Insomnia – English Lyrics

• By: Richie Campbell

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Richie Campbell's thought-provoking song, "Insomnia," which uses the universal experience of sleeplessness to explore deeper themes of loneliness and distrust. By listening closely, you'll gain insight into how the artist uses vivid lyrics and relatable scenarios to express the vulnerabilities that come with fame and the search for genuine relationships.

[English]

Half hour 'til the sun rise and all now me can't sleep

Wondering a who me fi trust around me

Should be counting money but me deh yah a count sheep

Dem want fi walk inna me shoes but my life it don't sweet

Dem gyal yah love fame dem nuh really love me

Must be why me bed cold and tough like concrete

Insomnia

So many people deh around and somehow i feel lonely yah

Cant sleep man i cant close my eyes

Insomnia

So many voice inna me brain and somehow i feel lonely yah

Its insomnia

How me fi trust and me nuh certain

Weh some a dem say behind dem curtain

Tell me say dem love me in reality it hurt them

Must be thru dem never want fi see fly above them

So me haffi

Watch me back when me turn it

Mind every step pon me journey

Dem never deh deh when the vision look blurry

Now that it a clear dem want fi circle inna hurry

Hear me now

Tell me

When the money stop flow and the crowd stop show would you cry with me

Would you stay when i fall down to my knees

Tell me

When me old and grey and the band stop play

Would u cry with me

Will you cry with me

Insomnia

So many people deh around and somehow i feel lonely yah

Cant sleep man i cant close my eyes

Insomnia

So many voice inna me brain and somehow i feel lonely yah

Its insomnia

Then if a never fi me voice would you hear me out

If me pocket never full would you still deh bout

Cant swear fi nobody cause me life done show me a the same somebody love u ago sell u out

Tell dem take me name out your dutty mouth

Soon as me turn me back a me dem talk about

So look inna me eye and tell bredda me would you cry and if my gold stop shine would

Still deh round

Tell me

When the money stop flow and the crowd stop show would you cry with me

Would you stay when i fall down to my knees

Tell me

When me old and grey and the band stop play

Would u cry with me

Will you cry with me

Insomnia

So many people deh around and somehow i feel lonely yah

Cant sleep man i cant close my eyes

Insomnia

So many voice inna me brain and somehow i feel lonely yah

Its insomnia

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
sleep /sliːp/ A1	verb - to rest in a state of unconsciousness
trust /trʌst/ A2	verb - to believe in the reliability of someone or something
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ A2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a current medium of exchange in the form of coins or banknotes
voice /vɔɪs/ A1	noun - the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - of or at a low or relatively low temperature
clear /klɪr/ A2	adjective - easy to perceive, understand, or interpret
journey /ˈdʒɜːrni/ A2	noun - an act of traveling from one place to another
vision /ˈvɪʒən/ B1	noun - the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom
circle /ˈsɜːrkl/ A2	verb - to move in a curved path around a center noun - a round plane figure whose boundary consists of points equidistant from the center
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears as a result of strong emotion
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to drop or come down freely under the influence of gravity
old /oʊld/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for a long time
grey /ɡreɪ/ A1	adjective - of a color between white and black
swear /swɛər/ B1	verb - to make a solemn declaration, often calling upon a divine being
full /fʊl/ A1	adjective - containing or holding as much or as many as possible
back /bæk/ A1	noun - the rear surface of the human body from the shoulders to the hips adverb - in or to or toward a former location or condition
turn /tɜːrn/ A1	verb - to move in a circular direction
eye /aɪ/ A1	noun - the organ of sight

Key Grammar Structures

• Half hour 'til the sun rise and all now me can't sleep

  ➔ Contraction ('til), present continuous tense ('can't sleep'), informal pronoun ('me')

  ➔ The use of ''til' is a colloquial shortening of 'until'. The phrase 'all now' emphasizes the duration. The use of 'me' instead of 'I' is typical of Jamaican Patois.

• Dem gyal yah love fame dem nuh really love me

  ➔ Use of demonstrative pronoun ('dem'), Jamaican Patois negation ('nuh')

  ➔ 'Dem' is a plural demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those' or 'they'. 'Nuh' is a common negation marker in Jamaican Patois, replacing 'do not' or 'don't'.

• Tell me say dem love me in reality it hurt them

  ➔ Indirect speech ('say dem love me'), use of 'it' as a dummy pronoun.

  ➔ The phrase 'tell me say' is a common construction in Jamaican Patois for reporting what someone said. 'It' refers to the fact that they love him, and functions as a subject.

• So me haffi Watch me back when me turn it

  ➔ Use of 'haffi' (have to), reflexive pronoun ('me back'), informal pronoun ('me')

  ➔ 'Haffi' is a Jamaican Patois contraction of 'have to'. 'Watch me back' means to watch one's own back, be cautious. 'Turn it' refers to turning around.