Revolution

• By: Dennis Brown
• Album: Reggae Anthology: Dennis Brown: Crown Prince of Reggae

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
revolution /ˌrevəˈluːʃən/ B2	noun - a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system.
solution /səˈluːʃən/ B1	noun - a means of solving a problem or dealing with a difficult situation.
fighting /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/ A2	verb - to take part in a violent struggle involving physical force or weapons.
oppression /əˈpreʃən/ C1	noun - prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control.
depression /dɪˈpreʃən/ B2	noun - a mental condition characterized by feelings of severe despondency and dejection, typically also with feelings of inadequacy and guilt, often accompanied by lack of energy, disturbance of appetite, and insomnia.
ready /ˈredi/ A2	adjective - prepared for action or use.
stand /stænd/ A1	verb - have or maintain an upright position, supported by one's feet.
fight /faɪt/ A2	verb - take part in a violent struggle involving physical force or weapons.
right /raɪt/ A1	adjective - morally good, justified, or acceptable.
soldiers /ˈsoʊldʒərz/ A2	noun - a person serving in an army.
chosen /ˈtʃoʊzən/ B1	verb - past participle of choose; having been selected as the best or most appropriate.
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
live /lɪv/ A1	verb - remain alive.
forever /fərˈevər/ A2	adverb - for all future time; eternally.
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - have a strong affection for (another).
sharing /ˈʃeərɪŋ/ A2	verb - have a portion of (something) with another or others.
caring /ˈkeərɪŋ/ B1	verb - feel concern or interest; attach importance to something.
work /wɜːrk/ A1	noun - activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.

Grammar:

• Do you know what it means to have a revolution

  ➔ Indirect Question

  ➔ The sentence uses an indirect question format. Instead of asking "What does it mean to have a revolution?" directly, it's embedded within a larger question: "Do you know what it means..." This structure is more polite and grammatically complex.

• And what it takes to make a solution

  ➔ Noun Clause with 'what'

  ➔ The phrase "what it takes" functions as a noun clause, acting as the object of the verb "know" (implied from the previous line). "What" introduces the clause and stands in for the thing required to make a solution.

• Many are called, few are chosen

  ➔ Passive Voice and Ellipsis

  ➔ This proverb uses the passive voice ("are called", "are chosen"). Also it implies "Many people" and "few people" respectively, making it an example of ellipsis (omitting words that are understood).

• Got to fight the right fight in this time, yeah

  ➔ Modal Verb 'Got to' (have to)

  ➔ "Got to" is a colloquial contraction of "have got to," which is a synonym for "have to." It expresses obligation or necessity.

• If you wanna live-a, live-a, live-a, live-a, live, live forever

  ➔ Informal Contraction ('wanna') and Repetition for Emphasis

  ➔ "Wanna" is a colloquial contraction of "want to." The repetition of "live-a" emphasizes the desire to live.

• You gotta love-a, love-a, love-a, love-a, love, love each other

  ➔ Informal Contraction ('Gotta') and Reciprocal Pronoun

  ➔ "Gotta" is the informal contraction of "have got to", expressing necessity. "Each other" is a reciprocal pronoun indicating that the action of loving is mutual.

• A man is paid according to his work

  ➔ Passive Voice and Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ The sentence uses the passive voice ('is paid'). "According to his work" is a prepositional phrase that modifies the verb "is paid," indicating the basis for the payment.