Lullaby – English Lyrics

• By: CORTIS
• Album: COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into "Lullaby" by CORTIS, an experimental K-pop track that masterfully blends chill, unique beats with soulful vocals. This song offers a genuine snapshot into the modern teenage experience of fatigue and seeking quiet, making it a relatable listen for understanding the nuanced emotional landscape of today's youth.

[English]

I GOT WORK!

It’s cold already, why turn the A/C on?

I got red eyes, it's an ice-cold dawn

I stand up straight and do my part

Fill myself up with zeros all around

People say “sleep!” but I’m not interested

Still I put myself to bed

It's a lullaby, It's a lullaby

Seasons slipping by from the basement floor

Renting out hours, pulling all-nighters

In the corner of my room, a tossed crayon

Not enough sleep, why’d you dream on?

After all, time keeps passing

Going back over the feelings that passed me

I heat up my teen years with the friends I have left

They’re on my side

It's a lullaby, It's a lullaby

I GOT WORK

YOU GOT WORK

BUT IN THIS MOMENT

QUIET FIRST!

I GOT WORK

YOU GOT WORK

BUT IN THIS MOMENT

QUIET FIRST!

It's a lullaby, It's a lullaby

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
lullaby /ˈlʌləbaɪ/ B1	noun - a soft song or piece of music to help a child sleep
work /wɜːrk/ A1	noun - activity involving mental or physical effort done to achieve a purpose verb - to do a job or perform a task
sleep /sliːp/ A1	noun - a condition of body and mind in which the nervous system and the eyes are inactive during rest verb - to be in the state of sleep
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - having a low temperature; feeling chilly
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep verb - to experience dreams during sleep
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - the organ of sight in humans and animals
dawn /dɔːn/ B1	noun - the first appearance of light in the morning before sunrise
stand /stænd/ A1	verb - to be in an upright position, supported by one's feet
part /pɑːrt/ A2	noun - a piece or portion of a whole
people /ˈpiːpəl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or a particular group
bed /bɛd/ A1	noun - a piece of furniture for sleep or rest
seasons /ˈsiːzənz/ B1	noun - any of the four divisions of the year
slip /slɪp/ B1	verb - to move smoothly and quietly without attracting attention
basement /ˈbeɪsmənt/ B2	noun - the lowest floor of a building, often below ground level
floor /flɔːr/ A2	noun - the lower surface of a room
hours /ˈaʊərz/ A1	noun - a period of time equal to sixty minutes or a particular time period
room /ruːm/ A1	noun - a part of a building enclosed by walls
crayon /ˈkreɪən/ B1	noun - a pencil or stick of colored wax used for drawing
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - a period during which something occurs or is done
feelings /ˈfiːlɪŋz/ B1	noun - an emotional state or reaction

Key Grammar Structures

• It’s cold already, why turn the A/C on?

  ➔ Rhetorical Question with Inversion

  ➔ The sentence uses a rhetorical question starting with 'why' and inverts the subject-verb order ('turn the A/C on' instead of 'turn on the A/C') to emphasize surprise or absurdity, without expecting an answer.

• Fill myself up with zeros all around

  ➔ Present Simple with Reflexive Pronoun

  ➔ The verb 'fill' is in the present simple tense, and 'myself' is a reflexive pronoun that refers back to the subject 'I', emphasizing the action done to oneself.

• People say “sleep!” but I’m not interested

  ➔ Present Simple and Concession with 'but'

  ➔ The verbs 'say' and 'am' are in the present simple (habitual actions), and 'but' introduces a contrast or concession, showing disagreement with the advice 'sleep!'.

• Seasons slipping by from the basement floor

  ➔ Present Continuous for Ongoing Action

  ➔ The verb 'slipping' is in the present continuous ('"slipping" by'), describing an action happening now or continuously, emphasizing the passage of time from a specific viewpoint ('from the basement floor').

• Renting out hours, pulling all-nighters

  ➔ Gerunds as Nouns

  ➔ 'Renting' and 'pulling' are gerunds (verb forms ending in -ing used as nouns), functioning as subjects or objects here, metaphorically describing 'hours' and 'all-nighters' as things being rented or done.

• Not enough sleep, why’d you dream on?

  ➔ Contraction and Rhetorical Why-Question

  ➔ '"Why’d"' is a contraction for 'why did', used in a rhetorical question to challenge or express frustration, with 'dream on' as an idiom meaning to continue fantasizing despite reality.

• After all, time keeps passing

  ➔ Present Simple with 'Keeps' for Emphasis

  ➔ The verb 'passing' is in the present simple, and 'keeps' is used to emphasize ongoing or repeated action ('"keeps" passing'), indicating inevitable progression despite the 'after all' phrase for concession.

• Going back over the feelings that passed me

  ➔ Present Continuous and Relative Clause

  ➔ 'Going' indicates present continuous for an in-progress action, and 'that passed me' is a relative clause modifying 'feelings', where 'passed' is past tense referring to emotions that have gone by.

• I heat up my teen years with the friends I have left

  ➔ Present Perfect in Relative Clause

  ➔ 'Have "left"' is present perfect in the relative clause 'the friends I "have left"', indicating friends remaining up to now, modifying 'friends' with a sense of loss implied.