Keep The Wolves Away – English Lyrics

• By: Uncle Lucius
• Album: And You Are Me

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the authentic storytelling of "Keep The Wolves Away" by Uncle Lucius, a song that transcends musical genres to deliver a profound and relatable narrative. Through its heartfelt lyrics and soulful melody, you can explore the language of resilience and the deep emotional connection to family and hardship. This song's honest portrayal of a working-class struggle makes it a powerful and special piece, offering a window into the human spirit's enduring fight.

[English]

Took my first breath where the muddy Brazos

Spills into the Gulf of Mexico

Where the skyline's colored by chemical plants

That put the bread on the table of the workin' man

Where the workin' man does his best to provide

Safety and shelter for kids and a wife

Giving a little of his soul every day

Makin' overtime to keep the wolves away

...

I was barely 13 when the company men

Tried to dig my daddy's grave

It happened on a French-owned tanker ship

Spillin' poison in the Galveston Bay

Where the liquid fire filled his lungs and his eyes

Silenced any mortal cries

Cold in the grave, but death stinging pain

He fought like hell to keep the wolves away

...

For the next few years, Dad was sick as a dog

But he made recovery just to spite the odds

The settlement came, and we moved out of town

Where the sky isn't heavy with refinery clouds

Yeah, he's still alive, he's doing good, he's in his fifties

But the money's running out, and he's pinching for pennies

So I'm going for broke with every song I play

'Cause now it's my turn to keep the wolves away

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
provide /prəˈvaɪd/ A2	verb - to supply or make something available
shelter /ˈʃeltər/ A2	noun - a place giving protection from danger or weather
overtime /ˈoʊvərtaɪm/ B1	noun - extra time worked beyond normal hours
wolves /wʊlvz/ A1	noun - wild carnivorous mammals (here used metaphorically for threats)
spill /spɪl/ A2	verb - to cause a liquid to flow out accidentally
chemical /ˈkɛmɪkəl/ B1	adjective - relating to chemistry or chemicals
recovery /rɪˈkʌvəri/ B1	noun - the process of returning to a normal state of health
settlement /ˈsɛtlmənt/ B2	noun - an agreement to resolve a dispute
refinery /rɪˈfaɪnəri/ B2	noun - a plant where crude oil is processed
poison /ˈpɔɪzən/ A2	noun - a substance that causes injury or death when ingested
silence /ˈsaɪləns/ A2	verb - to make someone stop talking or making noise
spite /spaɪt/ B1	noun - a feeling of anger or resentment
tanker /ˈtæŋkər/ B2	noun - a ship or vehicle for carrying large amounts of liquid
pinching /ˈpɪntʃɪŋ/ B1	verb - to be very careful with money
broke /broʊk/ A2	adjective - having no money

Key Grammar Structures

• Took my first breath where the muddy Brazos spills into the Gulf of Mexico

  ➔ Past Simple with 'took' and 'spills'

  ➔ The past simple 'took' refers to a completed action in the past, while 'spills' is in the present simple, indicating a habitual or ongoing action.

• Where the skyline's colored by chemical plants

  ➔ Present Simple with Passive Voice

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple in passive voice to describe a current state or condition, emphasizing the action done to the subject ('skyline').

• That put the bread on the table of the workin' man

  ➔ Relative Pronoun 'That' with Past Simple

  ➔ The relative pronoun 'that' introduces a clause describing the noun 'chemical plants,' using the past simple 'put' to refer to a past action.

• Giving a little of his soul every day

  ➔ Present Continuous for Habitual Actions

  ➔ The present continuous 'giving' is used to describe a habitual action that occurs regularly, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the action.

• Makin' overtime to keep the wolves away

  ➔ Gerund after Preposition 'to'

  ➔ The gerund 'making' is used after the preposition 'to' to indicate the purpose of the action.

• He fought like hell to keep the wolves away

  ➔ Simile with 'like'

  ➔ The simile 'like hell' compares the intensity of the fight to hell, emphasizing the extreme effort.

• But he made recovery just to spite the odds

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose with 'to'

  ➔ The infinitive of purpose 'to spite the odds' indicates the reason for the recovery, showing intention.

• 'Cause now it's my turn to keep the wolves away

  ➔ Contraction and Future Responsibility

  ➔ The contraction ''cause' is short for 'because,' and 'it's my turn' expresses future responsibility using the present tense.