Life on the Nickel – English Lyrics

• By: Foster The People

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

But I can't seem to catch a dime

Take a little hit and I lose the time

I took the man and his horse

And ran before he looked up

I said the light's gonna change

But I'm calm and feeling warm

Now I'm sticking out my hands

And feeling weightless again

You got to push, got to shove

Got to eat before they eat me

Got the crown and the cup

Got to write to my family

And say, "I'm calm and feeling warm"

Not quite there, but I'm close

And it's a world of a difference

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

But I can't seem to catch a dime

Take a little hit and I lose the time

I've got the worst all behind me

Yeah, they'll never be able to find me

I'm the king of the city

I'm a roach and they're all primates

This is meal time, real life

I'm not gonna fight

No, I'm gonna start a war

I've been right, I've been wrong

My smokes have come and gone

I've been crazy

Been fed enough to not wind up dead

And I'm lonely

My eyes have been closed to the world

'Cause the world's got nothing for me

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

But I can't seem to catch a dime

Take a little hit and I lose the time

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

But I can't seem to catch a dime

Take a little hit and I lose the time

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

...

Key Grammar Structures

• Yet again, I'm hustling, hustling, hustling

  ➔ Present Continuous (am + verb‑ing)

  ➔ The contraction "I'm" (= I am) shows an action that is happening right now and continues over a period of time.

• But I can't seem to catch a dime

  ➔ Modal verb + seem + infinitive (can't seem to + verb)

  ➔ "can't" is a negative modal; "seem" is followed by the infinitive "to catch" to express difficulty or impossibility.

• Take a little hit and I lose the time

  ➔ Imperative + simple present (for result)

  ➔ "Take" is an imperative verb giving a command; the clause "I lose the time" uses the simple present to state a habitual or immediate result.

• I took the man and his horse / And ran before he looked up

  ➔ Past Simple + before + Past Simple

  ➔ "took" and "ran" are simple past actions; "before" introduces a time clause "he looked up" also in the past.

• I said the light's gonna change

  ➔ Future with "going to" (gonna) after a reporting verb

  ➔ "gonna" is the informal contraction of "going to" used to express a planned future action.

• I'm calm and feeling warm

  ➔ Linking verb + adjective + present participle as complement

  ➔ "I'm" links the subject to the state "calm"; "feeling" (present participle) adds a simultaneous feeling as part of the complement.

• Got to push, got to shove

  ➔ "got to" as a modal meaning "have to"

  ➔ "Got to" functions like the modal "have to"; it expresses necessity or obligation.

• My eyes have been closed to the world

  ➔ Present Perfect Passive (have been + past participle)

  ➔ "have been" + "closed" (past participle) forms a passive construction indicating a state that started in the past and continues now.

• I'm not gonna fight

  ➔ Negative future with "going to" (gonna)

  ➔ "not" negates the informal future expression "gonna" (= going to), indicating that the speaker will not engage in fighting.