Grantchester Meadows – English Lyrics

• By: Pink Floyd
• Album: Ummagumma

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the serene soundscape of Pink Floyd's "Grantchester Meadows," a pastoral ode to the English countryside. This acoustic ballad, rich with vivid imagery and natural sound effects, offers a glimpse into the beauty of Grantchester Meadows and the tranquility of nature. By exploring the evocative lyrics and gentle melodies, you can expand your vocabulary related to nature, emotions, and sensory experiences.

[English]

[♪Guitar intro♪]

Icy wind of nights be gone

This is not your domain

In the sky a bird was heard to cry

Misty morning whisperings and gentle stirring sounds

Belied a deathly silence

That lay all around

Hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dog fox

Gone to ground

See the splashing

Of the kingfisher flashing to the water

And a river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees

Laughing as it passes through the endless summer

Making for the sea

In the lazy water meadow

I lay me down

All arou nd me golden sun flakes

Covering the ground

Basking in the sunshine

Of a bygone afternoon

Bringing sounds of yesterday

Into this city room

Hear the lark and harken

To the barking of the dog fox

Gone to ground

See the splashing

Of the kingfisher flashing to the water

And a river of green is sliding

Unseen beneath the trees

Laughing as it passes

Through the endless summer

Making for the sea

[♪♪♪]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
wind /wɪnd/ A2	noun - moving air
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the upper atmosphere above the earth
bird /bɜːd/ A1	noun - a feathered, winged animal that can fly
lark /lɑːk/ B2	noun - a small ground‑dwelling songbird
fox /fɒks/ A2	noun - a small wild carnivorous mammal with a bushy tail
river /ˈrɪvər/ A2	noun - a large natural stream of water flowing toward the sea
water /ˈwɔːtər/ A1	noun - the clear liquid that forms the seas, lakes and rain
summer /ˈsʌmər/ A1	noun - the warmest season of the year
sea /siː/ A1	noun - a large body of salt water that covers most of the Earth
meadow /ˈmɛdəʊ/ B2	noun - an open field of grass, often with flowers
sunshine /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/ B2	noun - the light and warmth from the sun
silence /ˈsaɪləns/ B1	noun - the complete absence of sound
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A1	noun - the solid surface of the earth
trees /triːz/ A1	noun - large woody plants with a trunk and branches
afternoon /ˌæftəˈnuːn/ B1	noun - the part of the day from noon until evening
icy /ˈaɪsi/ B1	adjective - covered with or containing ice; very cold
misty /ˈmɪsti/ B2	adjective - filled with or resembling mist; unclear
golden /ˈɡoʊldən/ B2	adjective - having the colour of gold; bright and valuable
endless /ˈɛndlɪs/ B2	adjective - having or seeming to have no limit or end
unseen /ʌnˈsiːn/ B2	adjective - not seen or observed; hidden

Key Grammar Structures

• Icy wind of nights be gone

  ➔ Subjunctive mood

  ➔ The phrase 'be gone' uses the subjunctive mood to express a wish or command, indicating a desire for the icy wind to disappear.

• In the sky a bird was heard to cry

  ➔ Passive voice

  ➔ The phrase 'was heard to cry' uses the passive voice to emphasize the action of hearing rather than the bird itself.

• Misty morning whisperings and gentle stirring sounds

  ➔ Gerunds

  ➔ The words 'whisperings' and 'stirring' are gerunds, functioning as nouns to describe the sounds.

• That lay all around

  ➔ Relative pronoun

  ➔ The pronoun 'that' is a relative pronoun, referring back to 'a deathly silence'.

• Hear the lark and harken to the barking of the dog fox

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose

  ➔ The phrase 'to the barking' uses the infinitive to indicate the purpose of harkening.

• A river of green is sliding unseen beneath the trees

  ➔ Present continuous

  ➔ The phrase 'is sliding' uses the present continuous to describe an action happening now.

• Making for the sea

  ➔ Gerund phrase

  ➔ 'Making for the sea' is a gerund phrase functioning as an adverbial, describing the direction of the river.

• All around me golden sun flakes covering the ground

  ➔ Present participle

  ➔ 'Covering' is a present participle used as an adjective to describe the sun flakes.