Keep On – English Lyrics

• By: Portugal. The Man
• Album: Woodstock

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a lyrical journey with Portugal. The Man's "Keep On," a compelling indie rock track that invites listeners to explore themes of perseverance and self-reflection. Through its relatable lyrics about navigating repetitive struggles and questioning one's place, this song offers an authentic way to engage with English vocabulary and emotional expression. Its unique blend of experimental sounds and meaningful messages makes it a special piece for language learners to connect with contemporary music and culture.

[English]

Keep on hanging on

Stuck here 'til I'm gone

Boys still throwing songs

Running 'til I'm wrong

I never listened to tell the truth

I never knew

But nobody misses

What you did

Quite like I do

Got me thinking 'bout it

All day long

(Dead and gone)

All day long

(Dead and gone)

Banging my head against the wall

All day long

Banging my head against the wall

Dead and gone

But I'm seeing a pattern

Falling from a ladder

Must be tripping like a cartoon

Slipping on a banana

Locked out in the sun

Burned out but I ain't done

Ice cream melting down

Dripping on the ground

Young black and gifted

Never lose, gotta be the shoes

That old money privilege

Got me confused, what is it you do?

Got me thinking 'bout it

All day long

(Banging my head against the wall)

All day long

(Banging my head against the wall)

All day long

And it's all and it's all and it's all day long

(Bangin' my head against the wall)

Dead and gone

And it's all that you want

'Til we're dead and gone

Maybe I'm trippin' to tell the truth

Don't have a clue

(Maybe you're not alone, that's right)

Or maybe I missed out on my youth

Playing it cool

Man in the middle like

Grow up, be a winner

Grow up be a winner (all day long)

(Dead and gone)

Be a winner (all day long)

(Dead and gone)

Grow up be a winner (all day long)

(Dead and gone)

Banging my head against the wall

All day long

And it's all and it's all and it's all day long

(Bangin' my head against the wall)

Dead and gone

And it's all that you want

'Til we're dead and gone

(Bangin' my head against the wall)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hanging /ˈhæŋɪŋ/ A2	verb - to suspend or be suspended
stuck /stʌk/ A2	adjective - unable to move or escape
throwing /ˈθroʊɪŋ/ A1	verb - to propel something with force through the air
running /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
pattern /ˈpætərn/ B1	noun - a repeated decorative design
falling /ˈfɔːlɪŋ/ A1	verb - to drop or descend
tripping /ˈtrɪpɪŋ/ A2	verb - to stumble or lose balance
slipping /ˈslɪpɪŋ/ A2	verb - to slide unintentionally
locked /lɒkt/ A2	adjective - secured with a lock
burned /bɜːrnd/ A2	verb - to be damaged by fire or heat
melting /ˈmɛltɪŋ/ A2	verb - to change from a solid to a liquid state
dripping /ˈdrɪpɪŋ/ A2	verb - to fall in drops
gifted /ˈɡɪftɪd/ B1	adjective - having exceptional talent
privilege /ˈprɪvɪlɪdʒ/ B2	noun - a special right or advantage
confused /kənˈfjuːzd/ A2	adjective - unable to think clearly
winner /ˈwɪnər/ A1	noun - a person who wins a competition
banging /ˈbæŋɪŋ/ A2	verb - to strike repeatedly with a loud noise
youth /juːθ/ A1	noun - the period of life when someone is young

Key Grammar Structures

• Keep on hanging on

  ➔ Imperative + gerund (phrasal verb “keep on” + gerund)

  ➔ The verb "keep" is followed by the gerund "hanging" to express a continuing action.

• Stuck here 'til I'm gone

  ➔ Contraction “'til” (= until) + present simple used for future reference

  ➔ "'til" is a short form of "until"; "I'm gone" uses the present simple to refer to a future state.

• Boys still throwing songs

  ➔ Present progressive with adverb “still” indicating an ongoing action

  ➔ "still" modifies the progressive verb "throwing", showing that the boys keep doing it.

• Got me thinking 'bout it

  ➔ Causative construction “got + object + verb‑ing”

  ➔ "got" + object "me" + verb‑ing "thinking" means something causes the speaker to think.

• Must be tripping like a cartoon

  ➔ Modal verb “must” + be + gerund (present participle) for strong deduction

  ➔ "must be tripping" expresses a confident guess that the subject is currently “tripping”.

• Locked out in the sun

  ➔ Past participle used as an adjective (passive‑like adjective phrase)

  ➔ "Locked" is a past participle that functions as an adjective describing the speaker’s state.

• what is it you do?

  ➔ Indirect question (embedded question) with subject‑auxiliary inversion omitted

  ➔ The clause "you do" is an embedded question after "what is it"; the typical inversion "do you" is omitted.

• Grow up, be a winner

  ➔ Imperative sentences with bare infinitive verbs

  ➔ "Grow" and "be" are bare infinitives giving direct commands: "Grow up" and "be a winner".

• Don't have a clue

  ➔ Negative imperative with bare infinitive

  ➔ "Don't" + bare infinitive "have" forms a negative command telling someone not to possess a clue.