Looking Up – English Lyrics

• By: Elton John
• Album: Wonderful Crazy Night

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the infectious energy of Elton John's "Looking Up" to experience a masterclass in optimistic songwriting. This vibrant track offers a positive message about overcoming challenges and embracing a brighter outlook, making it an excellent song to explore English vocabulary related to emotions, personal growth, and hope. Its clear, uplifting lyrics and catchy melody provide a memorable way to engage with the language and feel inspired.

[English]

Figuring out where I went wrong

The script I followed then was all for long

Too much pluck, too little love

Me acting right, not acting up

I want the world upon my back

Could someone else for me pick up the slack?

Just because I could say

Smile like you, think things my way

Now I'm looking up more than I look down

The view's a whole lot better second time around

Too much of me was hidden in the shadows

I looked up and felt my feet lift off the ground.

Color a lot with a broader stroke

The laughter comes as easy as the jokes

Nowadays, I'm thinking 'bout

Time is wasted looking back!

Now, I'm looking up more than I look down

The view's a whole lot better second time around

Too much of me was hidden in the shadows

I looked up and felt my feet lift off the ground.

You got me bugging in a way

It's dark and deep down there

Crank a handle, bring it up

The water, crystal clear

I'm looking up more than I look down

The view's a whole lot better second time around

Too much of me was hidden in the shadows

I looked up and felt my feet lift off the ground.

Looking up

Looking up

Looking up

Looking up

Looking up

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
figure /ˈfɪɡər/ B1	verb - to work something out; to discover noun - a number
wrong /rɒŋ/ A2	adjective - not correct
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a strong feeling of affection
world /wɜːld/ A1	noun - the earth and all life on it
smile /smaɪl/ A1	verb - to form the facial expression of happiness noun - the facial expression of happiness
view /vjuː/ A2	noun - what can be seen from a particular place
shadows /ˈʃædoʊz/ B1	noun - dark shapes produced by an object blocking light
hidden /ˈhɪdn/ B1	adjective - kept out of sight
lift /lɪft/ A2	verb - to raise something
color /ˈkʌlər/ A2	verb - to add color to noun - a visual perception
stroke /stroʊk/ B1	noun - a single line made by a pen or brush
laughter /ˈlæftər/ B1	noun - the act of laughing
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the passing of events
deep /diːp/ A2	adjective - far below the surface
crystal /ˈkrɪstəl/ B2	adjective - clear and transparent noun - a clear mineral
bugging /ˈbʌɡɪŋ/ B1	verb - to bother or annoy
handle /ˈhændəl/ A2	noun - a part of a tool or object used to hold or move it verb - to deal with

Key Grammar Structures

• Figuring out where I went wrong

  ➔ Gerund phrase as subject

  ➔ "Figuring out" acts as a noun phrase subject indicating the process of understanding.

• The script I followed then was all for long

  ➔ Relative clause defining 'The script'

  ➔ "I followed then" is a relative clause providing more information about "The script".

• Me acting right, not acting up

  ➔ Absolute phrase

  ➔ "Me acting right" is an absolute phrase that provides additional context without a conjunction.

• Could someone else for me pick up the slack?

  ➔ Modal verb with question inversion

  ➔ "Could" introduces possibility, and the subject "someone else" is inverted with the modal verb to form a question.

• Smile like you, think things my way

  ➔ Imperative mood with elliptical clause

  ➔ Commands are given with the verbs "Smile" and "think"; the subject 'you' is omitted in the second clause.

• Now I'm looking up more than I look down

  ➔ Present continuous vs. simple present for contrast

  ➔ "I'm looking up" (present continuous) indicates an ongoing action, while "I look down" (simple present) suggests habitual action, creating contrast.

• Time is wasted looking back!

  ➔ Passive voice with gerund complement

  ➔ "is wasted" is passive, and "looking back" acts as a gerund phrase complement explaining what is wasted.

• You got me bugging in a way

  ➔ Causative construction with bare gerund

  ➔ "Got me bugging" means 'made me' do something, with "bugging" as a bare gerund following the object.