Man Down – English Lyrics

• By: Rihanna
• Album: ANTI

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in "Man Down," a powerful and authentic reggae track from Rihanna that offers a unique glimpse into Barbadian musical heritage through her prominent accent and vivid storytelling. This song is special not only for its catchy "Rum pa pa pum" chorus but also for its gripping narrative of regret and resilience, providing an excellent opportunity to explore evocative English lyrics within a rich Caribbean context.

[English]

(train chugging)

(people chattering)

(gunshot banging)

(train horn honking)

(birds chirping)

(waves crashing)

♪ Sak pase ♪

♪ I didn't mean to end his life, I know it wasn't right ♪

♪ I can't even sleep at night, can't get it off my mind ♪

♪ I need to get out of sight, 'fore I end up behind bars ♪

♪ What started out as a simple altercation ♪

♪ Turned into a real sticky situation ♪

♪ Me just thinking on the time that I'm facing ♪

♪ Makes me wanna cry ♪

♪ 'Cause I didn't mean to hurt him ♪

♪ Him ♪ ♪ Coulda been somebody's son ♪

♪ And I took his heart when ♪ ♪ When ♪

♪ I pulled out that gun ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Man down ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Man down ♪

♪ Oh, mama, mama, mama ♪

♪ I just shot a man down ♪

♪ In central station ♪

♪ In front of a big ol' crowd ♪

♪ Oh, why ♪

♪ Oh, why ♪

♪ Oh, mama, mama, mama ♪

♪ I just shot a man down ♪

♪ In central station ♪

♪ Little 22, I call her Peggy Sue ♪

♪ When she fits right down in my shoes ♪

♪ Whatchu expect me to do ♪

♪ If you're playing me for a fool ♪

♪ I will lose my cool, and reach for my firearm ♪

♪ I didn't mean to lay him down ♪

♪ But it's too late to turn back now ♪

♪ Don't know what I was thinking ♪

♪ Now he's no longer living ♪

♪ So I'm 'bout to leave town, ayy-uh ♪

♪ 'Cause I didn't mean to hurt him ♪

♪ Him ♪ ♪ Coulda been somebody's son ♪

♪ And I took his heart when ♪ ♪ When ♪

♪ I pulled out that gun ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

Rum-pum-pum-pum

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Man down ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Man down ♪

♪ Oh, mama, mama, mama ♪

♪ I just shot a man down ♪

♪ In central station ♪

♪ In front of a big ol' crowd ♪

♪ Oh, why ♪

♪ Oh, why ♪

♪ Oh, mama, mama, mama ♪

♪ I just shot a man down ♪

♪ Well, hear me now ♪ ♪ In central station ♪

♪ Said, I'd never thought I'd do it ♪

♪ Never thought I'd do it, never thought I'd do it ♪

♪ Oh gosh, what ever happened to me ♪

♪ Ever happened to me, ever happened to me ♪

♪ Why did I pull di trigger ♪

♪ Pull di trigger, pull di trigger ♪

♪ Boom ♪

♪ And end a, end a life so soon ♪

♪ When me pull di trigger, pull di trigger, pull it pon you ♪

♪ Somebody tell me what I'm gonna, what I'm gonna do ♪

♪ Ayy ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Me say one man down, ah wah me say ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ Rum-pum-pum-pum ♪

♪ When me went downtown ♪

♪ 'Cause now I'm a criminal, criminal, criminal ♪

♪ Oh, Lord ah mercy, now I am a criminal, man down ♪

♪ Tell di judge please gimme minimal ♪

♪ Run out a town, none ah dem can see me now, see me now ♪

♪ Oh, mama, mama, mama ♪

♪ I just shot a man down ♪

♪ In central station ♪

♪ In front of a big ol' crowd ♪

♪ Oh, why ♪

♪ Oh, why ♪

♪ Oh, mama, mama, mama ♪

♪ I just shot a man down ♪

♪ In central station ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
shoot /ʃuːt/ B1	verb - to fire a gun or weapon
gun /ɡʌn/ A2	noun - a weapon that shoots bullets
cry /kraɪ/ B1	verb - to produce tears as an expression of emotion
kill /kɪl/ B1	verb - to cause death of a person or animal
death /dɛθ/ B2	noun - the end of life
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood
life /laɪf/ A2	noun - the existence of living beings
dark /dɑːrk/ A2	adjective - having little or no light
night /naɪt/ A2	noun - the time of darkness between sunset and sunrise
life /laɪf/ A2	noun - the existence of living beings
place /pleɪs/ A2	noun - a particular position or point in space

Key Grammar Structures

• I didn't mean to end his life

  ➔ Past simple tense with 'did not' (contraction 'didn't') for negation.

  ➔ The phrase uses the **past simple** tense to describe a completed action that was negated.

• Coulda been somebody's son

  ➔ Informal contraction 'coulda' from 'could have', expressing past possibility or regret.

  ➔ The phrase uses **modal + have** to indicate that something was possible in the past.

• In front of a big ol' crowd

  ➔ Prepositional phrase indicating position or location.

  ➔ This **prepositional phrase** provides context for where the action occurred.

• I just shot a man down

  ➔ Use of 'just' with past tense to indicate recent action.

  ➔ The word **'just'** emphasizes that the action happened very recently.

• I will lose my cool

  ➔ Simple future tense with 'will' to express a voluntary or inevitable action.

  ➔ The phrase uses the **simple future tense** to indicate a potential outcome or reaction.

• Said, I'd never thought I'd do it

  ➔ Contrasted clauses with 'would' to express future-in-the-past and assumptions.

  ➔ The phrase combines **conditional and past perfect** structures using 'would' to express hypothetical feelings or beliefs.