I Wanna Be Sedated – English Lyrics

• By: Ramones
• Album: Road To Ruin

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the raw energy of punk rock with the Ramones' 'I Wanna Be Sedated.' This song is a perfect entry point to understanding the genre's ethos of channeling frustration into fast, catchy, and powerfully simple music. Through its lyrics, you can explore themes of boredom and the desire for escape, all while learning about the cultural context of the late 1970s and the influential legacy of a band that changed the face of music.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hours /ˈaʊ.ərz/ A1	noun - a period of 60 minutes
sedated /sɪˈdeɪ.tɪd/ B2	adjective - under the influence of a sedative drug
airport /ˈeə.pɔːt/ A2	noun - a place where aircraft land and take off
plane /pleɪn/ A2	noun - an airplane
hurry /ˈhʌr.i/ B1	verb - to move or act with great speed
insane /ɪnˈseɪn/ B2	adjective - in a state of mental illness
control /kənˈtroʊl/ B1	verb - to have power over noun - the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events.
fingers /ˈfɪŋ.ɡəz/ A1	noun - one of the five long parts extending from the hand
brain /breɪn/ A2	noun - the organ in the head that controls thought, feeling, and movement
wheelchair /ˈwiːl.tʃeər/ A2	noun - a chair with wheels, used by people who cannot walk
show /ʃoʊ/ A1	noun - a performance or display verb - to display
loco /ˈloʊ.koʊ/ B2	adjective - crazy
toes /toʊz/ A1	noun - one of the five parts at the end of your foot

Key Grammar Structures

• I wanna be sedated

  ➔ Informal Contraction: "wanna" for "want to"

  ➔ "Wanna" is a common contraction used in informal speech and song lyrics. It replaces "want to". The full sentence is "I want to be sedated."

• Nothin' to do, nowhere to go-oh

  ➔ Informal Negation: "Nothin'" for "Nothing"

  ➔ "Nothin'" is another informal contraction, this time for "nothing." It's a colloquial way of speaking. The full sentence would be "Nothing to do, nowhere to go."

• Just get me to the airport, put me on a plane

  ➔ Imperative Clauses: Direct commands using the base form of the verb

  ➔ These are imperative clauses. "Get" and "put" are used as commands. The implied subject is "you". It's a direct order.

• Hurry, hurry, hurry before I go insane

  ➔ Subordinating conjunction: "before" to indicate time

  ➔ The conjunction "before" connects the imperative "Hurry, hurry, hurry" with the clause "I go insane," indicating the desired time frame.

• I can't control my fingers, I can't control my brain

  ➔ Modal Verb of Ability: "can't" (cannot) expressing lack of ability.

  ➔ "Can't" is the contracted form of "cannot" and indicates an inability to perform the action. In this case, controlling fingers and brain.

• before I go loco

  ➔ Idiomatic Expression: "go loco" (become crazy)

  ➔ "Go loco" is an idiom, derived from Spanish, meaning to become crazy or insane. It's an informal way of expressing a loss of control.