All the young dudes – English Lyrics

• By: Pet Shop Boys
• Album: New London boy / All the young dudes

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the Pet Shop Boys' captivating cover of "All the Young Dudes" and explore how this synth-pop duo reimagines a glam rock classic with their distinctive electronic flair and poignant lyrical additions. Discover how they celebrate youth, identity, and the "right to choose," making this song a rich text for understanding modern English musical expression and its evolution through reinterpretation.

[English]

Well, Billy rapped all night about his suicide

How he'd kick it in the head when he was twenty-five

Speed jive, don't want to stay alive

When you're twenty-five

And Wendy's stealing clothes from Marks and Sparks

And Freddy's got spots from ripping off the stars from his face

Funky little boat race

Television man is crazy saying we're juvenile delinquent wrecks

Oh, man, I need TV when I've got T.Rex

Oh, brother, you guessed, I'm a dude, dad

All the young dudes carry the news

Boogaloo dudes carry the news

All the young dudes (I wanna hear you)

Carry the news (I wanna see you)

Boogaloo dudes (And I wanna go, thank to you)

Carry the news

Now Lucy's looking sweet 'cause she dresses like a queen

But she can kick like a mule, it's a real mean team

But we can love

Oh yeah, we can love

And my brother's back at home with his Beatles and his Stones

We never got it off on that revolution stuff

What a drag, too many snags

Now I've drunk a lot of wine and I'm feeling fine

Got to race some cat to bed

Is that concrete all around or is it in my head?

Brother, you guessed, I'm a dude, dad

All the young dudes (I wanna hear you)

Carry the news (I wanna see you)

Boogaloo dudes (And I wanna relate to you)

Carry the news

All the young dudes (Have you heard the last news?)

Carry the news (Everybody's got a right to choose)

Boogaloo dudes (You can cling to dance)

Carry the news

(Hey, you)

(You, with the glasses)

(I want you)

I'm a dude, dad

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
suicide /ˈsuːɪsaɪd/ B2	noun - the act or an instance of intentionally taking one's own life
kick /kɪk/ A2	verb - to strike with the foot verb - to cause something to move or begin quickly; to start
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living; not dead
twenty-five /ˌtwɛntiˈfaɪv/ A2	adjective - the number 25; equivalent to two tens and five
speed /spiːd/ B1	noun - the rate at which someone or something moves or operates
jive /dʒaɪv/ B2	noun - a lively dance style; a type of upbeat music noun - slang for insincere or exaggerated talk
clothes /kloʊðz/ A2	noun - garments; items worn to cover the body
faces /ˈfeɪsɪz/ A2	noun - the front part of the head that includes the eyes, nose, and mouth; expressions
stars /stɑːrz/ A2	noun - celestial bodies that illuminate the night sky; famous people
television /ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən/ B1	noun - a system for transmitting moving images and sound; the medium itself
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human being
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ A2	adjective - mentally deranged; wild or extreme; extremely enthusiastic
juvenile /ˈdʒuː.vɪ.naɪl/ B2	adjective - relating to young people; not fully grown noun - a young person, especially a minor
delinquent /dɪˈlɪŋkwənt/ B2	adjective - involving or characterized by illegal or negligent behavior; criminal noun - a person who regularly commits illegal acts; a criminal
revolution /ˌrɛvəˈluːʃən/ B2	noun - a forcible overthrow of a government or social order; a drastic change
wine /waɪn/ A2	noun - an alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes
bed /bɛd/ A1	noun - a piece of furniture for sleep or rest
Beatles /ˈbiːtəlz/ B1	noun - The Beatles, famous British rock band from the 1960s
Stones /stoʊnz/ B1	noun - The Rolling Stones, famous British rock band
news /njuːz/ B1	noun - new information about recent events; reports

Key Grammar Structures

• Well, Billy rapped all night about his suicide.

  ➔ Past Simple

  ➔ The verb "rapped" is in the Past Simple to describe a completed action in the past.

• How he'd kick it in the head when he was twenty‑five.

  ➔ Conditional (would) + Past Simple in a time clause

  ➔ "He'd" is the contraction of "he would" – a conditional form – followed by the base verb "kick". The clause "when he was twenty‑five" uses Past Simple to state a past time reference.

• Speed jive, don't want to stay alive.

  ➔ Negative Imperative + Infinitive

  ➔ "don't" is the negative form of the imperative "do" followed by the base verb "want" and the infinitive "to stay".

• And Wendy's stealing clothes from Marks and Sparks.

  ➔ Present Continuous (is + -ing)

  ➔ "Wendy's" is a contraction of "Wendy is"; the verb "stealing" is in the -ing form to show an ongoing action.

• And Freddy's got spots from ripping off the stars from his face.

  ➔ Present Simple (have) + Gerund as cause

  ➔ "Freddy's" = "Freddy has"; "got" is the simple present of "have". The gerund "ripping" shows the cause of the spots.

• Television man is crazy saying we're juvenile delinquent wrecks.

  ➔ Present Simple + Present Participle (verb‑ing) as complement

  ➔ "is crazy" is the present simple. The verb "saying" (present participle) functions as a complement, introducing a quoted clause.

• Oh, brother, you guessed, I'm a dude, dad.

  ➔ Simple Past (guessed) + Present Simple (am)

  ➔ "you guessed" uses the Simple Past to talk about a completed action. "I'm" is the contraction of "I am", present simple for identity.

• All the young dudes carry the news.

  ➔ Simple Present (third‑person plural)

  ➔ "carry" is the base form used with the third‑person plural subject "all the young dudes" in the Simple Present.

• Now Lucy's looking sweet 'cause she dresses like a queen.

  ➔ Present Continuous + Causal "'cause" (because)

  ➔ "Lucy’s" = "Lucy is"; "looking" is the -ing form showing a current state. "'cause" is colloquial for "because" introducing the reason.

• But we can love.

  ➔ Modal verb "can" + base verb (infinitive without to)

  ➔ "can" is a modal verb expressing ability or possibility, followed directly by the base verb "love".