Get Up – English Lyrics

• By: R.E.M.
• Album: Green

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the story behind R.E.M.'s lively track 'Get Up,' a song full of energy and motivation. Explore the layers of meaning in its lyrics, which encourage listeners to shake off apathy and embrace an active life. Learn about the playful origins of the song, sparked by a bandmate's habit of sleeping in, and see how its catchy melodies and driving rhythm can inspire you to 'get up' and make the most of your day.

[English]

Sleep delays my life (get up, get up)

Where does time go? (get up, get up, get up)

I don't know

Sleep, sleep, sleepy-head (get up, get up, get up)

Wake it up, up (get up, get up)

You've got all your life (way up ahead)

(Get up, get up, get up)

Dreams they complicate my life (Dreams they complement my life)

I've seen you laying pined (get up, get up)

I've seen you laying pined (get up, get up)

Life is rough, rough (get up, get up, get up)

I've seen you laying down (get up)

With the loving kind (get up, get up)

I know life is hard, hard (where goes your time?)

Where to turn? Where to turn? (get up)

Dreams they complicate my life (Dreams they compliment my life)

Dreamtime

Dreams they complicate my life (Dreams they compliment my life)

This time, no escape, I wake up (get up, get up)

(get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up, get up)

...

Key Grammar Structures

• Sleep delays my life (get up, get up)

  ➔ Present tense with adverbial phrase

  ➔ The verb 'delays' is in the present tense, indicating a habitual action. 'Get up' is an adverbial phrase encouraging action.

• Where does time go? (get up, get up, get up)

  ➔ Present simple question with repetition

  ➔ The question 'Where does time go?' uses the present simple tense. The repetition of 'get up' emphasizes urgency.

• Dreams they complicate my life (Dreams they complement my life)

  ➔ Contrastive clauses with subject-verb inversion

  ➔ The sentences contrast 'complicate' and 'complement' using subject-verb inversion for emphasis.

• I've seen you laying pined (get up, get up)

  ➔ Present perfect with past participle

  ➔ 'I've seen' is present perfect, indicating an action completed before now. 'Laying' is the past participle of 'lay'.

• Life is rough, rough (get up, get up, get up)

  ➔ Present simple with repeated adjective

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense. The repetition of 'rough' emphasizes the intensity of the adjective.

• This time, no escape, I wake up (get up, get up)

  ➔ Present tense with coordinating conjunction

  ➔ The sentence uses the present tense. 'This time, no escape' is connected by commas, and 'I wake up' follows logically.