Idaho – English Lyrics

• By: Gorillaz
• Album: The Now Now

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

I landed on the silver lake

Washed up and feeling blue

Heard the sound of footsteps

Drifting softly to the moon

Looking for clear water

I had to take control

Out there in wilderness

Another bullet hole

Playing it all for gods

Yesterday

Idaho, Idaho

There's a beauty on the road

And everyday I look out of the bus

Silver linings getting lost

Floated out into the woods

To hear the old elk call

Touched a rainbow with my hands

I'm dry, I got 'em all

"Ride on," said the king of cool

You've got nothing to lose

Tinseltown is down the road

It's the bullet of the noose

If you're playing it all for gods

Far away

Idaho, Idaho

There's a beauty on the road

And everyday I look out of the bus

Silver linings getting lost

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
silver /ˈsɪl.vər/ B1	noun - a precious white metal adjective - having the colour of the metal silver
lake /leɪk/ A2	noun - a large area of water surrounded by land
blue /bluː/ A1	adjective - of the colour of the clear sky
sound /saʊnd/ A2	noun - vibrations that can be heard
footsteps /ˈfʊt.stɛps/ B1	noun - the sounds made by walking
moon /muːn/ A2	noun - the natural satellite that orbits the Earth
water /ˈwɔː.tər/ A1	noun - a clear, colourless liquid that forms the seas, lakes and rain
control /kənˈtroʊl/ B2	noun - the power to direct or influence something verb - to exercise restraint or direction over something
wilderness /ˈwɪl.dɚ.nəs/ C1	noun - a natural environment not cultivated or inhabited by humans
bullet /ˈbʊl.ɪt/ B2	noun - a projectile fired from a gun
gods /ɡɑdz/ B1	noun - supernatural beings worshipped as divine
beauty /ˈbjuː.ti/ B2	noun - a combination of qualities that pleases the senses
road /roʊd/ A2	noun - a paved way for vehicles or pedestrians
linings /ˈlaɪ.nɪŋz/ B2	noun - inner layers that cover the inside of something
woods /wʊdz/ B1	noun - a forest or area covered with trees
elk /ɛlk/ C1	noun - a large species of deer with massive antlers
rainbow /ˈreɪn.boʊ/ B1	noun - a multicoloured arc formed in the sky after rain
king /kɪŋ/ A2	noun - a male monarch who rules a kingdom

Key Grammar Structures

• I landed on the silver lake

  ➔ Simple Past Tense

  ➔ Describes a completed action using past tense verb "landed".

• Washed up and feeling blue

  ➔ Past Participle as Adjective + Present Participle Phrase

  ➔ "Washed up" (past participle) describes a state; "feeling" (present participle) shows ongoing emotion.

• Looking for clear water

  ➔ Phrasal Verb + Object

  ➔ Phrasal verb "looking for" (searching) takes direct object "clear water".

• I had to take control

  ➔ Modal-like Expression (have to)

  ➔ "Had to" expresses past obligation, functioning like a modal verb.

• If you're playing it all for gods

  ➔ Conditional Clause (Type 1)

  ➔ "If" introduces a real condition with present continuous "you're playing".

• There's a beauty on the road

  ➔ Existential 'There'

  ➔ "There's" introduces existence of "a beauty" without specifying location.

• And everyday I look out of the bus

  ➔ Present Simple for Habits

  ➔ Present simple "look" describes repeated action with time marker "everyday".

• "Ride on," said the king of cool

  ➔ Imperative Mood + Inverted Subject-Verb

  ➔ "Ride on" is imperative command; "said the king" uses inversion for stylistic effect.