Big Bad World – English Lyrics

• By: Kodaline
• Album: In A Perfect World

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the English language through Kodaline's 'Big Bad World,' a song that beautifully captures the feeling of stepping out into the unknown. Its lyrics offer a great opportunity to learn conversational phrases and explore themes of hope and perseverance, all wrapped in an inspiring indie rock melody that's easy to sing along to.

[English]

Maybe I'm wrong, or maybe I'm right

Maybe it's just too late but this is keeping me awake all night

Maybe say yes, or maybe say no

Maybe I'm just too shy to admit that it is time to go

...

We go out on our own

It's a big bad world outside

Carrying' our dreams and all that they mean

Trying to make it all worthwhile

Maybe believe, or maybe don't care

Shit, maybe there is no God in the big white clouds up there

...

Maybe live long, or maybe die young

Or maybe live every day like it's your last day under the sun

...

We go out on our own

It's a big bad world outside

Carrying our dreams and all that they mean

Trying to make it all worthwhile

We go out on our own

It's a big bad world outside

Carrying our dreams and all that they mean

Try to make it all feel right

...

We go out on our own

It's a big bad world outside

Carrying our dreams and all that they mean

Trying to make it all worthwhile

...

We go out on our own

It's a big bad world outside

Carrying our dreams and all that they mean

Trying to make it all worthwhile

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
world /wɜːld/ A2	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features
dreams /driːm/ B1	noun - visions, hopes, or ambitions during sleep or in waking life
meaning /ˈmiːnɪŋ/ B2	noun - the idea that a word or phrase represents
carry /ˈkær.i/ B1	verb - to hold and support while moving
beautiful /ˈbjuː.tɪ.fəl/ B2	adjective - pleasing to the senses or mind; aesthetically attractive
alive /əˈlaɪv/ B2	adjective - not dead; living
live /lɪv/ B1	verb - to be alive; to exist
off /ɔːf/ A2	adjective - not functioning or active
strong /strɒŋ/ B1	adjective - having great physical power or intensity
shy /ʃaɪ/ B1	adjective - easily embarrassed or timid

Key Grammar Structures

• this is keeping me awake all night

  ➔ Causative verb "keep" + object + adjective/present participle

  ➔ The structure "keep + object + adjective/present participle" means to cause someone or something to remain in a particular state. Here, "this" causes the speaker to remain "awake".

• I'm just too shy to admit

  ➔ `too + adjective + to + infinitive`

  ➔ This structure indicates that something is excessively so, making a subsequent action impossible or undesirable. The speaker is "too shy" to perform the action of "admitting".

• it is time to go

  ➔ `it is time to + infinitive`

  ➔ This idiom is used to say that the appropriate moment has arrived for a particular action.

• Carrying' our dreams and all that they mean

  ➔ Present Participle phrase (adverbial/reduced relative clause)

  ➔ The present participle "Carrying" modifies the subject "We" from the previous line ("We go out on our own"), describing an action performed simultaneously or as a consequence. It acts as an adverbial phrase or a reduced relative clause (e.g., "We, who are carrying...").

• Trying to make it all worthwhile

  ➔ Causative verb "make" + object + adjective

  ➔ The structure "make + object + adjective" means to cause something to become or be in a particular state. Here, they are trying to cause "it all" to become "worthwhile".

• all that they mean

  ➔ Relative clause with "that"

  ➔ "that they mean" is a relative clause modifying "all", specifying what "all" refers to. "that" acts as a relative pronoun, referring to "all" and functioning as the object of the verb "mean".

• Maybe believe, or maybe don't care

  ➔ Elliptical construction: "Maybe" + bare infinitive

  ➔ This is an elliptical construction where the subject (e.g., "I" or "we") and possibly an auxiliary verb (e.g., "should") are omitted, implying a suggestion, possibility, or a rhetorical question about belief or action.

• We go out on our own

  ➔ Idiomatic expression "on one's own"

  ➔ The idiom "on one's own" means independently, without help from others, or by oneself. Here, "on our own" means "by ourselves".

• live every day like it's your last day

  ➔ Comparison using "like" + clause

  ➔ "like" is used here as a conjunction to introduce a clause that describes how something is done, acting as a comparison or manner. It's similar to "as if".