LIVIN THE DREAM – English Lyrics

• By: Qveen Herby

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Woke up with views of the city

Top of the hill, shit is crazy

Thinkin' 'bout hard times that made me

And somehow I became the boss

I pick up my check and go

I got a roof to roll

I swipe my Black Card at the Balenciaga Store

I don't make dinner anymore

That's what the chef here for

I didn't always have it, but I still kinda miss

Just rollin' in our moms car knowin' we were rock stars

Didn't have the cash for gas, we had to hit the Coinstar

Makin' big plans, ten bucks in my hand

And workin' through the weekend

When we were broke as hell, when we were singin' on the street

It was the best of times, McDonald's booze and weed

We built it all ourselves, cheap smoke and strong caffeine

It felt like bullshit then, but we were livin' the dream

Learned how to steer this Mercedes

Workin' all those hours at the valet (at the valet)

Never let prosperity change me (never change me)

I worked like I could lose it all (like I could lose it all)

I pick up my check and go

I got a roof to roll

I swipe my Black Card at the Balenciaga Store

I don't make dinner anymore

That's what the chef here for

I didn't always have it, but I still kinda miss

Just rollin' in our moms car knowin' we were rock stars

Didn't have the cash for gas, we had to hit the Coinstar

Makin' big plans, ten bucks in my hand

And workin' through the weekend (workin', workin' through the weekend)

When we were broke as hell, when we were singin' on the street

It was the best of times, McDonald's booze and weed

We built it all ourselves, cheap smoke and strong caffeine

It felt like bullshit then, but we were livin' the dream

...

Rollin' in our moms car knowin' we were rock stars

Didn't have the cash for gas, we had to hit the Coinstar

Makin' big plans, ten bucks in my hand

And workin' through the weekend

When we were broke as hell, when we were singin' on the street

It was the best of times, McDonald's booze and weed

We built it all ourselves, cheap smoke and strong caffeine

It felt like bullshit then, but we were livin' the dream

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
dream /driːm/ A1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep
views /vjuːz/ A2	noun - the ability to see something or to be seen from a particular place
boss /bɒs/ A2	noun - a person who is in charge of a worker or organization
check /tʃek/ A2	noun - a written order to a bank to pay a particular amount of money from a person's account
swipe /swaɪp/ B1	verb - to pass a magnetic card through a device that reads information
rollin' /ˈroʊlɪn/ B1	verb - moving in a particular direction, especially in a vehicle
cash /kæʃ/ A2	noun - money in the form of bills or coins
plans /plænz/ A1	noun - a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something
workin' /ˈwɜːrkɪn/ A1	verb - to do a job, especially to earn money
built /bɪlt/ A2	verb - past tense of build; to construct something by putting materials together
broke /broʊk/ B1	adjective - having no money
best /best/ A1	adjective - of the highest quality, excellence, or standing
cheap /tʃiːp/ A2	adjective - low in price; worth more than its cost
strong /strɔːŋ/ A1	adjective - having the power to move heavy weights or perform other physically demanding tasks
learned /ˈlɜːrnd/ A2	verb - past tense of learn; to gain knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, or being taught
steer /stɪr/ B1	verb - to direct the course of a vehicle
prosperity /prɒˈsperəti/ C1	noun - the state of being successful, especially in financial terms
bullshit /ˈbʊlʃɪt/ C2	noun - stupid or untrue talk or writing; nonsense

Key Grammar Structures

• Woke up with views of the city

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ The verb 'woke' is in the past simple tense, indicating a completed action in the past.

• Thinkin' 'bout hard times that made me

  ➔ Present continuous for future

  ➔ 'Thinkin' 'bout' is a contraction of 'thinking about', using the present continuous to describe a future action or thought.

• I didn't always have it, but I still kinda miss

  ➔ Past simple with negation

  ➔ The phrase 'I didn't always have it' uses the past simple with negation to indicate a lack of possession in the past.

• When we were broke as hell, when we were singin' on the street

  ➔ Past continuous tense

  ➔ 'Were broke' and 'were singin'' are in the past continuous tense, describing ongoing actions in the past.

• It felt like bullshit then, but we were livin' the dream

  ➔ Past tense contrast

  ➔ The sentence contrasts two past actions using 'felt' and 'were livin'', highlighting different perspectives on the same time period.

• Never let prosperity change me (never change me)

  ➔ Emphatic structure

  ➔ The phrase 'never let prosperity change me' uses an emphatic structure with 'never' to strongly assert the speaker's stance.

• I worked like I could lose it all

  ➔ Simile

  ➔ The phrase 'like I could lose it all' is a simile, using 'like' to compare the intensity of the speaker's work ethic.

• We built it all ourselves, cheap smoke and strong caffeine

  ➔ Appositive phrase

  ➔ 'Cheap smoke and strong caffeine' is an appositive phrase that renames or explains 'it all ourselves', providing additional context.