Jackie And Wilson – English Lyrics

• By: Hozier

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the world of Hozier's "Jackie and Wilson," a song that blends bluesy undertones with a narrative of love and illusion. Through its poetic lyrics, discover the nuances of English as Hozier paints a vivid picture of fleeting romance and the dreams we weave around newfound connections, offering a poignant reflection on the human heart.

[English]

So tired trying to see from behind the red in my eyes

No better version of me I could pretend to be tonight

So deep in this swill with the most familiar of swine

For reasons wretched and divine

She blows outta nowhere, roman candle of the wild

Laughing away through my feeble disguise

No other version of me I would rather be tonight.

And, Lord, she found me just in time

'Cause with my mid-youth crisis all said and done

I need to be youthfully felt 'cause, God, I never felt young

She's gonna save me, call me "baby"

Run her hands through my hair

She'll know me crazy, soothe me daily

Better yet, she wouldn't care

We'll steal her Lexus, be detectives

Ride 'round picking up clues

We'll name our children, Jackie and Wilson

Raise 'em on rhythm and blues

Lord, it'd be great to find a place we could escape sometime

Me and my Isis growing black irises in the sunshine

Every version of me dead and buried in the yard outside

We'd sit back and watch the world go by

Happy to lie back watch it burn and rust

We tried the world, good God, it wasn't for us

She's gonna save me, call me "baby"

Run her hands through my hair

She'll know me crazy, soothe me daily

Better yet, she wouldn't care

We'll steal her Lexus, be detectives

Ride 'round picking up clues

We'll name our children, Jackie and Wilson

Raise 'em on rhythm and blues

...

Cut clean from the dream at night, let my mind reset

Looking up from a cigarette, and she's already left

I start digging up the yard for what's left of me and our little vignette

For whatever poor soul is coming next

She's gonna save me, call me "baby"

Run her hands through my hair

She'll know me crazy, soothe me daily

Better yet, she wouldn't care

We'll steal her Lexus, be detectives

Ride 'round picking up clues

We'll name our children, Jackie and Wilson

Raise 'em on rhythm and blues

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
tired /ˈtaɪərd/ A1	adjective - feeling a need for sleep or rest
version /ˈvɜːrʒən/ B1	noun - a particular form or variant of something
disguise /dɪsˈɡaɪz/ B2	noun - a means of altering one’s appearance or identity
wretched /ˈrɛtʃɪd/ C1	adjective - in a very unhappy or unfortunate state
divine /dɪˈvaɪn/ C1	adjective - relating to a god or deity; heavenly
save /seɪv/ A2	verb - to rescue or keep safe from danger
baby /ˈbeɪbi/ A1	noun - a very young child
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
hands /hændz/ A1	noun - the end part of a human arm that includes the fingers
hair /hɛər/ A1	noun - the thin threadlike strands growing from the skin of humans and animals
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ B1	adjective - mentally deranged; wildly enthusiastic
soothe /suːð/ B2	verb - to gently calm or relieve pain or anxiety
steal /stiːl/ B1	verb - to take another’s property without permission
Lexus /ˈlɛksəs/ B2	noun - a brand of luxury automobiles
detectives /dɪˈtɛktɪvz/ B2	noun - people whose job is to investigate crimes
ride /raɪd/ A2	verb - to sit on and control the movement of a vehicle
clues /kluːz/ B1	noun - pieces of evidence or information that help solve a problem
children /ˈtʃɪldrən/ A2	noun - young human beings below the age of puberty
rhythm /ˈrɪðəm/ B2	noun - a regular, repeated pattern of sounds or movements
blues /bluːz/ B1	noun - a genre of music characterized by its melancholic tone

Key Grammar Structures

• So tired trying to see from behind the red in my eyes

  ➔ Gerund as an adjective

  ➔ The word "trying" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "I".

• No better version of me I could pretend to be tonight

  ➔ Relative clause of reason with omitted relative pronoun

  ➔ The relative pronoun (e.g., which, that) is omitted after "version of me" because the reason is implied, not explicitly stated. The clause modifies "version of me".

• For reasons wretched and divine

  ➔ Adjective phrases

  ➔ "wretched" and "divine" are adjectives describing "reasons".

• She blows outta nowhere, roman candle of the wild

  ➔ Figurative Language (Metaphor)

  ➔ The phrase compares the subject's entrance to a "roman candle of the wild".

• And, Lord, she found me just in time

  ➔ Inversion (Stylistic)

  ➔ The subject "she" comes after the verb "found" for emphasis. This is a stylistic choice.

• 'Cause with my mid-youth crisis all said and done

  ➔ Ellipsis (Omission of the subject and verb)

  ➔ The beginning of the sentence is an elliptical phrase where a subject and a verb are omitted, leaving out the phrase "it's because of".

• I need to be youthfully felt 'cause, God, I never felt young

  ➔ Passive Voice (with emphasis)

  ➔ "be felt" is passive voice. The sentence construction emphasizes the need to experience youthfulness. The second part of the sentence reinforces this feeling.

• We'll name our children, Jackie and Wilson

  ➔ Direct Object with Compound Nouns

  ➔ "Jackie and Wilson" is the direct object of the verb "name", and acts as a compound noun phrase.

• Raise 'em on rhythm and blues

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase and Phrasal Verb

  ➔ "on rhythm and blues" is a prepositional phrase that modifies the verb "raise". "Raise on" acts as a phrasal verb, meaning to nurture or bring up.