Are You What You Want to Be? – English Lyrics

• By: Foster The People

Lyrics & Translation

Thinking about learning English? Let Foster The People's "Are You What You Want to Be?" be your guide. This song is special not only for its incredibly catchy, globe-trotting beat but also for its deep, thought-provoking questions about life and identity. By exploring the lyrics, you can learn vocabulary related to self-reflection and social commentary, all while enjoying a truly unique and energetic piece of music.

[English]

I woke up on Champs-Élysées to the Djembe of Ghana

Well, a fine lady from Belize said, "You got the spirit of Fela"

Yeah, a young one dripping makeup lift her hands out to holla

Well, I gave her what I got but couldn't handle her broken heart

The right words in the hands of dissidents with the fire

Yeah, will rip apart the marrow from the bone of the liars

And well, I'm afraid of saying too much and ending a martyr

But even more so, I'm afraid to face God and say I was a coward, yeah

With all these things, I wait for revelation

These things make me want to duck for cover

With all these things, I wait for revolution

These things ask the biggest question to me

And it's, are you what you want to be?

So are you what you want to be?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah

The war machine will put out both its hands for a dollar

It's drinking at the table with the chrome hand guerrillas

And the young one dripping makeup lift her leg up to holla

Well, I told her what she's got should be protected in the arms of love

The right things in the hands of dissidents with the fire

Yeah, will rip apart the marrow from the bone of the liars

And well, I'm afraid of saying too much and ending a martyr

But even more so, I'm afraid to face God and say I was a coward, yeah

...

With all these things, I wait for revelation

These things make me want to duck for cover

With all these things, I wait for revolution

These things ask the biggest question to me

And it's, are you what you want to be?

So are you what you want to be?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah

Are you what you want to be?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah

...

So are you what you want to be?

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Are you what you want to be?

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Are you what you want to be?

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Are you what you want to be?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
spirit /ˈspɪrɪt/ B2	noun - the non‑physical part of a person; soul
dissident /ˈdɪsɪdənt/ C1	noun - a person who opposes official policy, especially in an authoritarian regime
revelation /ˌrɛvəˈleɪʃən/ C1	noun - a surprising and previously unknown fact that has been disclosed
revolution /ˌrɛvəˈluːʃən/ C1	noun - a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system
martyr /ˈmɑːrtər/ C2	noun - a person who suffers death because of their religious or other beliefs
coward /ˈkaʊərd/ B2	noun - a person who lacks courage
afraid /əˈfreɪd/ B1	adjective - feeling fear or anxiety
broken /ˈbroʊkən/ B1	adjective - damaged and no longer in one piece
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A2	noun - the heat and light produced by burning
war /wɔːr/ A2	noun - armed conflict between countries or groups
machine /məˈʃiːn/ B1	noun - a device that uses power to perform a task
guerrilla /ɡəˈrɪlə/ C1	noun - a member of a small independent group taking part in irregular fighting
marrow /ˈmær.oʊ/ C1	noun - the soft tissue inside bones
liars /ˈlaɪərz/ B2	noun - people who tell false statements
cover /ˈkʌvər/ B1	verb - to place something over or upon, protecting it
lift /lɪft/ B1	verb - to raise or move something to a higher position
handle /ˈhændəl/ B1	verb - to manage or deal with something
wait /weɪt/ A1	verb - to stay in one place or remain inactive until something happens
protect /prəˈtɛkt/ B1	verb - to keep safe from harm or injury
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a deep affection or strong feeling of attachment

Key Grammar Structures

• I woke up on Champs-Élysées to the Djembe of Ghana

  ➔ Prepositional Phrases (Location/Instrument)

  ➔ "on Champs-Élysées" shows location; "to the Djembe" indicates the instrument/sound accompanying the action

• You got the spirit of Fela

  ➔ Informal Possession (Got = Have)

  ➔ Informal substitution of "have" with "got" to indicate possession (common in spoken English)

• I gave her what I got

  ➔ Nominal Relative Clause

  ➔ "what I got" functions as a noun phrase meaning "the things that I had"

• will rip apart the marrow from the bone

  ➔ Future Simple (Predictive)

  ➔ "will rip" expresses a future prediction of inevitable consequences

• I'm afraid of saying too much

  ➔ Gerund after Preposition

  ➔ After preposition "of", the verb "saying" takes gerund form (-ing)

• I'm afraid to face God

  ➔ Infinitive after Adjective

  ➔ Adjective "afraid" is followed directly by infinitive "to face"

• These things make me want to duck

  ➔ Causative + Infinitive Chain

  ➔ "make" (causative) + object "me" + bare infinitive "want" + full infinitive "to duck"

• The war machine will put out both its hands

  ➔ Phrasal Verb (Put out)

  ➔ "put out" means to extend or offer something (here: metaphorical hands)