Natural Mystic – English Lyrics

• By: Bob Marley & The Wailers

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful journey, and "Natural Mystic" by Bob Marley & The Wailers offers a unique window into the soul of Jamaican Patois and the Rastafarian worldview. The song's poetic and prophetic lyrics, delivered in Marley's iconic style, can help you grasp the nuances of the language while exploring profound themes of spirituality, social consciousness, and resilience. What makes this song special is its ability to convey a deep message through a deceptively simple and hypnotic melody, making it both an accessible and deeply rewarding learning experience.

[English]

There's a natural mystic blowin' through the air

If you listen carefully now you will hear

This could be the first trumpet

Might as well be the last

Many more will have to suffer

Many more will have to die

Don't ask me why

Things are not the way they used to be

I won't tell no lie

One and all got to face reality now

Though I try to find the answer

To all the questions they ask

Though I know it's impossible

To go living through the past

Don't tell no lie

There's a natural mystic blowin' through the air

Can't keep them down

If you listen carefully now you will hear

There's a natural mystic blowin' through the air

...

This could be the first trumpet

Might as well be the last

Many more will have to suffer

Many more will have to die

Don't ask me why

There's a natural mystic blowin' through the air

I won't tell no lie

If you listen carefully now, you will hear

There's a natural mystic blowin' through the air

Such a natural mystic blowin' through the air

There's a natural mystic blowin' through the air

Such a natural mystic blowin' through the air

Such a natural mystic blowin' through the air

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
natural /ˈnætʃərəl/ B1	adjective - existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused by humankind.
mystic /ˈmɪstɪk/ B2	adjective - inspiring a sense of mystery and wonder. noun - a person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain union with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect.
blow /bloʊ/ A2	verb - (of wind) move creating an air current.
air /eər/ A1	noun - the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth, a mixture mainly of oxygen and nitrogen.
listen /ˈlɪsən/ A1	verb - give one's attention to a sound.
hear /hɪər/ A1	verb - perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something).
trumpet /ˈtrʌmpɪt/ B1	noun - a brass musical instrument with a flared bell and a bright, penetrating tone.
suffer /ˈsʌfər/ B1	verb - experience or be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant).
die /daɪ/ A1	verb - stop living.
reality /riˈæləti/ B2	noun - the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.
find /faɪnd/ A1	verb - discover or perceive (something) by chance or unexpectedly.
answer /ˈænsər/ A2	noun - a thing that is said, written, or done to deal with or as a reaction to a question, statement, or situation. verb - say something in response to a question
ask /æsk/ A1	verb - put a question to (someone).
impossible /ɪmˈpɒsɪbəl/ B1	adjective - not able to occur, exist, or be done.
past /pɑːst/ A2	noun - the time before the present. adjective - gone by in time; over.

Key Grammar Structures

• There's a natural mystic blowin' through the air

  ➔ Present Continuous (progressive) used to describe an ongoing event or phenomenon.

  ➔ The phrase "blowin'" is a shortened form of "blowing", indicating an action happening at the moment of speaking. "There's" is a contraction of "there is".

• If you listen carefully now you will hear

  ➔ First Conditional: "If + present simple, will + base form".

  ➔ This sentence presents a possible condition and its likely result. The "if" clause states the condition, and the main clause states the outcome.

• Many more will have to suffer

  ➔ Future with "will have to" expressing obligation or necessity in the future.

  ➔ "Will have to" indicates a future obligation or requirement. "Suffer" is the verb, implying a negative experience or hardship.

• Things are not the way they used to be

  ➔ Used to + infinitive: to describe a past habit or state that is no longer true.

  ➔ The phrase "used to be" indicates something that was true in the past but is no longer true in the present. "The way they used to be" is referring to how things were in the past.

• One and all got to face reality now

  ➔ "Got to" is a colloquial contraction of "have got to" or "have to", expressing obligation or necessity.

  ➔ "One and all" is an idiom meaning everyone. "Face reality" means to accept and deal with the true facts of a situation, even if they are unpleasant.

• Though I try to find the answer

  ➔ "Though" as a conjunction introducing a subordinate clause expressing contrast or concession (similar to "although" or "even though").

  ➔ "Though" introduces a statement that seems to contrast with what might be expected. It sets up a contrast with the following clause.

• To all the questions they ask

  ➔ Relative clause with a missing relative pronoun (that, which, whom) functioning as the object of the verb ask.

  ➔ The relative pronoun "that", "which" or "whom" is omitted here. The full clause would be "To all the questions that/which they ask".