Riptide – English Lyrics

• By: Vance Joy
• Album: Dream Your Life Away

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic journey, and Vance Joy's "Riptide" is a perfect starting point for English learners. The song's clear narrative and use of everyday metaphors and pop culture references offer a fun way to pick up new vocabulary and understand colloquial expressions. Its catchy tune and relatable themes of love and vulnerability make it a special and memorable song to learn with.

[English]

I was scared of dentists and the dark

I was scared of pretty girls and starting conversations

Oh, all my friends are turning green

You're the magician's assistant in their dream

Ah-ooh-ooh-ooh, ah-ahh-ah-ah

And they come unstuck

Lady, running down to the riptide

Taken away to the dark side

I wanna be your left-hand man

I love you when you're singing that song

And I got a lump in my throat

'Cause you're gonna sing the words wrong

There's this movie that I think you'll like

This guy decides to quit his job and heads to New York City

This cowboy's running from himself

And she's been living on the highest shelf

Ah-ooh-ooh-ooh, ah-ahh-oh

And they come unstuck

Lady, running down to the riptide

Taken away to the dark side

I wanna be your left-hand man

I love you when you're singing that song

And I got a lump in my throat

'Cause you're gonna sing the words wrong

...

I just wanna, I just wanna know

If you're gonna, if you're gonna stay

I just gotta, I just gotta know

I can't have it, I can't have it any other way

I swear she's destined for the screen

Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you've ever seen, oh

Lady, running down to the riptide

Taken away to the dark side

I wanna be your left-hand man

I love you when you're singing that song

And I got a lump in my throat

'Cause you're gonna sing the words wrong

Oh lady, running down to the riptide

Taken away to the dark side

I wanna be your left-hand man

I love you when you're singing that song

And I got a lump in my throat

'Cause you're gonna sing the words wrong

Oh lady, running down to the riptide

Taken away to the dark side

I wanna be your left-hand man

I love you when you're singing that song

And I got a lump in my throat

'Cause you're gonna sing the words wrong

Yeah, I got a lump in my throat

'Cause you're gonna sing the words wrong

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
scared /skɛrd/ A2	adjective - feeling fear or anxiety
dark /dɑːrk/ A2	adjective - having little or no light
pretty /ˈprɪti/ A2	adjective - attractive in a delicate or graceful way
friends /frɛndz/ A2	noun - people with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
scream /skrim/ B1	verb - to make a loud, high sound
riptide /ˈrɪp.taɪd/ B2	noun - a strong, rapidly flowing current of water moving away from the shore
darkside /ˈdɑːrk.saɪd/ C1	noun - the negative, sinister, or hidden part of something
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to feel deep affection
singing /ˈsɪŋɪŋ/ A2	verb - the act of producing musical sounds with the voice
lump /lʌmp/ B1	noun - a small swelling or thickened part of the body
song /sɔŋ/ A1	noun - a musical composition with lyrics
knock /nɒk/ B1	verb - to hit something, often to make a sound or attract attention
alive /əˈlaɪv/ B2	adjective - living, not dead

Key Grammar Structures

• I was scared of dentists and the dark

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ The phrase "was scared" uses the **past simple tense** to describe a feeling in the past.

• You're the magician's assistant in their dream

  ➔ Possessive noun + 's' (possessive case)

  ➔ The phrase "magician's assistant" shows possession, indicating the assistant belongs to the magician.

• And I got a lump in my throat

  ➔ Present simple tense with 'got' (colloquial for 'have')

  ➔ The phrase "I got a lump" uses colloquial English for "I have a lump," indicating possession or feeling.

• If you're gonna, if you're gonna stay

  ➔ Informal future intent with 'gonna' (contraction of 'going to')

  ➔ The word "gonna" is an informal contraction of "going to," indicating a future intention.

• She’s destined for the screen

  ➔ Passive voice with 'destined' (past participle)

  ➔ The phrase "she’s destined" uses a passive construction with the past participle "destined" to mean that her future is determined or she is meant for a specific purpose.