In The City – English Lyrics

• By: The Jam
• Album: N/A

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the raw energy of The Jam's "In The City," a quintessential punk rock anthem that encapsulates the spirit of British youth in the late '70s. Through sharp lyrics and driving rhythms, this song offers a window into the mod revival scene and the socio-political landscape that shaped a generation. Learn about the cultural context and the band's explosive arrival onto the music scene .

[English]

(upbeat guitars playing)

♪ In the city there's a thousand things I want to say to you ♪

♪ But whenever I approach you, you make me look a fool ♪

♪ I wanna say, I wanna tell you ♪

♪ About the young ideas ♪

♪ But you turn them into fears ♪

♪ In the city there's a thousand faces, all shining bright ♪

♪ And those golden faces are under twenty-five ♪

♪ They wanna say, they gonna tell ya ♪

♪ About the young idea ♪

♪ You better listen now you've said your bit-a, go ♪

(guitar solo)

♪ And I know what you're thinking ♪

♪ You still think I am crap ♪

♪ But you'd better listen, man ♪

♪ Because the kids know where it's at ♪

♪ In the city there's a thousand men in uniforms ♪

♪ And I've heard they now have the right to kill a man ♪

♪ We wanna say, we gonna tell ya ♪

♪ About a young idea ♪

♪ And if it don't work, at least we said we've tried ♪

♪ In the city, in the city ♪

♪ In the city, in the city ♪

♪ In the city there's a thousand things I want to say to you ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town or urban area
say /seɪ/ A1	verb - to utter words
look /lʊk/ A1	verb - to direct one's gaze toward someone or something
fool /fuːl/ B1	noun - a person who acts unwisely or imprudently verb - to trick or deceive someone
tell /tel/ A1	verb - to communicate information to someone
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for only a short time
ideas /aɪˈdɪəz/ A2	noun - a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action
turn /tɜːrn/ A2	verb - to move in a circular direction verb - to change in condition, form, or character
fears /fɪərz/ B1	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by the perception of danger
faces /ˈfeɪsɪz/ A1	noun - the front part of the head, from the forehead to the chin
shining /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/ B1	adjective - emitting or reflecting light
bright /braɪt/ B2	adjective - giving out or reflecting a lot of light; luminous
golden /ˈɡoʊldən/ B1	adjective - made of or resembling gold
listen /ˈlɪsn/ A1	verb - to give one's attention to a sound
thinking /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/ A2	verb - using one's mind actively to form connected ideas
crap /kræp/ B2	noun - something of extremely poor quality
kids /kɪdz/ A1	noun - a child or young person
kill /kɪl/ A2	verb - cause the death of (a person, animal, or plant)
work /wɜːrk/ A1	verb - to exert effort to do, make, or perform something
tried /traɪd/ A2	verb - past tense of try: to make an attempt or effort to do something

Key Grammar Structures

• In the city there's a thousand things I want to say to you

  ➔ Existential 'there is/are'

  ➔ This sentence uses "there's" (there is) to introduce the existence of a large number of things. It emphasizes the abundance or availability of these things.

• But whenever I approach you, you make me look a fool

  ➔ Subordinating conjunction "whenever"; Causative verb "make" + infinitive without 'to'

  ➔ "Whenever" introduces a subordinate clause that expresses 'every time' or 'each time'. "Make me look a fool" uses "make" as a causative verb, where 'me' is the subject being caused to 'look a fool'. Note the absence of 'to' before the infinitive.

• You better listen now you've said your bit-a, go

  ➔ Modal verb "better" (had better); Shortened form

  ➔ "You better listen" is a shortened and informal way of saying "You had better listen." "Had better" expresses a strong recommendation or warning. "You've said your bit-a" is a colloquial shortening of "You've said your bit", meaning you've had your say.

• And I know what you're thinking

  ➔ Embedded question using 'what'

  ➔ The clause "what you're thinking" acts as the object of the verb "know". It's an embedded question because it contains an interrogative word ('what') but doesn't have the structure of a direct question.

• You still think I am crap

  ➔ Use of adjective as a predicate nominative ('crap')

  ➔ Here, "crap" (meaning worthless) functions as a predicate nominative, describing the subject 'I'. It completes the linking verb 'am' and renames or describes the subject.

• Because the kids know where it's at

  ➔ Informal idiom 'where it's at'; Subordinating conjunction 'because'

  ➔ "Where it's at" is an informal idiom meaning 'what is important or fashionable' or 'where the action is'. "Because" introduces a clause of reason.

• And I've heard they now have the right to kill a man

  ➔ Present perfect tense ('I've heard'); Infinitive of purpose ('to kill a man')

  ➔ "I've heard" uses the present perfect to indicate a past event that has relevance to the present. "To kill a man" is an infinitive phrase that expresses the purpose or reason for having the right.

• And if it don't work, at least we said we've tried

  ➔ Conditional clause using 'if' (zero conditional variation with 'don't'); Past perfect tense in reported speech ('we've tried')

  ➔ The conditional clause uses "if it don't work," which is a colloquial and less grammatically strict way of saying "if it doesn't work." The phrase "we said we've tried" uses the present perfect "we've tried" to refer to a past action that has relevance in the present, but note the backshifting in the reported speech 'we said'.