Don't Download This Song – English Lyrics

• By: Weird Al Yankovic

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the nuances of satire and irony in English with "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Don't Download This Song." This track is a perfect example of how language can be used to critique and parody cultural phenomena. By understanding the song's context—the music piracy debates of the mid-2000s—you can appreciate the clever wordplay and the layered meaning behind its seemingly straightforward plea. It's a fun and engaging way to learn about sarcasm and commentary in music.

[English]

作词 : Al Yankovic

作曲 : Al Yankovic

...

...

By downloading mp3s from file-sharing sites

Like Morpheus or Grokster or Limewire or KaZaA

But deep in your heart

you know the guilt would drive you mad

And the shame would leave a permanent scar

'Cause you start out stealing songs,

and then you're robbing liquor stores

And selling crack and

running over school kids with your car

So don't download this song

The record store's where you belong

Go and buy the CD like you know that you should

Oh, don't download this song

Oh, you don't wanna mess with the RIAA

They'll sue you if you burn that CD-R

It doesn't matter if you're a grandma

or a 7-year-old girl

They'll treat you like the evil,

hard-bitten criminal scum you are

So don't download this song

Don't go pirating music all day long

Go and buy the CD like you know that you should

Oh, don't download this song

Don't take away money from artists just like me

How else can I afford another solid gold Humvee?

And diamond-studded swimming pools,

these things don't grow on trees

So all I ask is, everybody, please...

Don't download this song

Even Lars Ulrich knows it's wrong

Go and buy the CD like you know that you should

Oh, don't download this song...

Don't download this song

or you might wind up in jail like Tommy Chong

Go and buy the CD like you know that you should

Oh, don't download this song...

Don't download this song

or you'll burn in Hell before too long

Go and buy the CD like you know that you should

Oh, don't download this song

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
download /ˈdaʊn.loʊd/ A2	verb - to transfer data from a remote system to a local one
pirating /ˈpaɪr.ə.tɪŋ/ B1	verb - to illegally copy or distribute digital content
guilt /ɡɪlt/ A2	noun - a feeling of having done wrong or committed an offense
shame /ʃeɪm/ A2	noun - a painful feeling of humiliation or distress
permanent /ˈpɜːr.mə.nənt/ B1	adjective - lasting or intended to last without change
stealing /ˈstiː.lɪŋ/ A1	verb - to take something that does not belong to you without permission
rob /rɒb/ A2	verb - to steal from someone or something, often using force
criminal /ˈkrɪm.ɪ.nəl/ A2	noun - a person who has committed a crime
scum /skʌm/ B1	noun - a layer of foul or extraneous matter that forms on the surface of a liquid
artist /ˈɑːr.tɪst/ A1	noun - a person who creates art, music, or literature
afford /əˈfɔːrd/ A2	verb - to have enough money to pay for something
diamond /ˈdaɪ.ə.mənd/ A1	noun - a precious stone consisting of a clear and colorless crystalline form of pure carbon
jail /dʒeɪl/ A1	noun - a place where people are kept as punishment for a crime
burn /bɜːrn/ A1	verb - to be damaged or destroyed by fire
Hell /hɛl/ A1	noun - a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife

Key Grammar Structures

• By downloading mp3s from file-sharing sites

  ➔ Preposition + Gerund Phrase

  ➔ "By downloading" shows method using preposition + gerund. Gerunds act as nouns formed by verb+ing.

• the guilt would drive you mad

  ➔ Causative Structure

  ➔ "Drive you mad" means cause you to become crazy. Causative verbs (drive/make/have) show someone/something causes change.

• you start out stealing songs

  ➔ Phrasal Verb + Gerund

  ➔ "Start out" (phrasal verb) is followed by gerund "stealing". Gerunds function as objects after phrasal verbs.

• They'll sue you if you burn that CD-R

  ➔ First Conditional

  ➔ Shows real future possibility: "if you burn" (present simple) + "They'll sue" (future simple). Predicts logical consequence.

• It doesn't matter if you're a grandma

  ➔ Impersonal "It" + Clause

  ➔ "It" refers to the general situation. The structure "It doesn't matter if..." introduces conditional clauses about irrelevance.

• How else can I afford another solid gold Humvee?

  ➔ Rhetorical Question

  ➔ "How else" implies no alternative exists. Rhetorical questions make a point rather than seek answers.

• Don't download this song or you might wind up in jail

  ➔ Imperative + Consequence (or)

  ➔ Imperative "Don't download" is followed by "or" to introduce a negative consequence. Shows warning structure.

• Go and buy the CD like you know that you should

  ➔ Imperative + Comparative Clause

  ➔ "Go and buy" (imperative) followed by "like" meaning 'as if'. Compares action to an assumed obligation.

• these things don't grow on trees

  ➔ Idiomatic Expression

  ➔ "Don't grow on trees" is an idiom meaning 'are not easily obtained'. Literal vs. figurative interpretation.

• you'll burn in Hell before too long

  ➔ Future Simple + Time Phrase

  ➔ "You'll burn" (future prediction) with time marker "before too long" (soon). Shows definite future outcome.