Power and the Passion – English Lyrics

• By: Midnight Oil
• Album: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language is about more than just words; it's about understanding a culture's heart and soul. Midnight Oil's 'Power and the Passion' is a visceral gateway to the Australian spirit of the 1980s. Through its driving rock rhythm and politically sharp lyrics, you can learn about key moments in Australian history and the passionate, often rebellious, nature of its people. It's a song that proves music can be both a powerful learning tool and a call to action.

[English]

(lively music)

♪ People, wasting away in paradise ♪

♪ Going backwards once in a while ♪

♪ Taking your time, give it a try ♪

♪ What do you believe ♪

♪ What do you believe ♪

♪ What do you believe is true ♪

♪ Nothing they say makes a difference this way ♪

♪ Nothing they say will do ♪

♪ You take all the trouble that you can afford ♪

♪ At least you won't have time to be bored ♪

♪ At least you won't have time to be bored ♪

♪ Oh the power and the passion ♪

♪ Oh the temper of the time ♪

♪ Oh the power and the passion ♪

♪ Sometimes you've got to take the hardest line ♪

♪ Sunburned faces around ♪

♪ With skin so brown ♪

(sun chimes)

♪ Smiling zinc cream and crowds ♪

♪ Sundays the beach never a cloud ♪

♪ Breathing eucalypti, pushing panel vans ♪

♪ Stuff and munch junk food ♪

♪ Laughing at the truth ♪

♪ 'Cause Gough was tough 'til he hit the rough ♪

♪ Hey ♪

♪ Uncle Sam and John were quite enough ♪

♪ Too much of sunshine, too much of sky ♪

♪ It's just enough to make you wanna cry ♪

♪ It's just enough to make you wanna cry ♪

♪ Oh the power and the passion ♪

♪ Oh the temper of the time ♪

♪ Oh the power and the passion ♪

♪ Sometimes you've got to take the hardest line ♪

(lively music continues)

♪ Uh uh ♪

♪ I see buildings, clothing the sky ♪

♪ In paradise ♪

♪ In Sydney, nights are warm ♪

♪ Daytime telly, blue rinse dawn ♪

♪ And Dad's so bad he lives in the pub ♪

♪ It's a underarms and football clubs ♪

♪ A "Flat Chat", Pine Gap ♪

♪ In every home a Big Mac ♪

♪ And no one goes outback, that's that ♪

♪ You take what you get ♪

♪ And get what you please ♪

♪ It's better to die on your feet ♪

♪ Than to live on your knees ♪

♪ It's better to die on your feet ♪

♪ Than to live on your knees ♪

♪ Oh the power and the passion ♪

♪ Oh the temper of the time ♪

♪ Oh the power and the passion ♪

♪ Sometimes you've got to take the hardest line ♪

(lively music continues)

(lively music continues)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
paradise /ˈpær.ə.daɪs/ B1	noun - an ideal or beautiful place, especially a perfect natural setting
waste /weɪst/ B1	verb - to use or spend something carelessly or without benefit noun - material that is not wanted or needed
belief /bɪˈliːf/ B2	noun - an acceptance that something exists or is true, especially without proof
power /ˈpaʊ.ər/ B1	noun - the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way verb - to supply with electrical energy
passion /ˈpæʃ.ən/ B2	noun - strong and barely controllable emotion
temper /ˈtem.pər/ B2	noun - a person's state of mind seen in their behavior verb - to moderate or adjust (the intensity of something)
hardest /ˈhɑːrdɪst/ B1	adjective - most difficult; requiring the greatest effort
line /laɪn/ B1	noun - a long narrow mark or band verb - to mark or cover with lines
sunburned /ˈsʌn.bɜːrnd/ B2	adjective - having skin that is reddened and painful from too much sun exposure
faces /feɪsɪz/ A2	noun - the front part of a person's head, including the eyes, nose, and mouth
crowds /kraʊdz/ B1	noun - large groups of people gathered together
eucalypti /juːˈkæləp.ti/ C1	noun - plural of eucalypt; trees of the genus Eucalyptus, native to Australia
junk /dʒʌŋk/ B1	noun - worthless or discarded objects; rubbish adjective - of low quality; cheap, inferior
truth /truːθ/ B1	noun - the quality or state of being in accordance with fact or reality
sunshine /ˈsʌn.ʃaɪn/ B2	noun - bright light and warmth from the sun
outback /ˈaʊt.bæk/ B2	noun - remote, sparsely populated interior region of Australia
die /daɪ/ A1	verb - to stop living; to cease to exist
knees /niːz/ A2	noun - the joint between the thigh and the lower leg in humans

Key Grammar Structures

• What do you believe is true

  ➔ Interrogative form for asking about beliefs.

  ➔ The phrase "What do you believe" is used to inquire about someone's beliefs.

• Nothing they say makes a difference this way

  ➔ Negative form to express that something has no effect.

  ➔ The phrase "Nothing they say makes a difference" indicates that their words are ineffective.

• It's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees

  ➔ Comparative structure to express preference.

  ➔ The phrase "It's better to die on your feet" suggests that it is preferable to stand up for one's beliefs.

• Sometimes you've got to take the hardest line

  ➔ Use of modal verbs to express necessity.

  ➔ The phrase "you've got to take the hardest line" implies that sometimes tough decisions are necessary.