Life Itself – English Lyrics

• By: Glass Animals
• Album: I Love You So F***ing Much

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the lyrical depth and unique soundscape of Glass Animals' "Life Itself" – a fantastic song to help you learn English. You can explore rich vocabulary describing human experiences and emotions, from feeling 'fantastic' despite challenges to the urgent desire to 'get free.' The song's narrative, focusing on a character's journey of self-acceptance against societal pressures, offers relatable themes that make the English lyrics memorable and meaningful, enhanced by the band's distinctive indie-pop style.

[English]

Daddy was dumb

Said that I'd be something special

Brought me up tough

But I was a gentle human

Said that he loved

Each of my two million freckles

When I grew up, was gonna be a super star

I can't get a job so I live with my mom

I take her money but not quite enough

Sit in the car and I listen to static

She said I look fat but I look fantastic

Come back down to my knees

Gotta get back gotta get free

Come back down to my knees

Be like them, lean back and breathe

Come back down to my knees

Gotta get back gotta get free

Come back down to my knees

Be like them, lean back and breathe

...

I'm waking up

Lost in boxes outside Tesco

Look like a bum

Sipping codeine coca cola

Thought that I was

Northern Camden's own Flash Gordon

Sonic ray gun

Gonna be a superstar

I can't get a job so I live with my mom

I take her money but not quite enough

I make my own fun in grandmama's basement

Said I looked mad

She said I looked wasted

Come back down to my knees

Gotta get back gotta get free

Come back down to my knees

Be like them, lean back and breathe

Come back down to my knees

Gotta get back gotta get free

Come back down to my knees

Be like them, lean back and breathe

...

Come back down to my knees

Gotta get back gotta get free

Come back down to my knees

Be like them, lean back and breathe

Come back down to my knees

Gotta get back gotta get free

Come back down to my knees

Be like them, lean back and breathe

Come back down to my knees

Gotta get back gotta get free

Come back down to my knees

Be like them, lean back and breathe

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
tough /tʌf/ B1	adjective - strong and durable; not easily broken or damaged.
gentle /ˈdʒɛntl/ B1	adjective - kind and soft; not harsh or violent.
freckles /ˈfrɛklz/ B2	noun - small, brownish spots on the skin.
superstar /ˈsuːpərstɑːr/ B2	noun - a famous and successful performer.
static /ˈstætɪk/ B2	noun - random noise on radio or television.
fantastic /fænˈtæstɪk/ B2	adjective - extraordinarily good or attractive.
free /friː/ A2	adjective - not under the control or power of another.
breathe /briːð/ A2	verb - to take air into and expel it from the lungs.
boxes /ˈbɒksɪz/ A2	noun - containers for storing or transporting things.
bum /bʌm/ B1	noun - a person without a home, job, or money.
codeine /ˈkoʊdiːn/ C1	noun - an opiate painkiller.
flash /flæʃ/ B1	noun - a sudden burst of light.
gun /ɡʌn/ A2	noun - a weapon from which projectiles are fired.
basement /ˈbeɪsmənt/ B1	noun - the part of a building that is partly or entirely below ground level.
wasted /ˈweɪstɪd/ B2	adjective - very tired or weak.
mad /mæd/ A2	adjective - angry or annoyed.

Key Grammar Structures

• Daddy was dumb

  ➔ Simple Past Tense - Stative Verb

  ➔ The verb 'was' indicates a state of being in the past. 'Dumb' is a stative verb describing a quality. The sentence describes a past perception of the father's character.

• I take her money but not quite enough

  ➔ Present Simple with Conjunction 'but' and Quantifier 'quite'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple to describe a habitual action ('I take'). 'But' introduces a contrast, and 'quite' modifies 'enough', indicating an insufficient amount. The phrase highlights a recurring, yet inadequate, financial situation.

• She said I looked fat but I look fantastic

  ➔ Reported Speech and Contrastive Adjectives

  ➔ 'She said' introduces reported speech, conveying what someone else stated. 'Fat' and 'fantastic' are contrasting adjectives, creating irony and highlighting the speaker's self-perception versus another's opinion.

• Gotta get back gotta get free

  ➔ Ellipsis and Imperative Mood

  ➔ The repetition of 'gotta get' (contraction of 'got to get') creates a sense of urgency. The phrase functions as an imperative, expressing a strong desire or need. The ellipsis (omission of 'I') is common in informal speech and song lyrics.