Refugee – English Lyrics

• By: Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw honesty of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers' "Refugee" and discover not just powerful rock music, but a clear, encouraging message that transcends language. Through its direct and relatable lyrics about overcoming adversity and fighting for personal freedom, this song offers a compelling way to engage with everyday English expressions and the powerful rhetoric of defiance and self-empowerment. It's a testament to resilience that resonates universally.

[English]

("Refugee")

♪ We got somethin', we both know it ♪

♪ We don't talk too much about it ♪

♪ Ain't no real big secret, all the same ♪

♪ Somehow we get around it ♪

♪ Listen, it don't really matter to me, baby ♪

♪ You believe what you wanna believe ♪

♪ You see, you don't have to live like a refugee ♪

♪ Don't have to live like a refugee ♪

♪ Somewhere, somehow, somebody ♪

♪ Must've kicked you around some ♪

♪ Tell me why you wanna lay there revel in your abandon ♪

♪ Honey, it don't make no difference to me, baby ♪

♪ Everybody's had to fight to be free ♪

♪ You see, you don't have to live like a refugee ♪

♪ Don't have to live like a refugee ♪

♪ No baby, you don't have to live like a refugee ♪

♪ Don't have to live like a refugee ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Baby, we ain't the first ♪

♪ I'm sure a lot of other lovers been burned ♪

♪ Right now this seems real to you ♪

♪ But it's one of those things you gotta feel to be true ♪

♪ Somewhere, somehow, somebody ♪

♪ Must have kicked you around some ♪

♪ Who knows maybe you were kidnapped, tied up ♪

♪ Taken away and held for ransom ♪

♪ Honey, it don't really matter to me, baby ♪

♪ Everybody's had to fight to be free ♪

♪ You see, you don't have to live like a refugee ♪

♪ Don't have to live like a refugee ♪

♪ No you don't have to live like a refugee ♪

♪ Don't have to live like a refugee ♪

♪ No you don't have to live like a refugee ♪

♪ Don't have to live like a refugee, oh, oh, oh ♪

Key Grammar Structures

• We got somethin', we both know it

  ➔ Present Simple, Contraction, Pronoun

  ➔ The use of "got" instead of "have" is colloquial. The contraction "somethin'" is common in informal speech and song lyrics. "We both" emphasizes shared knowledge. "It" refers to the unspoken 'something'.

• Ain't no real big secret, all the same

  ➔ Double Negative, Adjective Order, Idiomatic Expression

  ➔ "Ain't" is a non-standard contraction of "is not" or "are not". The double negative ("Ain't no...") is common in some dialects. "Real big" is a common adjective order in informal English. "All the same" means 'nevertheless'.

• You see, you don't have to live like a refugee

  ➔ Modal Verb (have to), Imperative (implied), Discourse Marker

  ➔ "You see" is a discourse marker used to draw attention or explain something. "Don't have to" expresses lack of obligation. The phrase implies a choice – you *can* choose not to live a certain way.

• Somewhere, somehow, somebody Must've kicked you around some

  ➔ Adverbs of Place/Manner, Modal Verb of Deduction (must've), Past Participle

  ➔ "Somewhere, somehow, somebody" creates a sense of vagueness and universality. "Must've" is a contraction of "must have" and expresses a strong deduction about a past event. "Kicked around" is an idiomatic expression meaning 'treated badly'.