Reality In Motion – English Lyrics

• By: Tame Impala
• Album: The Slow Rush

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the hypnotic world of Tame Impala with 'Reality In Motion'. This track is a perfect gateway for learning English through modern songwriting, offering a blend of abstract metaphors and rhythmic phrasing that reflects the fluid nature of time and change.

[English]

I'm edging closer, shivers all over

It's way too real, I'm way too sober

Usually they've got you covered all over

Lack of composure, I'm walking over

What will I do?

I never had a chance to

There's no one else around you

Not that I was waiting, vision ever fading

Heading for the deep end

Soon as I remember, baby, I surrender

I just need to breathe out

Decision time approaching, reality in motion

...

Trying to be patient but I'm feeling ancient

Trying to control the way that I'm facing

Suppose that I didn't care anymore

Fate can decide, I can ignore

I'll just pretend that I always knew

That I had the chance to

There's no one else around you

Not that I was waiting, vision ever fading

Making such a promise

Only leads to heartache, closer to an earthquake

Talked about in Hollywood

Trying to stay in motion

It made my heart run in circles and overflow

And I was closer than ever to letting go

...

It made my heart run in circles and overdrive

And I was closer than ever to feeling alive

It made my heart run in circles and overflow

...

And I was closer than ever to letting go

...

It made my heart run in circles and overdrive

...

And I was closer than ever to feeling alive

There's no one else around you

Not that I was waiting, vision ever fading

Heading for the deep end

Soon as I remember, baby, I surrender

I just need to breathe out

Decision time approaching, reality in motion

Let's not think about it

Put your arms around me, I can sense you doubt me

You don't need to promise

That only leads to heartache, closer to an earthquake

Talked about in Hollywood

All there's left to do, all there's left to do

All there's left to do, all there's left to do

All there's left to do, all there's left to do

All there's left to do, all there's left to do

All there's left to do, all-

...

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm edging closer, shivers all over

  ➔ Present Continuous for current physical states.

  ➔ The structure "be + verb-ing" (I am edging) describes an ongoing action or feeling at the moment of speaking.

• I never had a chance to

  ➔ Past Simple for completed actions.

  ➔ Using "had" indicates a completed state in the past where the opportunity was absent.

• Trying to be patient but I'm feeling ancient

  ➔ Gerunds (Verbs ending in -ing as nouns).

  ➔ "Trying" functions as the subject/initial action in this sentence, acting as a noun form.

• Suppose that I didn't care anymore

  ➔ Second Conditional (Hypothetical past/present).

  ➔ "Didn't care" uses the past form to suggest a hypothetical or unreal situation.

• I'll just pretend that I always knew

  ➔ Future Simple and Subordinate Clause.

  ➔ "I'll" (I will) indicates intent, followed by "that I always knew" as the object of the verb "pretend".

• I was closer than ever to letting go

  ➔ Comparative adjectives with infinitive phrases.

  ➔ "Closer" is the comparative form, while "to letting go" acts as a prepositional phrase expressing the target state.

• You don't need to promise

  ➔ Modal verb of necessity in the negative.

  ➔ "Don't need to" expresses that there is no obligation or necessity to perform an action.

• All there's left to do

  ➔ Existential "there" with an infinitive modifier.

  ➔ "There's left" indicates what remains, and "to do" specifies the nature of that remainder.