And I – English Lyrics

• By: Portugal. The Man
• Album: The Pines

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the rich and evolving sound of Portugal. The Man with "And I," a track from their 2008 album "Censored Colors." This song offers a fascinating glimpse into the band's lyrical depth and their unique blend of psychedelic and alternative rock, making it an excellent piece to explore the intricacies of English through its profound and evocative language.

[English]

Some were reborn,

Some were simply shaken free,

And some were the colors

That took to the streets.

They found in those later years

They knew what we need

It's love for each other,

And every living thing.

And all my time, (All my time...)

Is used,

It's all my only and lonely time too.

Some simply shaken free,

Some were the colors,

That took through the streets.

They thought in those younger years,

They knew what to do.

They knew what to say,

Had nothing to lose.

Now pick up and pack up

The place you were pink,

And falling around.

Dripping and crawling and

Clawing and inside,

You're missing some sounds.

The ones that float, carry

And dance about time,

And space that it lends.

Room to be free

Like the sun and the moon,

Save for the sounds.

Take from the air, take to the streets, and I.

Take from the air, take to the streets, and I.

Take from the air, take to the streets, and I.

Take from the air, take to the streets, and I.

We'll be reborn,

We'll simply be free,

And we'll be the colors

That pour through the streets.

And find in our after years

That we're all, we're all the same.

We're all made of colors

And pour through the streets.

Take from the air, take to the streets, and I.

Take from the air, take to the streets, and I.

Take from the air, take to the streets, and I.

Take from the air, take to the streets, and I.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
reborn /riˈbɔːrn/ B1	adjective - born again, especially in a spiritual or metaphorical sense
shaken /ˈʃeɪkən/ A2	verb - to move or cause to move rapidly back and forth
colors /ˈkʌlərz/ A1	noun - the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye
streets /striːts/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town
found /faʊnd/ A1	verb - to discover or come upon something
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a deep affection or emotional attachment
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ A2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
thought /θɔːt/ A1	noun - an idea or opinion produced by thinking
lose /luːz/ A1	verb - to no longer have something
pick /pɪk/ A1	verb - to choose or select from a group
pack /pæk/ A1	verb - to put things into a container or bag
dripping /ˈdrɪpɪŋ/ A2	verb - to fall in drops
crawling /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/ A2	verb - to move slowly on the ground or a surface
clawing /ˈklɔːɪŋ/ B1	verb - to scratch or dig with the claws
float /floʊt/ A1	verb - to remain suspended on a liquid or gas
free /friː/ A1	adjective - not confined or restrained
pour /pɔːr/ A1	verb - to flow in a steady stream

Key Grammar Structures

• Some were reborn,

  ➔ Passive Voice (Past Simple)

  ➔ The phrase "were reborn" indicates that the subject "Some" received the action of being reborn, rather than performing it. This structure emphasizes the result or the recipient of the action.

• Some were simply shaken free,

  ➔ Past Participle as Adjective Complement

  ➔ In "shaken free", "shaken" is a past participle acting as an adjective, describing the state of being released. "Free" further complements this state.

• They knew what we need

  ➔ Noun Clause as Object

  ➔ The clause "what we need" functions as a noun, specifically as the direct object of the verb "knew". It answers the question 'What did they know?'.

• Is used,

  ➔ Passive Voice (Present Simple)

  ➔ The verb phrase "Is used" indicates that the subject (implied 'time' from the previous line) receives the action of being used, rather than performing it. This is a common structure to emphasize the action's recipient.

• The ones that float, carry

  ➔ Relative Clause (Defining)

  ➔ The clause "that float, carry" is a defining relative clause. It provides essential information about "The ones", specifying which ones are being referred to.

• Room to be free

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose / Adjective Complement

  ➔ The infinitive phrase "to be free" modifies "Room", indicating the purpose for which the room exists or the quality of the room (a room *for* being free).

• Dripping and crawling and Clawing

  ➔ Present Participles as Adverbs / Parallel Structure

  ➔ These present participles ("Dripping", "crawling", "Clawing") are used in a parallel structure to describe simultaneous actions or manners, functioning adverbially to describe how something is falling or moving.

• You're missing some sounds.

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense (Contraction)

  ➔ The phrase "You're missing" is a contraction of "You are missing", forming the present continuous tense. It describes an ongoing action or state of not having something at the present time.

• Now pick up and pack up

  ➔ Phrasal Verbs (Separable) / Imperative Mood

  ➔ "pick up" and "pack up" are phrasal verbs, where the verb and particle (up) combine to create a new meaning. They are separable, meaning an object can go between them. The sentence is in the imperative mood, giving a command.

• We'll be reborn,

  ➔ Passive Voice (Future Simple)

  ➔ The phrase "We'll be reborn" (contraction of "We will be reborn") uses the future simple tense in the passive voice. It indicates that the subject "We" will receive the action of being reborn at some point in the future.