Rising Seas – English Lyrics

• By: Midnight Oil

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music can be a powerful experience, and Midnight Oil's 'Rising Seas' offers a compelling opportunity to engage with English in a meaningful context. The song's direct and passionate lyrics about the urgent need for climate action provide a clear and impactful vocabulary. What makes this song special for learners is its powerful storytelling and the band's clear enunciation, making it easier to follow the narrative and understand the critical message. It's a chance to not only improve your English but also to connect with a vital global issue through the lens of iconic Australian rock music.

[English]

Every child, put down your toys

And come inside to sleep

We have to look you in the eye

And say, "We sold you cheap"

Let's confess, we did not act

With serious urgency

So open up the floodgates

To the rising seas

...

Temperature rising

Climate denying

Fever is gripping

Nobody's listening

Lustre is fading

'Cause nobody's trading

Wall Street is jumping

Still, the music keeps pumping

If you can't decide (if you can't decide)

Between wrong and right (wrong and right)

If you can't see through (if you can't see through)

All that you hold true (hold true)

Queen of the firmament

Lord of all beneath

Masters of the universe

We're all refugees

And in many countries

They adore celebrities

Open up the floodgates

To the rising seas

...

D-dinosaur stories

Reliving past glories

Lusting for gold

F-f-fishing for souls

They said it was a-coming

We knew it was a-coming

If you lift your game (if you lift your game)

Put your toys away (toys away)

Well, it looks like rain (well, it looks like rain)

On that western plain

...

Queen of the firmament

Lord of all beneath

Masters of the universe

We're all refugees

And in many countries

They adore celebrities

Open up (open up) the floodgates (floodgates)

To the rising seas

To the rising seas

To the rising seas

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
child /tʃaɪld/ A1	noun - a young human being below the age of puberty
toys /tɔɪz/ A1	noun - objects for children to play with
floodgates /ˈflʌdˌɡeɪts/ B2	noun - gates that control the flow of water in a flood control system
rising /ˈraɪzɪŋ/ B1	adjective - going up; increasing verb - to move upward; to increase
seas /siːz/ A2	noun - large bodies of salt water that cover much of the Earth's surface
temperature /ˈtɛmp(ə)rətʃər/ B1	noun - the degree of heat present in a substance or environment
climate /ˈklaɪmət/ B1	noun - the long‑term pattern of weather in a particular area
fever /ˈfiːvər/ B1	noun - an abnormally high body temperature, often a symptom of illness
listening /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/ B2	verb - paying attention to sound or speech
trading /ˈtreɪdɪŋ/ B2	noun - the action of buying and selling goods or services
street /striːt/ A2	noun - a public road in a city or town, typically with buildings on both sides
jumping /ˈdʒʌmpɪŋ/ B1	verb - to push oneself off a surface and into the air
music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ A2	noun - the art of arranging sounds in time to produce a composition
decide /dɪˈsaɪd/ B1	verb - to choose something after thinking about the possibilities
firmament /ˈfɜːrməmənt/ C2	noun - the sky, especially when regarded as a vault or dome
refugees /ˈrɛfjʊdʒiːz/ B2	noun - people who have been forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster
celebrities /səˈlɛbrɪtiz/ B2	noun - well‑known and admired public figures
dinosaurs /ˈdaɪnəˌsɔːrz/ B1	noun - a group of extinct reptiles that lived millions of years ago