Reptilia – English Lyrics

• By: The Strokes
• Album: Room on Fire

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the raw energy and emotional depth of The Strokes' iconic song, "Reptilia." Delve into its exploration of control, identity, and the 'reptilian brain' to enhance your understanding of both the English language and the depths of human emotion. Discover why this track remains a defining anthem of the garage rock revival era .

[English]

("Reptilia")

♪ He seemed impressed by the way you came in ♪

♪ "Tell us a story, I know you're not boring" ♪

♪ I was afraid that you would not insist ♪

♪ "You sound so sleepy, just take this, now leave me" ♪

♪ I said, please don't slow me down if I'm going too fast ♪

♪ You're in a strange part of our town ♪

♪ Yeah, the night's not over, you're not trying hard enough ♪

♪ Our lives are changing lanes, you ran me off the road ♪

♪ The wait is over, I'm now taking over ♪

♪ You're no longer laughing, I'm not drowning fast enough ♪

♪ Now every time that I look at myself ♪

♪ "I thought I told you, this world is not for you" ♪

♪ The room is on fire as she's fixing her hair ♪

♪ "You sound so angry, just calm down, you found me" ♪

♪ I said please don't slow me down if I'm going too fast ♪

♪ You're in a strange part of our town ♪

♪ Yeah, the night's not over, you're not trying hard enough ♪

♪ Our lives are changing lanes, you ran me off the road ♪

♪ The wait is over, I'm now taking over ♪

♪ You're no longer laughing, I'm not drowning fast enough ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
impressed /ɪmˈprɛst/ B2	adjective - feeling admiration or respect for something or someone
story /ˈstɔːri/ A2	noun - a narrative or account of real or imagined events
bore /bɔːr/ A2	verb - to make someone feel tired or uninterested
afraid /əˈfreɪd/ B1	adjective - feeling fear or worry
insist /ɪnˈsɪst/ B2	verb - to demand something forcefully, not accepting refusal
sleepy /ˈsliːpi/ B1	adjective - feeling ready to sleep
leave /liːv/ A2	verb - to go away from a place
slow /sloʊ/ B1	adjective - happening or taking a long time
strange /streɪndʒ/ B1	adjective - unusual or unfamiliar
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ B2	verb - to become different
lane /leɪn/ A2	noun - a narrow road or path
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a path for vehicles or pedestrians
over /ˈoʊvər/ A2	adverb/preposition - indicating movement from one side to another or completion
laugh /læf/ A2	verb/noun - to make sounds when you are happy or amused; the sound itself

Key Grammar Structures

• He seemed **impressed** by the way you came in

  ➔ Past Simple passive form adjective (impressed)

  ➔ The verb "seemed" links the subject "He" to the adjective "impressed." "Impressed" is a past participle used as an adjective describing his feeling. The phrase "by the way you came in" specifies the cause of his impression.

• I was **afraid that** you would not insist

  ➔ Adjective + "that" clause expressing fear/concern

  ➔ "Afraid" is an adjective describing the speaker's emotional state. The "that" clause introduces the content of the fear. The modal verb "would" expresses a future action from the perspective of the past.

• You sound so sleepy, just **take this, now leave me**

  ➔ Imperative sentences (take, leave)

  ➔ These are direct commands. The verbs "take" and "leave" are in their base form and there is no explicit subject. "Now" emphasizes the urgency.

• I said, please don't slow me down **if I'm going too fast**

  ➔ Conditional clause (type 1 likely): if + present simple, imperative

  ➔ This sentence uses a type 1 conditional (possible/likely condition). "If I'm going too fast" is the condition, and "please don't slow me down" is the result/command. It suggests a real possibility.

• The wait is over, I'm now **taking over**

  ➔ Present Continuous: taking over

  ➔ "Taking over" is the present continuous form of the phrasal verb "take over", meaning to assume control or responsibility. The present continuous emphasizes that the action is happening now, or is in progress.

• You're no longer laughing, I'm not **drowning fast enough**

  ➔ Adverb of degree: fast enough

  ➔ "Enough" modifies the adverb "fast" to indicate that the speed of drowning is not at the desired level. The structure is adverb + enough, which is common for measuring degree.

• "I thought I told you, **this world is not for you**"

  ➔ Present Simple: general truth/statement of fact

  ➔ The present simple "is" expresses a general and timeless truth or a statement of fact. This asserts a characteristic that is considered always true, or generally true.

• Our lives are **changing lanes**, you ran me off the road

  ➔ Present continuous (changing) and simple past (ran)

  ➔ "Changing lanes" uses the present continuous to describe an ongoing process. "Ran" uses the simple past to describe a completed action in the past.