Left Hand Free – English Lyrics

• By: alt-J
• Album: This Is All Yours

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Ain't shady baby, I'm hot

Like the prodigal son

...

Pick a petal, eenie meenie minie mo, and flower

You're the chosen one

...

Well, your left hand's free

And your right's in grip

With another left hand

Watch his right hand slip

Towards his gun

Oh, no

...

I tackle, we tussle, and, oh

My days, we're rolling

...

My right hand's gripped on his Colt single-action army

Oh, no

Well, your left hand's free

And your right's in grip

With another left hand

Watch his right hand slip

Towards his gun

Oh, no

N-E-O, O-M-G

Gee whiz, girl, you're the one for me

...

Though your man's bigger than I am

Oh, my days, he disagrees

Oh, no (Speak easy)

...

Well, my left hand's free

Well, my left hand's free

Well, my left hand's free

Oh, no

Ain't shady baby, I'm hot

Like the prodigal son

...

Pick a petal, eenie, meenie, minie, mo

And flower you're the chosen one

...

Well, your left hand's free

Well, my left hand's free

Well, my left hand's free

Well, my left hand's free

Well, my left hand's free

Oh, no

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
free /friː/ A1	adjective - not imprisoned or enslaved; able to act or be done as desired
grip /ɡrɪp/ A2	verb - to hold firmly or tightly noun - a firm hold or grasp
tackle /tækəl/ B1	verb - to try to deal with something difficult or complex
tussle /tʌsəl/ B2	verb - to struggle or fight in a rough or disorderly way
prodigal /ˈprɒdɪɡəl/ C1	adjective - wastefully extravagant; reckless
chosen /ˈtʃoʊzən/ A2	adjective - selected as the best or most appropriate
slip /slɪp/ A2	verb - to slide out of place or position
gun /ɡʌn/ A1	noun - a weapon that fires bullets
rolling /ˈroʊlɪŋ/ A2	verb - to move in a circular motion
disagrees /ˌdɪsəˈɡriːz/ A2	verb - to have a different opinion
petal /ˈpɛtəl/ A2	noun - a part of a flower
flower /ˈflaʊər/ A1	noun - the part of a plant that is often colorful and fragrant
bigger /ˈbɪɡər/ A1	adjective - of greater size
hot /hɒt/ A1	adjective - having a high temperature
watch /wɒtʃ/ A1	verb - to look at or observe something

Key Grammar Structures

• Ain't shady baby, I'm hot

  ➔ Informal Contraction "Ain't"

  ➔ "Ain't" is an informal contraction commonly used in spoken English, representing "am not", "is not", "are not", "has not", or "have not". Here, it means "I am not".

• Like the prodigal son

  ➔ Preposition "Like" for Comparison

  ➔ The word "Like" is used as a preposition to introduce a comparison, showing similarity between two things or actions. Here, it compares the speaker's state ("hot") to "the prodigal son".

• Pick a petal, eenie meenie minie mo, and flower

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ The verb "Pick" is in the imperative mood, used to give commands, instructions, or make requests directly to the listener (implied "you").

• You're the chosen one

  ➔ Passive Voice (Past Participle as Adjective)

  ➔ "Chosen" is the past participle of "choose" and functions here as an adjective, describing "one" (the person). It implies that someone else did the choosing, characteristic of the passive voice.

• Well, your left hand's free

  ➔ Contraction 's (is) with a Noun Subject

  ➔ The apostrophe 's in "hand's" is a contraction for "hand is". It indicates that the noun "hand" is the subject of the verb "is". This is different from the possessive 's (e.g., "the hand's fingers").

• Watch his right hand slip

  ➔ Causative Verb "Watch" + Bare Infinitive

  ➔ "Watch" is a causative verb followed by an object ("his right hand") and a bare infinitive ("slip"). This structure means to observe someone or something performing an action.

• My right hand's gripped on his Colt single-action army

  ➔ Contraction 's (is) + Passive Voice (Present Simple Passive)

  ➔ The apostrophe 's in "hand's" is a contraction for "hand is". Combined with the past participle "gripped", it forms the present simple passive voice, indicating that the hand is in a state of being gripped by an external force.

• We're rolling

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense for Ongoing Action

  ➔ "We're rolling" (we are rolling) uses the present continuous tense to describe an action that is happening at the moment of speaking or an ongoing situation.

• Though your man's bigger than I am

  ➔ Conjunction "Though" for Contrast + Comparative Adjective + Pronoun Case after "Than"

  ➔ "Though" introduces a subordinate clause expressing contrast or concession. "Bigger than" is a comparative adjective. "I" is used as a subject pronoun after "than" when a verb (like "am") is implied or stated.

• Gee whiz, girl, you're the one for me

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase "for me" (Purpose/Recipient)

  ➔ The prepositional phrase "for me" indicates the purpose or recipient of the action/statement. Here, it means "you are the one intended for me" or "you are the one I want".