Burnout – English Lyrics

• By: Green Day
• Album: Dookie

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw energy of Green Day's "Burnout," a foundational track from their breakout album "Dookie." This song is a masterclass in expressing apathy and youthful disillusionment through powerful punk rock. By exploring its direct and relatable lyrics, you can grasp common English expressions of frustration and emotional detachment, making it an excellent way to connect with authentic language used to describe feeling overwhelmed and indifferent. Its fast pace and clear vocal delivery make it an engaging listen for language learners.

[English]

I declare I don't care no more

I'm burning up and out and growing bored

In my smoked out boring room

My hair is shagging in my eyes

Dragging my feet to hit the street tonight

Drive along these shit town lights

I'm not growing up, I'm just burning out

And I stepped in line to walk amongst the dead

Oh, apathy has rained on me

And now I'm feeling like a soggy dream

So close to drowning, but I don't mind

I'll live inside this mental cave

Throw my emotions in the grave

And hell, who needs them anyway?

I'm not growing up, I'm just burning out

And I stepped in line to walk amongst the dead

I'm not growing up, I'm just burning out

And I stepped in line to walk amongst the dead

Dead

...

I'm not growing up, I'm just burning out

And I stepped in line to walk amongst the dead

I'm not growing up, I'm just burning out

And I stepped in line to walk amongst the dead

Dead

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
declare /dɪˈkleər/ B2	verb - to state or announce officially
burning /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ B1	verb - to be on fire, to consume with flames
bored /bɔːrd/ A2	adjective - feeling weary or uninterested
growing /ˈgroʊɪŋ/ B1	verb - to increase in size, development, or maturity
dead /dɛd/ A2	adjective - no longer alive
line /laɪn/ A2	noun - a long narrow mark or band verb - to form a line or arrange in lines
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn
lights /laɪts/ A2	noun - devices that emit illumination
cope /koʊp/ B2	verb - to deal successfully with a difficult situation
drowning /ˈdraʊnɪŋ/ B2	verb - to die through submersion in water
emotions /ɪˈmoʊʃənz/ B2	noun - feelings such as happiness, sadness, anger
mental /ˈmentl/ B2	adjective - relating to the mind or brain

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm burning up and out and growing bored

  ➔ Present continuous tense for ongoing actions

  ➔ The use of the **present continuous** tense ('am burning') indicates actions that are happening at the moment of speaking or are ongoing.

• And I stepped in line to walk amongst the dead

  ➔ Past simple tense for completed actions

  ➔ The **past simple** tense ('stepped') shows that the action of stepping in line was completed in the past.

• I'm not growing up, I'm just burning out

  ➔ Contrasting clauses with 'not' and 'just' for emphasis

  ➔ The structure **'I'm not...'** contrasted with **'I'm just...'** highlights a contradiction or clarification of the speaker's state.

• And hell, who needs them anyway?

  ➔ Use of 'anyway' as a discourse marker

  ➔ The word **'anyway'** functions as a discourse marker to transition or dismiss previous thought, implying indifference.

• I'll live inside this mental cave

  ➔ Future simple tense with 'will' for voluntary actions or decisions

  ➔ The phrase **'I'll live...'** employs **'will'** to express the speaker's decision or intention to remain in a certain state in the future.

• Throw my emotions in the grave

  ➔ Imperative or suggestive phrase; idiomatic expression

  ➔ This phrase is idiomatic, suggesting the act of suppressing or disposing of one's emotions by metaphorically putting them into a grave.

• And I stepped in line to walk amongst the dead

  ➔ Past simple for completed actions

  ➔ The **past simple** tense ('stepped') indicates that the action of joining the line was completed in the past.