Missionary Man – English Lyrics

• By: Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Eurythmics' "Missionary Man," a dynamic rock track that offers a fantastic opportunity to explore English through its sharp, defiant lyrics. This Grammy-winning song blends personal experience with a critique of authority, featuring Annie Lennox's iconic vocals and a driving instrumental arrangement. Learning the lyrics can help you grasp expressions of skepticism and strong opinion, while its powerful narrative makes it a special and engaging piece for language learners.

[English]

(gentle music)

♪ Well, I was born an original sinner ♪

♪ I was born from original sin ♪

♪ And if I had a dollar bill for all the things I've done ♪

♪ There'd be a mountain of money piled up to my chin hey ♪

(upbeat music)

♪ My mother told me good, my mother told me strong ♪

♪ She said, be true to yourself and you can't go wrong ♪

♪ But there's just one thing that you must understand ♪

♪ You can fool with your brother ♪

♪ But don't mess with a missionary man ♪

♪ Don't mess with a missionary man ♪

♪ Don't mess with a missionary man ♪

♪ Don't mess with a missionary man ♪

♪ Oh, the missionary man, he's got god on his side ♪

♪ He's got the saints and apostles backin' up from behind ♪

♪ Black eyed looks from those bible books ♪

♪ He's a man with a mission, got a serious mind ♪

♪ There was a woman in the jungle and a monkey on a tree ♪

♪ The missionary man, he was followin' me ♪

♪ He said, Stop what you're doing ♪

♪ Get down upon your knees ♪

♪ I've a message for you that you better believe ♪

♪ Hey ♪

♪ Well, I was born an original sinner ♪

♪ I was born from original sin original sin ♪

♪ And if I had a dollar bill for all the things I've done ♪

♪ There'd be a mountain of money ♪

♪ Don't ask, we're in the know ♪

♪ Oh baby don't mess with a missionary man ♪

♪ Leave him alone now missionary man ♪

♪ Don't you mess with him, no, no missionary man ♪

♪ Missionary man ♪

♪ Don't mess with a missionary man ♪

♪ Don't you mess with that man ♪

♪ Missionary man ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
sinner /ˈsɪnər/ B2	noun - a person who commits a sin
missionary /ˈmɪʃəˌnɛri/ B2	noun - a person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country
mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ A2	noun - a large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
strong /strɔŋ/ A2	adjective - having power or strength
true /truː/ A2	adjective - in accordance with fact or reality
message /ˈmɛsɪdʒ/ B1	noun - a communication containing information or news
fool /fuːl/ B2	verb - to deceive or trick someone
understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/ B1	verb - to grasp the meaning, significance, or nature of something
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A2	verb - to accept something as true
wrong /rɔŋ/ A2	adjective - not correct or true
black /blæk/ A1	adjective - the darkest color, the result of the absence of or complete absorption of light
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - the organs of sight
jungle /ˈdʒʌŋɡəl/ B1	noun - a dense forest in a tropical area
monkey /ˈmʌŋki/ A1	noun - a small to medium-sized primate
tree /triː/ A1	noun - a perennial plant with an elongated stem or trunk