Always Look on the Bright Side of Life – English Lyrics

• By: Monty Python
• Album: Life of Brian

Lyrics & Translation

"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" offers a unique and humorous lens into British wit and stoicism. By exploring its sardonic lyrics and deceptively cheerful melody, learners can grasp how English is used to convey irony, embrace dark humor, and articulate resilience through song, making it a truly special and memorable piece for language study.

[English]

But Brian, you know what they say?

Some things in life are bad

They can really make you mad

Other things just make you swear and curse

When you're chewing on life's gristle

Don't grumble, give a whistle

And this'll help things turn out for the best

And

Always look on the bright side of life

Always look on the light side of life

If life seems jolly rotten (hoo-hoo)

There's something you've forgotten (hoo-hoo)

And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing (hoo-hoo-hoo)

When you're feeling in the dumps (hoo-hoo)

Don't be silly, chumps (hoo-hoo)

Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing (hoo-hoo)

And

Always look on the bright side of life

(Come on)

Always look on the right side of life

For life is quite absurd (hoo-hoo)

And death's the final word (hoo-hoo)

You must always face the curtain with a bow (hoo-hoo-hoo)

Forget about your sin (hoo-hoo)

Give the audience a grin (hoo-hoo)

Enjoy it, it's your last chance anyhow

So always look on the bright side of death

A-just before you draw your terminal breath

Life's a piece of shit (hoo-hoo)

When you look at it (hoo-hoo)

Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true (hoo-hoo-hoo)

You'll see it's all a show (hoo-hoo)

Keep 'em laughin' as you go (hoo-hoo)

Just remember that the last laugh is on you (hoo-hoo-hoo)

And

Always look on the bright side of life

Always look on the right side of life

(C'mon Brian, cheer up)

Always look on the bright side of life

Always look on the bright side of life

(Worse things happen at sea, you know?)

Always look on the bright side of life (what have you got to lose?)

(You know, you come from nothing, you're going back to nothing)

(What have you lost? Nothing) always look on the bright side of life

(Nothing will come from nothing you know what they say?)

Always look on the bright side of life (cheer up, ya old bugger, c'mon, give us a grin)

(There y'are, see? It's the end of the film)

(Incidentally, this record is available in the foyer)

Always look on the bright side of life (some of us got to live as well, you know?)

(All right, that's the lot, let's get this place knocked down)

Always look on the bright side of life (the whole show's dismantled in three weeks)

Who do you think pays for all this rubbish?)

Always look on the bright side of life (they'll never make their money back, you know)

(I told him, I said to him, "Bernie" I said, "they'll never make their money back")

Always look on the bright side of life

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
make /meɪk/ A2	verb - to produce, create, or form verb - to cause to happen
life /laɪf/ A2	noun - the existence of living beings
bright /braɪt/ B2	adjective - giving off a lot of light
laugh /læf/ A2	verb - to make sounds of amusement or happiness with voice
death /dɛθ/ B1	noun - the end of life
curse /kɜːrs/ B2	verb - to swear or wish ill upon
smile /smaɪl/ A2	verb - to form facial expression indicating happiness or amusement
silly /ˈsɪl.i/ B1	adjective - lacking good sense or judgment
dance /dæns/ A2	verb - to move rhythmically to music
song /sɒŋ/ A1	noun - a musical composition with lyrics
curse /kɜːrs/ B2	noun - an evil spell or invocation
show /ʃoʊ/ A2	noun - a performance or display

Key Grammar Structures

• Some things in life are bad

  ➔ Simple present tense

  ➔ The phrase uses the simple present tense to express a general truth about life.

• When you're chewing on life's gristle

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The present continuous tense is used to describe an action that is currently happening.

• Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The imperative mood is used to give commands or instructions.

• For life is quite absurd

  ➔ Simple present tense

  ➔ The simple present tense is used here to express a general observation about life.

• Enjoy it, it's your last chance anyhow

  ➔ Contraction

  ➔ The contraction 'it's' is used to combine 'it is' for a more conversational tone.

• Life's a piece of shit

  ➔ Colloquial expression

  ➔ This colloquial expression conveys a strong opinion about life in an informal way.

• Just remember that the last laugh is on you

  ➔ Subjunctive mood

  ➔ The subjunctive mood is used to express a wish or hypothetical situation.