Even Flow – English Lyrics

• By: Pearl Jam

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Freezin'

Rests his head on a pillow made of concrete, again

Oh, feelin'

Maybe he'll see a little betters, any days

Ooh, right

Oh-oh, hand out

Faces that he sees time again ain't that familiar, ooh yeah

Oh-oh, dark grin

He can't help, when he's happy, he looks insane

Ooh, yeah

...

Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies

Oh, he don't know, so he chases them away, oh

Oh, someday yet he'll begin his life again

Life again, life again

Kneelin'

Lookin' through the paper though he doesn't know to read, ooh yeah

Oh-oh, prayin'

Now to something that has never showed him anything

Oh-oh, feelin'

Understands the weather of the winter's on its way

Oh, ceilings

Few and far between all the legal halls of shame, hey

Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies

Oh, he don't know, so he chases them away

Oh, someday yet he'll begin his life again

Oh, whispering hands gently lead him away

Him away, him away

Yeah

Woo!

Ah, yeah

Fuck it up

...

Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies

Oh-oh, he don't know, so he chases them away, oh

Ah, someday yet he'll begin his life again, yeah

Whispering hands gently lead him away

Him away, him away

Yeah

Woo!

Ah, alright

Yeah-yeah, everybody

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
flow /floʊ/ A2	noun - the movement of a liquid or gas verb - to move or run smoothly
thoughts /θɔːts/ A1	noun - ideas or opinions produced by thinking
arrive /əˈraɪv/ A1	verb - to reach a place or time
butterflies /ˈbʌtərˌflaɪz/ A1	noun - insects with colorful wings
chases /tʃeɪsɪz/ A1	verb - to follow in order to catch or catch up
begin /bɪˈɡɪn/ A1	verb - to start something
kneelin' /ˈniːlɪn/ A2	verb - to position oneself on one or both knees
prayin' /ˈpreɪɪn/ A1	verb - to speak to a god or gods
weather /ˈwɛðər/ A1	noun - the state of the atmosphere
winter /ˈwɪntər/ A1	noun - the coldest season of the year
ceilings /ˈsiːlɪŋz/ A2	noun - the upper interior surface of a room
whispering /ˈhwɪspərɪŋ/ A2	verb - to speak very softly
gently /ˈdʒɛntli/ A2	adverb - in a mild and tender way
insane /ɪnˈseɪn/ B1	adjective - mentally ill or crazy
familiar /fəˈmɪlɪər/ A2	adjective - well known from long or close association

Key Grammar Structures

• Freezin'

  ➔ Present participle as an adjective/gerund

  ➔ The word "**Freezin'**" acts as an adjective, describing the subject's state.

• Rests his head on a pillow made of concrete, again

  ➔ Simple Present Tense and Past Participle

  ➔ Uses of simple present "**Rests**" and Past participle "**made**" with prepositional phrases.

• Maybe he'll see a little betters, any days

  ➔ Future tense (will + verb) and noun pluralization

  ➔ The future tense structure "**he'll see**" and the plural noun "**betters**" (which is grammatically unusual here).

• Faces that he sees time again ain't that familiar

  ➔ Relative clause and contracted form

  ➔ Use of relative clause "**that he sees time again**" to describe faces, and the informal contracted form "**ain't**".

• He can't help, when he's happy, he looks insane

  ➔ Modal verb 'can't' and complex sentence structure

  ➔ Uses the modal verb "**can't**" (cannot) for inability, and a complex sentence structure with a subordinate clause starting with "**when**".

• Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies

  ➔ Noun and verb agreement, simile

  ➔ Correct subject-verb agreement (thoughts **arrive**), and the use of a simile ("**like butterflies**").

• Oh, he don't know, so he chases them away, oh

  ➔ Auxiliary verb and third-person singular (don't), coordinating conjunction

  ➔ Incorrect use of auxiliary verb and third person singular form "**don't**" instead of "doesn't", and a coordinating conjunction "**so**".

• Oh, someday yet he'll begin his life again

  ➔ Adverb of time, future tense and possessive pronouns

  ➔ Adverb "**someday yet**" to indicate time, and the future tense with "**he'll begin**" and possessive pronoun "**his**".

• Whispering hands gently lead him away

  ➔ Present participle, adverb of manner and phrasal verb

  ➔ Present participle "**Whispering**", adverb of manner "**gently**" and phrasal verb "**lead him away**".