Kids Wanna Rock – English Lyrics

• By: Bryan Adams

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the rebellious spirit of 80s rock with Bryan Adams' 'Kids Wanna Rock.' This song is a fantastic entry point to learning English through music, with its clear, repetitive chorus and straightforward rock and roll vocabulary. It's a fun and energetic track that captures a pivotal moment in music history when rock was reasserting its dominance.

[English]

Turned on the radio

Sounded like a disco

Must've turned the dial for a couple of miles

But I couldn't find no rock 'n' roll

This computerized crap ain't gettin' me off

Everywhere I go, the kids wanna rock

London to LA

Talking about the new wave

For a couple of bucks ya get a weird haircut

And waste your life away

Around the world or around the block

Everywhere I go, the kids wanna rock

Get me my DJ

I got somethin' he's gotta play

I wanna hear it, I can't wait

Turn it up, turn it up, yeah, wow!

Kick down the barricades

Listen what the kids say

From time to time people change their minds

But the music is here to stay

I've seen it all from the bottom to the top

Everywhere I go, the kids wanna rock

Around the world or around the block

Everywhere I go, the kids wanna rock (Kids wanna rock)

Everywhere I go, the kids wanna rock

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
rock /rɒk/ A1	noun - a genre of popular music verb - to perform or listen to rock music
radio /ˈreɪdi.oʊ/ A1	noun - a device for receiving broadcast audio
disco /ˈdɪs.koʊ/ A2	noun - a style of dance music
dial /daɪəl/ B1	noun - a circular plate on a radio or phone verb - to turn a dial to change settings
crap /kræp/ B1	noun - something of low quality
wave /weɪv/ A2	noun - a trend or movement in music or culture
barricades /ˈbærɪkeɪdz/ B2	noun - barriers erected to block access
DJ /ˌdiːˈdʒeɪ/ A2	noun - a person who plays recorded music for an audience
kick /kɪk/ A1	verb - to strike with the foot verb - to remove forcefully
weird /wɪrd/ A2	adjective - strange or unusual
waste /weɪst/ A2	verb - to use or expend thoughtlessly
play /pleɪ/ A1	verb - to perform music on an instrument or device
stay /steɪ/ A1	verb - to remain in a particular place or state
bottom /ˈbɒtəm/ A1	noun - the lowest part of something
top /tɒp/ A1	noun - the highest part of something

Key Grammar Structures

• Must've turned the dial for a couple of miles

  ➔ Modal verb (must have) in the past perfect

  ➔ “Must've” is a contraction of “must have,” indicating a past action that is inferred from present evidence. Here, it suggests the speaker turned the dial multiple times.

• But I couldn't find no rock 'n' roll

  ➔ Double negative (couldn't find no)

  ➔ “Couldn't find no” is a double negative, which is non-standard in formal English but common in colloquial or poetic language. It emphasizes the absence of rock 'n' roll.

• Everywhere I go, the kids wanna rock

  ➔ Present simple in a general statement

  ➔ “Wanna” is a contraction of “want to,” used in informal speech. The present simple here indicates a general truth or habit: kids always want to rock.

• For a couple of bucks ya get a weird haircut

  ➔ Informal contraction (ya) and present simple

  ➔ “Ya” is an informal contraction of “you.” The present simple describes a general situation: getting a weird haircut for a small amount of money.

• I've seen it all from the bottom to the top

  ➔ Present perfect (have seen)

  ➔ “I've seen” is the present perfect, indicating an action that started in the past and is relevant to the present. It emphasizes the speaker's experience from low to high status.