Penny Out of Nothing – English Lyrics

• By: Lola Young
• Album: I'm Only F**cking Myself

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw and emotionally charged world of Lola Young's "Penny Out of Nothing." This alt-pop anthem offers a unique opportunity to connect with English through its deeply personal lyrics about resilience, hidden pain, and the desire to overcome adversity. Learning the language through this song allows you to grasp nuanced expressions of vulnerability and strength, making the English language feel more vibrant and relatable.

[English]

I'll create a penny out of nothing

Take the bullet out a gun

I'll make a fool out of a man

I'll make a man fall out of love

I'll make an atheist forgive, get on his knees and pray to God

I'll make you think I'm fine when I'm not

Pains under my skin

So where do I begin?

There's so much I wanna give

But life's a game and I just can't win

So I'll create a penny out of nothing

Take the bullet out a gun

I'll make a fool out of a man

I'll make a, fall out of love

I'll make an atheist forgive, get on his knees and pray to God

I'll make you think I'm fine when I'm not

I'll make you think I-

Don't you dare walk away

I'm not done lying to your face

No, I'm not okay

But I'll do anything

I'll do anything

To make you feel like, to make you, to make you

Create a penny out of nothing

Take the bullet out a gun

I'll make a fool out of a man

I'll make a man fall out of love

Make an atheist forgive, get on his knees and pray to God

I'll make you think I'm fine when I'm not

Create a penny out of nothing

Take the bullet out a gun

I'll make a fool out of a man

I'll make a man fall out of love

Make an atheist forgive, get on his knees and pray to God

I'll make you think I'm fine when I'm not

Create a

Create a, create a

I don't wanna, I don't wanna cry

I don't wanna, I don't wanna cry

I don't wanna, I don't wanna cry

I don't wanna, I don't wanna cry

I don't wanna, I don't wanna cry

I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't wanna

Create a penny out of nothing

Take the bullet out a gun

I'll make a fool out of a man

I'll make a man fall out of love

I'll make an atheist forgive, get on his knees and pray to God

I'll make you think I'm fine when I'm not

Create a penny out of nothing

Take the bullet out a gun

I'll make a fool out of a man

I'll make a man fall out of love

Make an atheist forgive get on his knees and pray to God

I'll make you think I'm fine when I'm not

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
penny /ˈpɛni/ A2	noun - a one‑cent coin (US) or one‑penny coin (UK)
nothing /ˈnʌθɪŋ/ A2	pronoun - not anything; zero
bullet /ˈbʊlɪt/ A2	noun - a small metal projectile fired from a gun
gun /ɡʌn/ A2	noun - a weapon that fires bullets
fool /fuːl/ B1	noun - a person who acts unwisely or lacks sense verb - to deceive or trick someone
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - a deep affection or strong feeling of attachment verb - to feel deep affection for someone
atheist /ˈeɪθiɪst/ B2	noun - a person who does not believe in the existence of God or gods
forgive /fəˈɡɪv/ B1	verb - to stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for an offense
pray /preɪ/ B1	verb - to address a deity with words of worship, thanks, or petition
God /ɡɒd/ A1	noun - the supreme being worshipped in monotheistic religions
think /θɪŋk/ A1	verb - to have a particular opinion or belief
fine /faɪn/ A2	adjective - acceptable or satisfactory; in good condition
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears, typically as an expression of emotion
game /ɡeɪm/ A1	noun - an activity that one engages in for amusement or competition
win /wɪn/ A1	verb - to achieve victory in a contest or competition
lie /laɪ/ A2	verb - to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or a physical sensation
okay /oʊˈkeɪ/ A1	adjective - acceptable; satisfactory
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the existence of an individual human being or animal

Key Grammar Structures

• I'll create a penny out of nothing

  ➔ First conditional with future simple or impossible scenarios

  ➔ The phrase "I'll" indicates a future action of attempting the impossible, creating "nothing" into something valuable, showing intent. This uses future simple tense to express hypothetical or overstated promises.

• I'll make a fool out of a man

  ➔ Causative form with 'make' + infinitive (object pronoun + base verb)

  ➔ Here, "make" is used to cause someone ("a man") to become something ("fool"), followed by the base verb "out" as part of the phrasal verb. It expresses forced transformation.

• I'll make an atheist forgive, get on his knees and pray to God

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose or result after causative 'make', with parallel structures

  ➔ "Make" causes the "atheist" to perform actions like "forgive" and "get on his knees and pray", using infinitives. Parallel verbs express sequenced impossibilities.

• I'll make you think I'm fine when I'm not

  ➔ Contrastive clause with 'when' + present simple for emphasis on contradiction

  ➔ The "when" clause uses present simple "I'm not" to contrast with "I'm fine", highlighting hypocrisy or emotional masking in the relationship.

• Don't you dare walk away

  ➔ Negative imperative with emphasis 'you dare' + infinitive

  ➔ "Don't" + "you dare" intensifies the command, with "walk away" as the infinitive action, warning against leaving. This is a strong prohibition.

• I'll do anything

  ➔ Future simple tense with indefinite pronoun 'anything' for emphasis

  ➔ "I'll do" uses future simple with "anything", an indefinite pronoun indicating desperation or boundless effort to achieve a goal.

• I don't wanna, I don't wanna cry

  ➔ Repetition for emphasis with contracted modal 'wanna' (want to) + infinitive

  ➔ Repeated "I don't wanna" emphasizes refusal to "cry", using informal "wanna" for "want to" + "cry" as infinitive, conveying vulnerability.

• Create a penny out of nothing

  ➔ Imperative mood for creating or commanding impossible tasks

  ➔ "Create" as imperative verb starts the command to make "nothing" into a "penny", symbolizing futility, using base verb form for direct address.