Mowgli’s Road – English Lyrics

• By: MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS
• Album: Love + Fear

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language can be a journey of self-discovery, much like the one MARINA sings about in “Mowgli’s Road.” This song, with its rich metaphors and theatrical flair, offers a unique and engaging way to explore the English language. By delving into the lyrics, you can learn about figurative language and the nuances of expressing internal conflict. The song's playful yet profound nature makes it a special tool for language learners, turning a lesson in vocabulary and interpretation into a captivating musical experience.

[English]

 [Click, click, click]

 ♪ Cuckoo! ♪ 

 ♪♪ 

 ♪ Ten silver spoons coming after me ♪ 

 ♪ One life with one dream on repeat ♪ 

 ♪ I'll escape if I try hard enough ♪ 

 ♪ 'Til, King of the Jungle calls my bluff ♪ 

 ♪ Oh Lord, (Oh Lord) ♪ 

 ♪ I have been told (I have been told) ♪ 

 ♪ That I must take the unforsaken road (Forsaken road) ♪ 

 ♪ There's a fork in the road ♪ 

 ♪ I'll do as as I am told ♪ 

 ♪ Well, I don't know, (Don't know don't know don't know don't know) ♪ 

 ♪ Who-ooo I want to be ♪ 

 ♪ Cuckoo! ♪ 

 ♪ You say Y-E-S to everything ♪ 

 ♪ Will that guarantee you a win? ♪ 

 ♪ Do you think you will be good enough ♪ 

 ♪ To love others and to be loved? ♪ 

 ♪ Oh Lord, (Oh Lord) ♪ 

 ♪ Now I can see (Now I can see) ♪ 

 ♪ The cutlery will keep on chasing me (Forsaken road) ♪ 

 ♪ There's a fork in the road ♪ 

 ♪ I'll do as as I am told ♪ 

 ♪ Well, I don't know, (Don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know) ♪ 

 ♪ Who-ooo I want to be ♪ 

 ♪ We are the spoons, they're telling me ♪ 

 ♪ We scooped our way into your dreams ♪ 

 ♪ To knock the knives out bloody cold ♪ 

 ♪ And lead you down the unforsaken road ♪ 

 ♪♪ 

 ♪ (Forsaken road) There's a fork in the road ♪ 

 ♪ I'll do as as I am told ♪ 

 ♪ Well, I don't know, (Don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know) ♪ 

 ♪ Who...I want to be ♪ 

 ♪ Cuckoo! ♪ 

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
spoons /spuːnz/ A1	noun - utensil consisting of a small shallow bowl on a handle, used for eating or serving food
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep verb - to experience dreams during sleep
escape /ɪˈskeɪp/ B1	verb - to break free from confinement or control noun - an act of breaking free from confinement or control
king /kɪŋ/ A1	noun - a male monarch; the ruler of a kingdom
jungle /ˈdʒʌŋɡəl/ A2	noun - an area of dense forest and tangled vegetation, typically in the tropics.
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a way or course for travelling between places, especially one used by vehicles.
fork /fɔːrk/ A1	noun - an implement with two or more prongs used for lifting food to the mouth or holding it when cutting. noun - a division in a road or river
win /wɪn/ A2	verb - to be successful or victorious in a contest or conflict noun - an instance of winning
others /ˈʌðərz/ A1	noun - people that are different or not known
see /siː/ A1	verb - perceive with the eyes; discern visually.
cutlery /ˈkʌtləri/ B1	noun - knives, forks, and spoons used for eating food.
dreams /driːmz/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep
knives /naɪvz/ A1	noun - an instrument with a sharp blade used for cutting
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - of or at a low or relatively low temperature

Key Grammar Structures

• I'll escape if I try hard enough

  ➔ Conditional sentences (Type 1)

  ➔ This sentence uses a conditional structure, where "if I try hard enough" is the condition for "I'll escape".

• I have been told

  ➔ Present perfect passive voice

  ➔ This phrase indicates that the action of telling has occurred at some unspecified time in the past and is relevant to the present.

• There's a fork in the road

  ➔ There is/are structure

  ➔ This structure is used to indicate the existence of something, in this case, a fork in the road.

• Will that guarantee you a win?

  ➔ Future simple tense

  ➔ This sentence uses the future simple tense to ask about the certainty of a future event.

• To love others and to be loved

  ➔ Infinitive phrases

  ➔ This phrase uses the infinitive form of the verbs to express actions in a general sense.

• I don't know who I want to be

  ➔ Indirect questions

  ➔ This sentence contains an indirect question, where the speaker expresses uncertainty about their identity.

• We are the spoons, they're telling me

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ This sentence uses the present continuous tense to describe an ongoing action or state.