I Predict A Riot – English Lyrics

• By: Kaiser Chiefs
• Album: DUCK

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the vibrant and sometimes chaotic world of British nightlife through Kaiser Chiefs' iconic song, "I Predict A Riot." This track is a fantastic window into modern British slang and culture, with its vivid descriptions of a night out in Leeds. Learning the lyrics will not only improve your English but also give you a taste of the energetic indie rock scene of the 2000s.

[English]

Watching the people get lairy

It's not very pretty I tell thee

Walking through town is quite scary

It's not very sensible either

A friend of a friend he got beaten

He looked the wrong way at a policeman

Would never have happened to Smeaton

An Old Leodensian

La... la, la, la, la, la

Ah... la, la, la, la, la

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

...

I tried to get to my taxi

The man in a tracksuit attacks me

He said that he saw it before me

And wants to get things a bit gory

Girls scrabble 'round with no clothes on

To borrow a pound for a condom

If it wasn't for chip fat they'd be frozen

They're not very sensible

La... la, la, la, la, la

Ah... la, la, la, la, la

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

And if there's anybody left in here

That doesn't want to be out there, oh

...

...

Watching the people get lairy

It's not very pretty I tell thee

Walking through town is quite scary

Not very sensible

La... la, la, la, la, la

Ah... la, la, la, la, la

...

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

And if there's anybody left in here

That doesn't want to be out there

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

I predict a riot

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
predict /prɪˈdɪkt/ B2	verb - to say or estimate that (a specified thing) will happen in the future or will be a consequence of something
riot /ˈraɪət/ B2	noun - a violent disturbance of the peace by a crowd
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively.
lairy /ˈleəri/ Unknown	adjective - ostentatiously vulgar or aggressive
pretty /ˈprɪti/ A2	adjective - attractive in a delicate way without being truly beautiful
town /taʊn/ A1	noun - an urban area that has a name, defined boundaries, and local government, and that is generally larger than a village and smaller than a city.
scary /ˈskeri/ A2	adjective - causing fright or alarm.
friend /frend/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.
beaten /ˈbiːtn/ B1	verb - past participle of beat: strike (someone) repeatedly and forcefully so as to hurt or injure them.
policeman /pəˈliːsmən/ A2	noun - a male member of a police force.
taxi /ˈtæksi/ A1	noun - a car licensed to transport passengers in return for payment of a fare.
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human being.
tracksuit /ˈtræksuːt/ Unknown	noun - a warm, loose-fitting suit consisting of trousers and a jacket or sweatshirt, worn when exercising or as leisurewear.
attacks /əˈtæks/ B1	verb - take aggressive military action against (a place or enemy forces) with weapons or armed force, often causing severe damage, casualties, etc.
gory /ˈɡɔːri/ Unknown	adjective - involving or showing violence and bloodshed.
girls /ɡɜːrlz/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman.
clothes /kloʊðz/ A1	noun - items worn to cover the body.
condom /ˈkɒndɒm/ Unknown	noun - a thin rubber or latex sheath worn on a man's penis during sexual intercourse, used as a contraceptive or as protection against infection.
chip /tʃɪp/ A2	noun - a long rectangular piece of deep-fried potato.
frozen /ˈfroʊzn/ B1	adjective - subjected to severe cold; converted into ice.

Key Grammar Structures

• Watching the people get lairy

  ➔ Present participle as subject complement/adjective

  ➔ "Watching" acts as a present participle describing the speaker's ongoing observation. It modifies the implied subject (I), indicating what the speaker is doing.

• It's not very pretty I tell thee

  ➔ Inversion (subject-verb) for emphasis

  ➔ The standard sentence structure would be "I tell you it's not very pretty". The inverted structure "It's not very pretty I tell thee" emphasizes the speaker's opinion.

• A friend of a friend he got beaten

  ➔ Relative clause omission/reduced relative clause

  ➔ The sentence is a somewhat informal construction. A more grammatically complete version might be: "A friend of a friend *who* got beaten..." The relative pronoun "who" is omitted.

• Would never have happened to Smeaton

  ➔ Third conditional (unreal past)

  ➔ Implies an unreal situation in the past. The complete structure would be something like: "If it had been Smeaton, it would never have happened."

• I tried to get to my taxi

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose

  ➔ "To get to my taxi" explains *why* the speaker tried. The infinitive form "to + verb" indicates purpose.

• He said that he saw it before me

  ➔ Reported speech

  ➔ This line demonstrates reported speech where someone's original statement is relayed. The use of "that" introduces the reported clause.

• Girls scrabble 'round with no clothes on

  ➔ Prepositional phrase modifying a noun

  ➔ "With no clothes on" is a prepositional phrase that modifies "girls", describing their state.

• If it wasn't for chip fat they'd be frozen

  ➔ Mixed conditional (hypothetical situation)

  ➔ This is a mixed conditional sentence where the "if" clause refers to a hypothetical present/ongoing situation and the main clause expresses a hypothetical result in the future. It's an inversion of a type 2 conditional with a prepositional phrase taking the place of a sub-clause.