Calm Down – English Lyrics

• By: Skip Marley

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the soothing rhythms and profound message of Skip Marley's "Calm Down." This reggae anthem offers a universal call for peace and reflection, making it a perfect song to explore the nuances of English expression related to emotional well-being and conflict resolution. You'll learn vocabulary and phrases that encourage calm, understanding, and unity, all set to a compelling and culturally rich musical backdrop. The song's clear narrative and relatable themes make it special for language learners, providing an authentic and engaging way to connect with English through music that carries a powerful, positive message.

[English]

♪ ♪

♪ I THOUGHT WE FIGURED OUT HOW NOT TO SPILL BLOOD ♪

♪ I THOUGHT WE FIGURED OUT TO WALK AWAY ♪

♪ I THOUGHT WE FOUND THAT LOVE WAS NOT A FEELING ♪

♪ DECIDED THAT THE SEA WOULD HAVE NO WAVES ♪

♪ AND IT KILLS ME COZ ♪

♪ I GET WORKED UP AND YOU GET WORKED UP AND ♪

♪ WE GET WORKED UP FOR NOTHING, YEA ♪

♪ I GET WORKED UP AND THEY GET WORKED UP AND ♪

♪ WE GET WORKED UP FOR WHAT? ♪

♪ CALM DOWN, OOH CALM DOWN (DOWN DOWN DA-DOWN DA-DOWN) ♪

♪ CALM DOWN, OOH CALM DOWN ♪

♪ IS THIS THE WAY IT IS FOR OTHER PEOPLE? ♪

♪ I WONDER IF THEY FEEL LIKE I DO ♪

♪ I KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE LOVE THAN THERE IS EVIL ♪

♪ THE WATER'S JUST TO WEST FOR ME AND YOU ♪

♪ AND IT KILLS ME COZ ♪

♪ I GET WORKED UP AND YOU GET WORKED UP AND ♪

♪ WE GET WORKED UP FOR NOTHING ♪

♪ I GET WORKED UP AND THEY GET WORKED UP AND ♪

♪ WE GET WORKED UP FOR WHAT? ♪

♪ CALM DOWN, OOH CALM DOWN (DOWN DOWN DA-DOWN DA-DOWN) ♪

♪ CALM DOWN, OOH CALM DOWN (OH-OH) ♪

♪ CALM DOWN, OOH CALM DOWN (DOWN DOWN DA-DOWN DA-DOWN) ♪

♪ CALM DOWN, OOH CALM DOWN (DOWN DOWN DA-DOWN DA-DOWN) ♪

♪ TRYIN' TO FIGURE IT OUT, WE'RE PEOPLE LIVING IN DOUBT ♪

♪ BROTHER LOOK FURTHER, TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER ♪

♪ STRESSIN OVER THE BOW, IF LEAN IN THEN WE CAN DROWN ♪

♪ MY SISTER LOOK FURTHER, YEA YOU'RE THE PRESERVER ♪

♪ TRYIN' TO FIGURE IT OUT, WE'RE PEOPLE LIVING IN DOUBT ♪

♪ I GET WORKED UP AND YOU GET WORKED UP AND ♪

♪ STRESSIN OVER THE BOW, IF YOU LEAN IN THEN WE CAN DROWN ♪

♪ WE GET WORKED UP FOR WHAT? ♪

♪ CALM DOWN, CALM DOWN (DOWN DOWN DA-DOWN DA-DOWN) ♪

♪ CALM DOWN, OOH CALM DOWN (OH-OH) ♪

♪ CALM DOWN, OOH CALM DOWN (DOWN DOWN DA-DOWN DA-DOWN) ♪

♪ CALM DOWN, OOH CALM DOWN (DOWN DOWN DA-DOWN DA-DOWN) ♪

♪ OH NO BROTHER, (CALM DOWN) ♪

♪ SISTER AND MOTHER, (DOWN DOWN DA-DOWN DA-DOWN) ♪

♪ ONCE YOU GET TOGETHER (DOWN DOWN DA-DOWN DA-DOWN) ♪

♪ OOH CALM DOWN, (DOWN DOWN DA-DOWN DA-DOWN) ♪

♪ OOH CALM DOWN ♪

♪ ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
thought /θɔt/ B1	noun - an idea or opinion produced by thinking
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection
sea /siː/ A1	noun - the expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface
kill /kɪl/ B1	verb - to cause the death of a living being
worked up /wɜrkt ʌp/ B2	adjective - agitated or excited
doubt /daʊt/ B1	noun - a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction
brother /ˈbrʌðər/ A2	noun - a male sibling
sister /ˈsɪstər/ A2	noun - a female sibling
together /təˈɡɛðər/ A2	adverb - with each other; in a group
care /kɛr/ A2	verb - to feel concern or interest
stress /strɛs/ B1	noun - a state of mental or emotional strain
water /ˈwɔːtər/ A1	noun - a clear liquid that has no color, taste, or smell
evil /ˈiːvəl/ B2	noun - profoundly immoral and malevolent
lean /liːn/ B1	verb - to incline or bend from a vertical position

Key Grammar Structures

• I THOUGHT WE FIGURED OUT HOW NOT TO SPILL BLOOD

  ➔ Past Simple + 'figured out how + to infinitive'

  ➔ Expresses a belief that a solution was found in the past. "Figured out how to" indicates having understood or solved the method for avoiding something, in this case, spilling blood. The past simple tense indicates this understanding occurred previously.

• I THOUGHT WE FOUND THAT LOVE WAS NOT A FEELING

  ➔ Past Simple + That-clause as object

  ➔ The speaker believed at some point in the past that love was not simply a feeling but something more complex. The "that" clause functions as the object of the verb "found," specifying what was discovered or believed.

• DECIDED THAT THE SEA WOULD HAVE NO WAVES

  ➔ Past Simple + "that" clause expressing a future-in-the-past idea with "would"

  ➔ Expresses a past decision or agreement about something that was intended to happen in the future. "Would" is used here to indicate future-in-the-past, showing what was expected or planned.

• AND IT KILLS ME COZ I GET WORKED UP AND YOU GET WORKED UP AND

  ➔ "Get worked up" - passive voice + causative

  ➔ "Get worked up" means to become agitated, stressed, or emotional. It's passive because something is causing them to be in that state, although it's often an internal trigger.

• IS THIS THE WAY IT IS FOR OTHER PEOPLE?

  ➔ Question formation with "is" (be verb) + the way it is + for

  ➔ This is a common way to ask if a situation or feeling is typical for other people. "The way it is" refers to the current state of affairs, and the question inquires if others experience the same thing.

• I KNOW THAT THERE'S MORE LOVE THAN THERE IS EVIL

  ➔ There is + comparative structure (more...than)

  ➔ Expresses the belief that love outweighs evil. "More...than" is a comparative structure used to compare the quantity or degree of two things, in this case, love and evil.

• IF LEAN IN THEN WE CAN DROWN

  ➔ Zero Conditional variant using 'can' to express possibility instead of certainty.

  ➔ Typically, Zero Conditionals express a certain outcome (If X, then Y). This variant uses 'can' to show that the consequence (drowning) is not inevitable but a possible result of leaning in. Highlights a potential danger or risk.