Feather On The Clyde – English Lyrics

• By: Passenger, Nina Nesbitt
• Album: All The Little Lights (Anniversary Edition)

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a profound way to connect with its culture, and 'Feather On The Clyde' offers a beautiful entry point into the emotional landscape of English folk storytelling. The song's simple yet poetic lyrics, rich with metaphors centered around the Scottish city of Glasgow, provide an accessible way to explore themes of vulnerability, memory, and the passage of time. Its gentle melody and clear vocals make it easy to follow along and appreciate the nuances of the language in a deeply moving context.

[English]

Well, there's a river that runs through Glasgow

It makes her, but it breaks her and takes her in two parts

And her current, just like my blood, flows

Down from the hills that stand alone, like my restless heart

Well, I would swim, but the river is so wide

I'm scared I won't make it to the other side

Well, God knows I've failed, but He knows that I've tried

I long for something that's safe and warm

But all I have is all that is gone

I'm as helpless and as hopeless as a feather on the Clyde

...

(Ooh) well, on one side, all the lights glow

And the folks know (ooh), and the kids go where the music and the drinkin' starts

(Ooh) on the other side, where no cars go (ooh)

Up to the hills (ooh) that stand alone like my restless heart (ooh)

Well, I would swim, but the river is so wide

And I'm scared I won't make it to the other side

Well, God knows I've failed, but He knows that I've tried

I long for somethin' that's safe and warm

But all I have is all that is gone

I'm as helpless and as hopeless as a feather on the Clyde

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh

Ooh-ooh, ooh

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh

Ooh-ooh, ooh

Where the sun sets late, in Glasgow

And the daylight and the city part

And I think of you in Glasgow

'Cause you're all that's safe, you're all that's warm

In my restless heart

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
river /ˈrɪvər/ A1	noun - a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot verb - to flow
swim /swɪm/ A1	verb - to move through water by moving parts of the body
wide /waɪd/ A1	adjective - having a large distance from one side to the other
scared /skɛrd/ A2	adjective - afraid or frightened
failed /feɪld/ A2	verb - to be unsuccessful
long /lɒŋ/ A1	verb - to desire or wish for something
safe /seɪf/ A1	adjective - protected from or not exposed to danger or risk
warm /wɔːrm/ A1	adjective - having or producing a comfortable temperature
helpless /ˈhelp.ləs/ B1	adjective - unable to do something to help oneself
hopeless /ˈhəʊp.ləs/ B1	adjective - without hope; despairing
feather /ˈfɛð.ər/ A1	noun - one of the light growths forming the coat of a bird
glow /ɡloʊ/ B1	verb - to give out a steady light
restless /ˈrest.ləs/ B2	adjective - unable to rest or relax as a result of anxiety or boredom
current /ˈkʌr.ənt/ B1	noun - a flow of water, air, or electricity
alone /əˈloʊn/ A1	adjective - without anyone or anything else

Key Grammar Structures

• Well, there's a river that runs through Glasgow

  ➔ Present Simple with 'there's'

  ➔ The phrase 'there's' (there is) is used to indicate existence in the present tense, highlighting the ongoing presence of the river in Glasgow.

• It makes her, but it breaks her and takes her in two parts

  ➔ Parallel structure with 'makes/breaks/takes'

  ➔ The use of parallel verbs ('makes', 'breaks', 'takes') creates a balanced and rhythmic sentence, emphasizing the contrasting effects of the river.

• And her current, just like my blood, flows

  ➔ Simile with 'just like'

  ➔ The phrase 'just like' is used to compare the river's current to the speaker's blood, creating a vivid metaphor.

• I'm as helpless and as hopeless as a feather on the Clyde

  ➔ Simile with 'as...as'

  ➔ The structure 'as...as' is used to compare the speaker's state to a feather on the Clyde, emphasizing feelings of helplessness and hopelessness.

• Where the sun sets late, in Glasgow

  ➔ Relative clause with 'where'

  ➔ The relative clause 'where the sun sets late' provides additional information about Glasgow, describing a specific characteristic of the city.

• 'Cause you're all that's safe, you're all that's warm

  ➔ Contraction with 'you're'

  ➔ The contraction 'you're' (you are) is used for brevity and natural flow in spoken and informal English.