San Quentin – English Lyrics

• By: Nickelback

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the high-energy language of Nickelback's "San Quentin," a hard-rocking tale inspired by a real-life encounter with a prison warden. Delve into themes of recklessness and rock and roll excess, while discovering a surprisingly heavy sound from this iconic band.

[English]

Let's get this circus on down the road

We're taking bets how far a tank of gas will go

Call up your best friend, then call two more

About to do some shit that you ain't seen before

There ain't no backdoor, there ain't no sign

Location changes almost every other night

Last time we found it, can't remember much

I thought I was a god until my lawyer woke me up and said I

Testify that I was right outta my mind

Let the record show I did it all for rock and roll

Screaming every night, playing 25 to life

So somebody, please keep me the hell out of San Quentin

...

Out of San Quentin

Just keep me out of San Quentin

Ooh, could somebody please keep me the hell out of San Quentin?

...

Got out on bail, we hit the town

Somebody told me we should burn it to the ground

Too many favors, too much to drink

Come 6:00 a.m. they had me back inside the clink

I'm gonna testify that I was right outta my mind

Let the record show I did it all for rock and roll

Screaming every night, playing 25 to life

So can somebody please keep me the hell out of San Quentin?

Out of San Quentin

Oh, just keep me out of San Quentin

Ooh, could somebody please keep me the hell out of San Quentin?

...

Tough to find a goddamn alibi

Wrong or right, it's tough to justify

Can't dismiss, too many witnesses

When insanity's the pattern, it don't matter what it is

I'm gonna testify that I was right outta my mind

Let the record show I did it all for rock and roll

Screaming every night, playing 25 to life

So somebody please keep me the hell out of San Quentin

Out of San Quentin

Oh, just keep me out of San Quentin

Ooh, could somebody please keep me the hell out of San Quentin?

...

Key Grammar Structures

• Let's get this circus on down the road

  ➔ Contraction (Let's)

  ➔ 'Let's' is a contraction of 'let us', used to make suggestions or proposals.

• We're taking bets how far a tank of gas will go

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ 'We're taking' is in the present continuous tense, indicating an action happening now.

• Call up your best friend, then call two more

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ 'Call' is in the imperative mood, used to give commands or instructions.

• I thought I was a god until my lawyer woke me up and said I

  ➔ Past Continuous Tense (thought) + Past Simple (woke)

  ➔ 'Thought' is in the past continuous, describing a past action in progress, while 'woke' is past simple, indicating a completed action.

• Let the record show I did it all for rock and roll

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood

  ➔ 'Let the record show' uses the subjunctive mood to express a wish or suggestion.

• Screaming every night, playing 25 to life

  ➔ Present Participle (Screaming, playing)

  ➔ 'Screaming' and 'playing' are present participles, used to describe ongoing actions.

• So somebody, please keep me the hell out of San Quentin

  ➔ Interjection (the hell)

  ➔ 'The hell' is an interjection used for emphasis or emotion.

• When insanity's the pattern, it don't matter what it is

  ➔ Contraction (don't) + Subject-Verb Agreement

  ➔ 'Don't' is a contraction of 'do not', and 'matter' agrees with the singular subject 'it'.