Cutthroat – English Lyrics

• By: Imagine Dragons
• Album: Mercury — Acts 1 & 2

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotion of Imagine Dragons' "Cutthroat," a powerful anthem of self-acceptance. Explore intense themes of mental health and overcoming inner demons while learning aggressive and violent lyrics. Experience how music can channel inner battles into a message of hope.

[English]

♪♪♪

♪ I'VE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY ♪

♪ I BUILT THIS TOWER QUIETLY ♪

♪ AND WHEN MY WELL OF WELLBUTRIN IS ♪

♪ RUNNING DRY OF SEROTONIN ♪

♪ I CAN SAY THINGS I DON'T MEAN ♪

♪ OR MAYBE IT'S THE TRUTH IN ME ♪

♪ I FEEL IT BUILDING, BUBBLING UP ♪

♪ MY TICK TICK TIME IS UP ♪

♪ I'M SO MISUNDERSTOOD, BUT I LIVE FOR THIS ♪

♪ MY MONEY'S GOOD, AND I CAME TO WIN ♪

♪ SO STEP ON UP, AND I PROMISE YOU ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US GONE' MAKE IT OUT ALIVE AND IT'S NOT YOU ♪

♪ (CUTTHROAT) ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US GON' MAKE IT OUT ALIVE AND IT'S NOT YOU ♪

♪ (CUTTHROAT) ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US GON' MAKE IT OUT ALIVE ♪

♪♪♪

♪ I'VE BEEN MAKING MY GETHSEMANE ♪

♪ SINCE I WAS YOUNG MY ANCESTRY ♪

♪ WAS MARCHING MARTYRDOM ACROSS THE ♪

♪ RADADADADUMBLA PLAINS OF UTAH ♪

♪ I CAN'T LIE, I'VE BEEN PLAYED ♪

♪ BY POWERFUL PEOPLE WHO GET THEIR WAY ♪

♪ BUT I IN TIME WILL CLIMB MY MOUNTAIN ♪

♪ I IN TIME WILL RISE ♪

♪ I'M SO MISUNDERSTOOD, BUT I LIVE FOR THIS ♪

♪ MY MONEY'S GOOD, AND I CAME TO WIN ♪

♪ SO STEP ON UP, AND I PROMISE YOU ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US GON' MAKE IT OUT ALIVE AND IT'S NOT YOU ♪

♪ (CUTTHROAT) ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US GON' MAKE IT OUT ALIVE AND IT'S NOT YOU ♪

♪ (CUTTHROAT) ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US GON' MAKE IT OUT ALIVE ♪

♪♪♪

♪ TRY ME ♪

♪♪♪

♪ TRY ME ♪

♪♪♪

♪ CUTTHROAT ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US ♪

♪ NOT YOU (CUTTHROAT) ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US ♪

♪ ONLY ONE OF US ♪

[VOCALIZING]

♪ CUTTHROAT ♪

♪ CUTTHROAT ♪

♪ CUTTHROAT ♪

♪♪♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
waiting /ˈweɪtɪŋ/ A2	verb - remaining in place until needed or required
tower /ˈtaʊər/ B1	noun - a tall, narrow building or structure
quietly /ˈkwaɪɪtli/ B1	adverb - in a quiet manner
running /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ A2	verb - moving at a fast speed on foot
serotonin /ˌsɛrəˈtoʊnɪn/ C1	noun - a neurotransmitter that affects mood
mean /miːn/ A2	verb - intend to convey (a particular impression or meaning) adjective - unkind, unpleasant
bubbling /ˈbʌbəlɪŋ/ B1	verb - rising and overflowing in bubbles
misunderstood /ˌmɪsənˈdɜːrˌstʊd/ B2	adjective - not properly understood
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - currency
promise /ˈprɑːmɪs/ B1	verb - assure that something will happen
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A1	adjective - living
making /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/ A2	verb - creating or producing something
martyrdom /ˈmɑːrtərdəm/ C2	noun - the suffering of a martyr
plains /pleɪnz/ B1	noun - an area of flat land
played /pleɪd/ A2	verb - deceived or manipulated
climb /klaɪm/ B1	verb - ascend or move upwards
rise /raɪz/ A2	verb - move upwards

Key Grammar Structures

• I'VE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ The use of 'have been + verb-ing' indicates an action that started in the past and continues up to the present. It emphasizes the duration of the waiting. The adverb 'patiently' modifies the verb, describing *how* the waiting has been done.

• I CAN SAY THINGS I DON'T MEAN

  ➔ Modal Verb + Infinitive, Indirect Speech Structure

  ➔ 'Can' is a modal verb expressing ability or possibility. The structure 'say + that + clause' is often used to report what someone said, implying a disconnect between the words and the speaker's true feelings. The clause 'I don't mean' functions as the object of 'say'.

• OR MAYBE IT'S THE TRUTH IN ME

  ➔ Disjunctive Pronoun, Subject-Verb Inversion

  ➔ The 'or maybe' introduces an alternative possibility. The structure 'It is the truth in me' uses a form of subject-verb inversion for emphasis. 'Truth' is the subject, and 'in me' is a prepositional phrase modifying 'truth'.

• I FEEL IT BUILDING, BUBBLING UP

  ➔ Present Continuous, Gerund as Complement

  ➔ The present continuous ('feel it building') describes an action happening now, a process unfolding. 'Bubbling up' is a gerund phrase functioning as a complement to 'feel', describing the *result* of the feeling. The comma separates the two descriptive phrases.

• MY TICK TICK TIME IS UP

  ➔ Repetition for Emphasis, Metaphorical Use of 'Time'

  ➔ The repetition of 'tick tick' imitates the sound of a clock, creating a sense of urgency and impending doom. 'Time is up' is a common idiom meaning that a deadline or opportunity has passed. Here, it's used metaphorically to suggest the speaker's life or chance is running out.