London – English Lyrics

• By: Skepta, Fred again..
• Album: Skepta .. Fred EP

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heart of modern London with Skepta and Fred again..'s track "London." This song is a perfect gateway to understanding the city's contemporary slang and the confident, assertive attitude that defines its urban culture. Through Skepta's sharp lyrics, you can learn authentic London vernacular while experiencing the innovative fusion of grime and electronic music that makes the UK music scene so vibrant.

[English]

I come alive in the nighttime

I got tequila, she was sippin' on the white wine

She looks better than when I see her on the timeline

That's why the haters are hatin' on the sideline

When I see, when I see, when I see, when I see, when I see 'em in person, it's all love, though

Spud a man, spud a man, spud a man like, "Yo, wagwan, done know"

Somethin' like, somethin' like, somethin' like, somethin' like Quavo, they treat me like the Huncho

She knows, she knows, she knows, she knows the city is mine, where you wanna go?

When I, when I, when I walk in the room, please don't get it twisted

No brief, no brief, no brief, no brief, no briefcase, but you know I mean business

Gyal of, gyal of, gyal of, every gyal of mine, I'ma do it like Chip did

Tonight's, tonight's, tonight's, tonight's, tonight's a movie, I'm feelin' like Idris

I gotta keep it a buck, I know my children are listenin'

I know the system's rigged, but your daddy ain't bitchin' (nah)

I ain't scared to be the villain 'cause I can't play a victim

They watch me like a TV show, and they're bingin', yeah

Yo Fred, I don't think they heard me, London boy, I set trends, I'm early

Coulda been MAINS, coulda been Burberry, I ain't gotta talk, these girls wanna chirps me

Boyfriends wanna hurt me, I just smile like I just came back from Turkey

They can't touch me, the gang too certi', clean up nice, but still, I play dirty

So don't waste my time 'cause the gyal on my line

She was the freak of the week, Monday, I'll be back on my grind

You put money on my head, but it don't make sense 'cause I been had cash on my mind

They send threats, but really, I'm fine

I dodge rain and I chase sunshine, grab me a pack, and I'm flyin'

I jumped off the jet, gave a tip to the pilot

Gave money to the homeless man and I did it in private (shh)

You can see he's actin' for the socials, really, he's quiet

They ain't eatin' at all, them boys on a diet

They want a reaction, I'm givin' 'em silence

Told my brother, "Leave your phones at home when you're givin' 'em violence"

That's just a little guidance (brrt)

It's two in the morn', I'm up studyin' science, them boy there asleep like Biden (boom, boom, boom)

I come alive in the nighttime

I got tequila, she was sippin' on the white wine

She looks better than when I see her on the timeline

That's why the haters are hatin' on the sideline

When I see, when I see, when I see, when I see 'em in person, it's all love, though

Dap him up like, "Yo, wagwan, done know"

Somethin' like, somethin' like, somethin' like, somethin' like Quavo, they treat me like the Huncho

She knows the city is mine, where you wanna go?

(That again)

(That again)

(That again)

(That again)

(That-that again, man, I, that a-)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
nighttime /ˈnaɪtˌtaɪm/ B1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
tequila /təˈkiːlə/ B2	noun - a distilled alcoholic beverage from the blue agave plant, originating in Mexico
timeline /ˈtaɪmlaɪn/ B2	noun - a graphical representation of events in chronological order
haters /ˈheɪtərz/ B2	noun - people who express dislike or hostility toward someone or something
sideline /ˈsaɪdlaɪn/ B2	noun - the area beside a playing field; a position of being peripheral
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a strong feeling of affection
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large and permanent human settlement
business /ˈbɪznɪs/ B1	noun - commercial activity; an organization engaged in trade
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a medium of exchange, especially coins and banknotes
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to think, feel, etc. verb - to be concerned about; to be careful of
rain /reɪn/ A1	noun - precipitation in the form of water droplets
sunshine /ˈsʌnˌʃaɪn/ B1	noun - direct sunlight
jet /dʒɛt/ B1	noun - a fast aircraft powered by jet engines
pilot /ˈpaɪlət/ B1	noun - a person who operates the controls of an aircraft
homeless /ˈhoʊmləs/ B2	adjective - without a home; lacking permanent residence noun - people without homes
silence /ˈsaɪləns/ B1	noun - the complete absence of sound
science /ˈsaɪəns/ B1	noun - the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world
grind /ɡraɪnd/ B2	verb - to work hard continuously noun - the act of grinding; repetitive hard work
chase /tʃeɪs/ B1	verb - to pursue in order to catch
dodge /dɒdʒ/ B2	verb - to avoid something by a sudden quick movement

Key Grammar Structures

• I come alive in the nighttime

  ➔ Simple present tense

  ➔ The verb "come" is in the simple present, used to describe a regular or habitual state.

• I got tequila, she was sippin' on the white wine

  ➔ Present simple (colloquial "got") + Past continuous

  ➔ The verb "got" functions as present simple meaning "have"; "was sippin'" is past continuous showing an ongoing action in the past.

• She looks better than when I see her on the timeline

  ➔ Comparative adjective (better than)

  ➔ The word "better" is a comparative form, followed by "than" to compare two situations.

• That's why the haters are hatin' on the sideline

  ➔ Present continuous (are hatin')

  ➔ "are hatin'" uses the present continuous to show an ongoing action happening now.

• She knows the city is mine, where you wanna go?

  ➔ Embedded (indirect) question with "where"

  ➔ "where you wanna go" is an indirect question embedded after a statement, introduced by the interrogative word "where".

• I gotta keep it a buck, I know my children are listenin'

  ➔ Modal verb of obligation (gotta = have to) + Present continuous (are listenin')

  ➔ "gotta" is a colloquial contraction of "got to" meaning "have to"; "are listenin'" is present continuous showing an ongoing action.

• I ain't scared to be the villain 'cause I can't play a victim

  ➔ Double negative colloquialism (ain't) + Modal verb of ability (can't)

  ➔ "ain't" is a non‑standard negative verb meaning "am not / is not"; "can't" is a modal verb expressing inability.

• They watch me like a TV show, and they're bingin', yeah

  ➔ Simile using "like" + Present continuous (they're bingin')

  ➔ "like a TV show" is a simile comparing the way they watch to a TV program; "they're bingin'" uses present continuous for a repeated action.