Eutopia – English Lyrics

• By: Massive Attack, Algiers
• Album: Eutopia

Lyrics & Translation

“Eutopia” offers a unique opportunity to engage with English through a powerful, politically charged audio-visual experience. Beyond its compelling trip-hop sound, the song features spoken-word contributions from global experts, providing a rich context for understanding complex societal issues in English. Its urgent message and distinctive blend of music and dialogue make it a special piece for language learners to explore.

[English]

Before the COVID-19 crisis crashed into our world,

governments were already facing the convergence of the climate crisis,

the inequality crisis, and the oil price crisis.

Now, the fourth, the global health crisis,

has not only converged on us as well,

but has accelerated the impacts of the previous crises,

deepening economic disorder and accentuating social suffering.

In emerging from this,

everyone can play their part, individually and collectively.

The future we choose should be one of resilience,

starting with aligning the food system to the four principles set out by the FAO:

availability, access, utilization, and stability.

Energy is another sector that must be transformed.

Well before COVID-19, fossil fuels were already showing signs of irreversible decline.

They will recover somewhat from the historically low prices,

but they will not recover their previous place as the engine of growth and development.

We now know that their use is polluting our lungs

and loading our atmosphere, both at life-threatening levels.

Financing the transition to a clean, healthy economy requires

that businesses, investors, and citizens each play their part alongside governments.

Governments can be excellent first movers,

and their development finance institutions often are.

There has never been a more critical role for them than now.

The social fabric of our world,

the health of democracies, and the well-being of people

can either be destroyed or made stronger

by a crisis such as the one we are living.

We need to choose this crisis as the moment

to anchor ourselves back into the ways that humans live in collectives.

We are stronger and more resilient together.

We will need this solidarity to face what is ahead,

rise to the crises, and thrive beyond them.

It's a unique privilege that our generation can forge a healthy, bustling future

through our actions today.

The future we choose is in the hands of each of us alive right now.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
crisis /ˈkraɪsɪs/ B1	noun - a time of great danger or difficulty
converge /kənˈvɜːrdʒ/ C1	verb - to come together from different directions
accelerate /əkˈsɛləreɪt/ B2	verb - to increase in speed
resilience /rɪˈzɪliəns/ C1	noun - the ability to recover from difficulties
align /əˈlaɪn/ B2	verb - to arrange in a straight line
transform /trænsˈfɔːrm/ B2	verb - to change completely in form or appearance
pollute /pəˈluːt/ B1	verb - to make an area or substance dirty or harmful
transition /trænˈzɪʃən/ B2	noun - the process of changing from one state to another
solidarity /ˌsɒlɪˈdærɪti/ C1	noun - unity or agreement of feeling or action
forge /fɔːrdʒ/ C1	verb - to create or shape something strongly
accentuate /ækˈsɛntʃuˌeɪt/ C1	verb - to make something more noticeable
emerging /ɪˈmɜːrdʒɪŋ/ B2	adjective - beginning to exist or become noticeable
principles /ˈprɪnsəplz/ B1	noun - a fundamental truth or rule
collectively /kəˈlɛktɪvli/ B2	adverb - as a group
thrive /θraɪv/ B2	verb - to grow or develop well
democracy /dɪˈmɒkrəsi/ B1	noun - a system of government by the whole population

Key Grammar Structures

• Now, the fourth, the global health crisis, has not only converged on us as well, but has accelerated the impacts of the previous crises, deepening economic disorder and accentuating social suffering.

  ➔ Correlative conjunction ‘not only … but also …’ linking two parallel actions in the present perfect.

  ➔ The phrase "has not only converged" shows the first part of the correlative structure, while "but has accelerated" presents the second part.

• Everyone can play their part, individually and collective­ly.

  ➔ Modal verb ‘can’ + base verb to express ability or possibility.

  ➔ "can play" uses the modal ‘can’ to show that it is possible for everyone to take part.

• The future we choose should be one of resilience, starting with aligning the food system to the four principles set out by the FAO: availability, access, utilization, and stability.

  ➔ Modal ‘should’ for advice + gerund ‘aligning’ after a preposition.

  ➔ "should be" gives a recommendation, while "starting with aligning" uses the gerund ‘aligning’ after the preposition ‘with’.

• Energy is another sector that must be transformed.

  ➔ Modal ‘must’ + passive voice to express necessity.

  ➔ "must be transformed" uses ‘must’ to show strong necessity and the passive form ‘be transformed’.

• They will recover somewhat from the historically low prices, but they will not recover their previous place as the engine of growth and development.

  ➔ Future simple with ‘will’, including the negative form ‘will not’.

  ➔ "will recover" predicts a future action, while "will not recover" states that the action will not happen.

• Financing the transition to a clean, healthy economy requires that businesses, investors, and citizens each play their part alongside governments.

  ➔ Verb ‘requires that’ + subjunctive (base form) in a content clause.

  ➔ "requires that businesses … each play" uses the base form ‘play’ after ‘requires that’, a typical subjunctive construction.

• The social fabric of our world, the health of democracies, and the well‑being of people can either be destroyed or made stronger by a crisis such as the one we are living.

  ➔ Correlative “either … or …” with passive voice to present two possible outcomes.

  ➔ "can either be destroyed or made stronger" uses ‘either … or …’ to link two passive possibilities.

• We need to choose this crisis as the moment to anchor ourselves back into the ways that humans live in collectives.

  ➔ Modal ‘need to’ + infinitive for necessity; relative clause ‘that humans live in collectives’.

  ➔ "need to choose" shows necessity with ‘need to’ + infinitive, and "the ways that humans live in collectives" is a defining relative clause.