It Happened Today – English Lyrics

• By: R.E.M.
• Album: Collapse Into Now

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful journey, and R.E.M.'s “It Happened Today” offers a rich text for English learners. The song's lyrical depth, exploring themes of finality and celebration, provides a great opportunity to understand nuanced emotional expression. Its blend of straightforward and metaphorical language, alongside a chorus of joyous, wordless vocals, makes it a special and accessible piece for appreciating the power of both words and music in conveying a powerful story.

[English]

This is not a parable

This is a terrible

This is a terrible thing.

Yes I will rhyme that after,

After all I've done today

I have earned my wings

It happened today. Hooray! Hooray!

It happened. Hip, hip, hooray!

We'll leave the allegory

To another Bible story

Out of deference, defiance, and choice.

Closing in on a promise

After all I've done today

I have earned my voice

It happened today. Hooray! Hooray!

It happened. Hip, hip, hooray!

Ahh...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
parable /ˈpærəbl/ B2	noun - A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.
terrible /ˈtɛrəbl/ A2	adjective - Extremely bad or serious.
thing /θɪŋ/ A1	noun - An object, animal, or quality without a specific name; an inanimate object; an action, event, or idea.
rhyme /raɪm/ B1	verb - (Of a word, syllable, or line) have or end with a sound that corresponds to another. noun - Correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words, especially when these are used at the ends of lines of poetry.
do /duː/ A1	verb - To perform an action or activity.
earn /ɜːrn/ B1	verb - To obtain (money) in return for labour or services; to deserve or receive (something) because of one's actions or qualities.
wing /wɪŋ/ A2	noun - A limb or appendage of a bird, bat, or insect, enabling it to fly. noun - (Metaphorical) A means of rising or soaring to a higher level; freedom or ability.
happen /ˈhæpən/ A1	verb - To occur; take place.
hooray /hʊˈreɪ/ B1	interjection - Used to express joy or approval. noun - An exclamation of 'hooray'.
leave /liːv/ A1	verb - To go away from. verb - To allow or enable to remain.
allegory /ˈælɪɡəri/ B2	noun - A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.
Bible /ˈbaɪbl/ A2	noun - The Christian scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments.
story /ˈstɔːri/ A1	noun - An account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment.
deference /ˈdɛfərəns/ C1	noun - Humble submission and respect.
defiance /dɪˈfaɪəns/ B2	noun - Open resistance; bold disobedience.
choice /tʃɔɪs/ A2	noun - An act of choosing between two or more possibilities; the right or ability to choose.
close /kloʊz/ A1	verb - To move (something) so that an opening is covered or obstructed; to bring or come to an end; to approach or draw near.
promise /ˈprɒmɪs/ A2	noun - A declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen. verb - To state that one will definitely do something or that something will happen.
voice /vɔɪs/ A1	noun - The sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song. noun - (Metaphorical) A particular opinion or expression of opinion; the right to express one's opinion.

Key Grammar Structures

• This is not a parable

  ➔ simple present (negative)

  ➔ The word "not" negates the verb "is", creating a negative simple‑present sentence.

• This is a terrible thing.

  ➔ simple present (affirmative)

  ➔ The adjective "terrible" directly describes the noun "thing" in a simple‑present affirmative sentence.

• Yes I will rhyme that after,

  ➔ future simple (will)

  ➔ The modal verb "will" is used to form the simple future: "I will rhyme".

• After all I've done today

  ➔ present perfect (contracted)

  ➔ The contraction "I've" stands for "I have", forming the present perfect: "I have done".

• I have earned my wings

  ➔ present perfect

  ➔ The present perfect "have earned" links a past action to the present moment.

• It happened today. Hooray! Hooray!

  ➔ simple past

  ➔ The verb "happened" is in the simple past, indicating a completed action in the past.

• We'll leave the allegory

  ➔ future simple (contraction)

  ➔ "We'll" is the contraction of "we will", forming a simple future: "we will leave".

• Out of deference, defiance, and **choice**.

  ➔ prepositional phrase

  ➔ "Out of" introduces a prepositional phrase that lists reasons or sources.

• Closing in on a promise

  ➔ present participle phrase

  ➔ "Closing" is a present participle forming a phrase that functions like an adjective or adverb.