By The Way – English Lyrics

• By: Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Album: By the Way

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into "By The Way" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and unlock a vibrant world of English expression. This song, with its unique blend of energetic rock and melodic depth, showcases Anthony Kiedis's distinctive rap-singing style and intricate lyricism. Learning the language through its rich, sometimes cryptic, storytelling can offer insights into themes of love, urban life, and raw emotion, making it a captivating and rewarding listening experience for language learners.

[English]

Standing in line

To see the show tonight

And there's a light on

Heavy glow

By the way I tried to say

I'll be there

Waiting for

Dani the girl

Is singing songs to me

Beneath the marquee

Overload

...

Steak-knife

Card shark

Con job

Boot cut

Skin that flick

She's such a little DJ

Get there quick

By street but not the freeway

Turn that trick

To make a little leeway

Beat that nic

But not the way that we play

Dog town

Blood bath

Rib cage

Soft tail

Standing in line

To see the show tonight

And there's a light on

Heavy glow

By the way I tried to say

I'd be there

Waiting for

...

Black jack

Dope dick

Pawn shop

Quick pick

Kiss that dyke

I know you want to hold one

Not on strike

But I'm about to bowl one

Bite that mic

I know you never stole one

Girls that like

A story so I told one

Song bird

Main line

Cash back

Hard top

Standing in line

To see the show tonight

And there's a light on

Heavy glow

By the way I tried to say

I'd be there

Waiting for

Dani the girl

Is singing songs to me

Beneath the marquee

Of her soul

By the way I tried to say

I'd be there

Waiting for

...

Oh ah, kissed ya then I missed ya

Oh ah, kissed ya then I missed ya

Oh ah, kissed ya then I missed ya

Oh ah, kissed ya then I missed ya

Oh ah, kissed ya then I missed ya

Oh ah, kissed ya then I missed ya

Oh ah, kissed ya then I missed ya

Oh ah

Standing in line

To see the show tonight

And there's a light on

Heavy glow

By the way I tried to say

I'd be there

Waiting for

Dani the girl

Is singing songs to me

Beneath the marquee

Of her soul

By the way I tried to say

I know you

From before

Standing in line

To see the show tonight

And there's a light on

Heavy glow

By the way I tried to say

I'd be there

Waiting for

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
line /laɪn/ A1	noun - a queue of people or vehicles waiting for something
glow /ɡloʊ/ B1	noun - a soft, steady light, especially one that comes from a hot object or is produced by a chemical reaction verb - to emit a soft, steady light
marquee /ˈmɑːrkiː/ B2	noun - a canopy or projection over the entrance to a theater, hotel, or other building, typically bearing a sign
overload /ˌoʊvərˈloʊd/ B2	noun - an excessive amount of something, especially work or information, that causes stress or malfunction verb - to put too great a load on; to supply with an excessive amount of something
steak-knife /ˈsteɪk naɪf/ B1	noun - a sharp knife used for cutting cooked meat, typically at the dining table
card shark /ˈkɑːrd ʃɑːrk/ C1	noun - a person who is highly skilled at card games, especially one who cheats or hustles others for money
con job /ˈkɒn dʒɒb/ C1	noun - an act of deception or swindling, especially one that involves tricking someone out of money or trust
boot cut /ˈbuːt kʌt/ B2	adjective - (of trousers) cut with a slight flare at the ankle to fit over boots noun - a style of trousers that is boot cut
skin /skɪn/ A1	noun - the thin layer of tissue forming the natural outer covering of the body of a person or animal verb - to remove the skin from an animal or fruit
DJ /ˌdiːˈdʒeɪ/ A2	noun - (disc jockey) a person who introduces and plays recorded popular music on the radio or at a club or party
freeway /ˈfriːweɪ/ B1	noun - an express highway, especially one with controlled access and no intersections
trick /trɪk/ B1	noun - a cunning or skillful act or scheme intended to deceive or outwit someone verb - to deceive or outwit (someone) by a clever or cunning scheme
leeway /ˈliːweɪ/ B2	noun - the amount of freedom to move or act within certain limits; margin of error
blood bath /ˈblʌd bæθ/ C1	noun - a massacre or slaughter, especially one involving a great deal of bloodshed
rib cage /ˈrɪb keɪdʒ/ B2	noun - the bony framework enclosing the chest cavity, consisting of the ribs and their attachments
pawn shop /ˈpɔːn ʃɒp/ B1	noun - a shop where a pawnbroker lends money in exchange for personal property that can be redeemed later
black jack /ˈblæk dʒæk/ B1	noun - a card game played against a dealer, in which players try to obtain cards totaling closer to 21 than the dealer's cards, without going over 21
main line /ˈmeɪn laɪn/ C1	noun - a principal route or connection, especially a railway line or road noun - (slang) a vein used for injecting illegal drugs, or the act of injecting into such a vein
cash back /ˈkæʃ bæk/ B1	noun - a service offered by retailers whereby a customer can withdraw cash when paying for goods by card noun - a refund or discount given to a customer after a purchase
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being, regarded as immortal noun - emotional or intellectual energy or intensity, especially as expressed in a work of art or music