Birth Ritual – English Lyrics

• By: Soundgarden
• Album: Badmotorfinger

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the English language through the raw power of Soundgarden's 'Birth Ritual.' This song offers a fantastic opportunity to explore rich, metaphorical language and complex themes of existence. The vocabulary used to describe life, death, and ceremony can expand your understanding of abstract concepts in English, all while experiencing a pivotal track from the grunge era.

[English]

作词 : Chris Cornell

作曲 : Chris Cornell/Matt Cameron/Kim A. Thayil

Lying like needles

...

On forest earth

...

Euphoric rush

...

Trees bend to pray for us

...

I'm sputtering

...

Like cold machines

...

Late for the birth ritual ritual ritual ritual

...

You can drive my tail

...

To watch the circus

...

A birth ritual

...

A birth of idiots

...

Now I woke up blessed

...

And good strives for heartache

...

Now marked for the death ritual ritual ritual

...

As you start the song

...

And face this garden

...

I light a cigarette before the execution

...

Now you see your crime

For every miracle

...

Add another drug at every birth ritual

...

I took the drug

...

To make me stay

...

And now everything

...

Dies in shyness

...

The snake retreats

...

Admits defeat

...

And waits for the birth ritual ritual ritual

...

As you start the song

...

And face this garden

...

I light a cigarette before the execution

...

Now you see your crime

...

For every miracle

...

Add another drug at every birth ritual

...

Shining light

...

Child's highs

...

Mark his sides

...

Bright until the newness wears off

...

As you start the song

...

And face this garden

...

I light a cigarette before the execution

...

Now you see your crime

...

For every miracle

...

Add another drug at every birth ritual

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ritual /ˈrɪtʃuəl/ B2	noun - a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.
birth /bɜːrθ/ A2	noun - the emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother; the act of being born.
woke /wəʊk/ B1	verb - past tense of wake: emerge or cause to emerge from a state of sleep.
light /laɪt/ A2	verb - to provide with light or illumination; to set on fire. noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible. adjective - having a considerable amount of light.
drug /drʌɡ/ B1	noun - a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when introduced into the body.
crime /kraɪm/ B1	noun - an action or omission that constitutes an offense punishable by law.
garden /ˈɡɑːrdn/ A2	noun - a piece of ground, typically near a house, used for growing flowers or vegetables.
highs /haɪz/ B2	noun - a state of euphoria or excitement.
snake /sneɪk/ B1	noun - a long, limbless, scaled reptile with a narrow head and a tapering tail, that typically eats other animals.
defeat /dɪˈfiːt/ B2	verb - win a victory over (someone) in a battle or other contest; overcome or beat. noun - an instance of defeating or being defeated.
miracle /ˈmɪrəkl/ B1	noun - a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.
shyness /ˈʃaɪnəs/ B2	noun - the quality or state of being shy.
sides /saɪdz/ A2	noun - a position to the left or right of someone or something.
bright /braɪt/ A2	adjective - giving out or reflecting a great deal of light; shining.
newness /ˈnjuːnəs/ B2	noun - the state or quality of being new.

Key Grammar Structures

• Lying like needles

  ➔ Present participle

  ➔ The phrase uses the present participle 'lying' to describe a state of being, often used metaphorically here.

• Trees bend to pray for us

  ➔ Present simple with 'to' infinitive

  ➔ The verb 'bend' is in the present simple, followed by 'to pray', indicating purpose or result.

• I'm sputtering

  ➔ Present continuous

  ➔ The contraction 'I'm' combined with 'sputtering' indicates an action happening now.

• Late for the birth ritual

  ➔ Prepositional phrase

  ➔ The phrase 'late for' is a prepositional phrase modifying the noun 'ritual'.

• Now I woke up blessed

  ➔ Past simple with adverb

  ➔ The adverb 'now' modifies the past action 'woke up', emphasizing the timing.

• Marked for the death ritual

  ➔ Past passive

  ➔ The phrase uses the past passive 'marked' to indicate an action done to the subject.

• I light a cigarette before the execution

  ➔ Present simple with time clause

  ➔ The verb 'light' is in the present simple, and 'before the execution' is a time clause.

• For every miracle

  ➔ Prepositional phrase with 'for'

  ➔ The preposition 'for' introduces a phrase indicating purpose or reason.