Dirty Lenses – English Lyrics

• By: Hooverphonic

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the evocative world of Hooverphonic's "Dirty Lenses," a compelling electronic and trip-hop track that masterfully blends atmospheric sounds with profound lyrical depth. This song offers a rich opportunity to explore English vocabulary related to perception, escape, and self-determination, making it ideal for language learners eager to grasp nuanced expressions within a captivating musical landscape.

[English]

So you take your chances

Look through dirty lenses

Unintended consequences

We don't need your ugly fences

We'll make our own way out of here

Start a car

Get away

There's so much you could see today

If we don't escape

We'll turn into

Everything we hate

But tell me, do

We even have a chance?

If we don't escape

The things we do

Won't make a difference

It's just me and you

And all our best laid plans

So we've run right off the map

Got away from all the traps

Inevitable consequences

Living only present tenses

Only living for the now

Start a car

Get away

There's so much you could see today

If we don't escape

We'll turn into

Everything we hate

But tell me, do

We even have a chance?

If we don't escape

The things we do

Won't make a difference

It's just me and you

And all our best laid plans

If we don't escape

We'll turn into

Everything we hate

But tell me, do

We even have a chance?

If we don't escape

The things we do

Won't make a difference

It's just me and you

And all our best laid plans

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
chance /tʃɑːns/ B1	noun - a possibility of something happening
lenses /ˈlen.zɪz/ B2	noun - pieces of glass or other transparent material used to focus light
consequences /ˈkɒn.sɪ.kwen.sɪz/ C1	noun - a result or effect of an action or condition
escape /ɪˈskeɪp/ B1	verb - to get away from confinement or danger
hate /heɪt/ A2	verb - to feel intense dislike for noun - intense dislike
difference /ˈdɪf.ər.əns/ B1	noun - the way that two or more things are not the same
plans /plænz/ A2	noun - a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move at a speed faster than a walk
traps /træps/ B1	noun - a thing set to catch or hold something
inevitable /ɪˈnev.ɪ.tə.bl̩/ C1	adjective - certain to happen; unavoidable
living /ˈlɪv.ɪŋ/ A2	adjective - having life; alive
tenses /ˈten.sɪz/ B2	noun - forms of a verb used to indicate the time of an action
start /stɑːrt/ A1	verb - begin or set in motion
way /weɪ/ A1	noun - a method or manner of doing something
see /siː/ A1	verb - perceive with the eyes
things /θɪŋz/ A1	noun - objects or matters

Key Grammar Structures

• So you take your chances

  ➔ Present Simple in a suggestive context

  ➔ The verb 'take' is in the present simple tense, used here to suggest or advise an action, emphasizing a general truth or recommendation.

• We don't need your ugly fences

  ➔ Present Simple with negation

  ➔ The auxiliary verb 'do' is used with 'not' to negate the need for 'ugly fences', emphasizing a strong rejection in the present.

• We'll make our own way out of here

  ➔ Future with 'will' for determination

  ➔ The use of 'will' indicates a strong intention or determination to take action in the future, here to find a way out.

• If we don't escape

  ➔ First Conditional

  ➔ The structure 'If + present simple, will + infinitive' is used to talk about a likely future result based on a present condition.

• We'll turn into everything we hate

  ➔ Future with 'will' for prediction

  ➔ 'Will' is used here to predict a future outcome based on current circumstances, suggesting an undesirable transformation.

• It's just me and you

  ➔ Present Simple with contraction

  ➔ The contraction 'It's' is used for 'It is', a common feature in spoken and informal English to simplify the sentence.

• Living only present tenses

  ➔ Gerund as a noun

  ➔ The gerund 'Living' functions as a noun, referring to the action of living in the present, acting as the subject of the sentence.

• Start a car, Get away

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The imperative mood is used to give direct commands or instructions, here urging immediate action to start a car and get away.