People In The Streets – English Lyrics

• By: MGMT
• Album: Loss Of Life

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the introspective world of MGMT's 'People In The Streets,' a song that captures the anxieties and uncertainties of modern life. Through its evocative lyrics and layered soundscapes, this track offers a poignant commentary on society, inviting listeners to reflect on their place within it and consider the complexities of human connection.

[English]

Life keeps on going

Showing you things that you can't unsee

In the sense of unknowing why

Anything happens to be

And just as the sun comes out again

Something is blocking the light

But it's alright

The inside's still glowing

Telling the heart what it wants to hear

But what if it's only lies

Twisted apart by fear?

Well, that's when the brain waves goodbye

From the front of the train where the corn is burned

And you know the refrain without hearing a sound

So you sing it again 'cause you won't learn

From the people in the streets

Wheels left the ground

Hoping to fly past the road ahead

Components start breaking down

And sooner or later, you're dead

And just when the wool goes over the eyes

Somebody moves you along

But it's all wrong

And someone complained that the fire was out

So they shot off the rain and let the flames return

Now they had to rename all the tricks in the book

And I'm starting to doubt where I once stood

And there's people in the streets

There's people in the streets

People in the streets

There's people in the streets

End of the line

In real time

I'll start clinging to what's mine

They're marching to the beat of a different drum

Going over receipts with a magnifier

The people in the streets aren't singing along

'Cause they're probably sick and they're probably tired

I listen for the sound of the starting gun

But when you're living the dream and your ears are bad

The people in the streets aren't part of the fun

And I'd go and join them, but I'm so scared

Of the people in the streets

The people in the streets

People in the streets

The people in the streets

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
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.
going /ˈɡəʊɪŋ/ A1	verb - to move or travel towards a particular place or in a particular direction.
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that the earth revolves around and from which it receives light and heat.
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible. adjective - having a considerable amount of natural light.
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - an organ that pumps blood throughout the body.
fear /fɪər/ A2	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.
brain /breɪn/ B1	noun - an organ of soft nervous tissue contained in the skull of vertebrates, functioning as the coordinating center of sensation, intellectual and nervous activity.
waves /weɪvz/ B1	noun - a long body of water curling into a mass and moving towards the shore
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively.
streets /striːts/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town, with houses and buildings on one or both sides.
wheels /wiːlz/ B1	noun - a circular object that revolves on an axle and is fixed below a vehicle or other object to enable it to move easily over the ground.
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A1	noun - the surface of the earth.
road /rəʊd/ A1	noun - a way or track laid down for traveling.
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - the rapid oxidation of a material in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat and light.
flames /fleɪmz/ B1	noun - the visible gaseous part of a fire, caused by the rapid oxidation of a material.
doubt /daʊt/ B1	verb - feel uncertain about; consider unlikely. noun - a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction.
scared /skɛrd/ A2	adjective - frightened or worried.

Key Grammar Structures

• Showing you things that you **can't unsee**

  ➔ Modal verb 'can' + Negation 'not' + Verb (infinitive)

  ➔ This uses the modal verb 'can' in its negative form ('can't') to express inability or impossibility: you **can't unsee** something.

• But **what if** it's only lies

  ➔ Conditional Clause (Type 1) – 'What if' + present tense.

  ➔ This uses the structure 'what if' followed by the present tense to introduce a hypothetical situation and its possible consequences.

• Well, that's **when** the brain waves goodbye

  ➔ Adverbial clause of time introduced by 'when'.

  ➔ The word 'when' introduces a subordinate clause that specifies a time or circumstance.

• So you sing it again **'cause** you won't learn

  ➔ 'Cause' is a shortened form of 'because', indicating a reason.

  ➔ This uses the informal conjunction 'cause' (short for 'because') to explain why someone sings the song again: they won't learn.

• Wheels **left** the ground

  ➔ Past tense verb 'left' of the verb 'leave'.

  ➔ The word 'left' is used as the past tense form of the verb 'leave'.

• And **sooner or later**, you're dead

  ➔ Adverbial phrase indicating time (sooner or later).

  ➔ This phrase indicates the time when something will happen, eventually.

• And **just when** the wool goes over the eyes

  ➔ Adverbial clause of time introduced by 'just when'.

  ➔ The phrase 'just when' introduces a specific point in time.

• Now they **had to** rename all the tricks in the book

  ➔ Modal verb phrase 'had to' expressing obligation or necessity.

  ➔ The phrase 'had to' indicates a past obligation or something that was necessary to do.

• They're **marching to** the beat of a different drum

  ➔ Present continuous tense, verb phrase 'marching to' indicating an action in progress.

  ➔ This uses the present continuous tense to describe an action that is happening at the time of speaking, with the verb phrase 'marching to'.