with "what's wrong with" + gerund, expressing a questioning of the logic behind avoiding something.

• You'll never know if you don't go

  ➔ First Conditional - Type 1 conditional sentence

  ➔ This is a first conditional sentence: "If" clause (present simple) + main clause (future simple). Expresses a real possibility in the future.

• Only shooting stars break the mold

  ➔ Subject-Verb Agreement (Plural Noun with Plural Verb)

  ➔ "Stars" is a plural noun, so it takes the plural verb "break". This demonstrates basic subject-verb agreement.