Sinners – English Lyrics

• By: Rod Wave

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the powerful storytelling of Rod Wave's “Sinners.” This song offers a unique opportunity to explore themes of struggle, history, and the yearning for freedom through its poignant lyrics. By listening, you can not only appreciate the emotional depth of the music but also gain insight into the cultural and historical references that make this song a moving piece of art.

[English]

Back to me

You saw the best, saw the best in me

(Turn me up, 5)

Ooh

Down (yeah, yeah)

I'm not scared of werewolves, vampires

But man, I'd always lose sleep (always)

When I dream (when I dream)

That I could set my people free (whoa)

Oh (oh-oh), oh-whoa (let my people free)

No, no, no, no

Tell me, did I dig myself a deeper hole?

Did I sell my soul? A rocky road

Daddy told me everything that be glitter ain't gold

Tell me, how am I gon' right my wrongs? I'd rather write my songs

Excuse me, master, I think you're confused

I was promised 40 acres and mules

Damn, I feel like a fool, forget the rules, what the fine print say?

My great-great grandaddy probably turn in his grave

If he knew I was a slave to the state

Go tell him I ain't afraid of ghosts, vampires, whips, and chains

Crazy contracts, snitches, and hangs

Shit, it all be the same

Money, sex, cigarettes, champagne

Weed, X, cocaine to the brain

Stay afloat, maintain, so much came with the fortune and fame

Would drive a young, humble nigga insane

Devil ridin' this back like the tires on this new Cadillac

And I waited my turn for this

I lived and I learned for this (yeah)

How I stayed down

Walked so many miles, so many miles, so many miles

I'm not scared of werewolves, vampires

But man, I'd always lose sleep (always lose sleep)

When I dream

That I could set my people free (my people free)

That I could set my people free (oh, whoa)

I'm not scared of werewolves, vampires

But man, I'd always lose sleep

When I dream

That I could set my people free (whoa, whoa)

That I could set my people free, yeah, yeah

I could set my people free

If I could set my people free

If I could set my people free

Oh, oh-oh

Set my people free (whoa)

(Who is Wonderyo?)

(Ayo, Kobe, go on)

Let my people free

I'll never be free

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep verb - to experience dreams during sleep
sleep /sliːp/ A1	noun - a condition of body and mind that typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended. verb - to be in a state of sleep
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a way or course for traveling from one place to another
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal
gold /ɡoʊld/ A1	noun - a precious yellow metal
wrongs /rɔːŋz/ B1	noun - an unjust, dishonest, or immoral act
songs /sɔːŋz/ A1	noun - a musical composition with words
master /ˈmæstər/ B1	noun - a man who has people working for him, especially servants or slaves
acres /ˈeɪkərz/ B1	noun - a unit of land equal to 4,840 square yards (0.405 hectare)
fool /fuːl/ B1	noun - a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person
rules /ruːlz/ A2	noun - one of a set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing conduct within a particular activity or sphere.
grave /ɡreɪv/ B2	noun - a hole dug in the ground to receive a coffin or body
slave /sleɪv/ B1	noun - a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them
state /steɪt/ A2	noun - a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government.
ghosts /ɡoʊsts/ A2	noun - the spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living.
chains /tʃeɪnz/ A2	noun - a series of usually metal links or rings connected to each other
contracts /ˈkɒntrækts/ B2	noun - a written or spoken agreement, especially one concerning employment, sales, or tenancy, that is intended to be enforceable by law.
fortune /ˈfɔːrtʃuːn/ B2	noun - a large amount of money or assets
fame /feɪm/ B1	noun - the state of being known or talked about by many people

Key Grammar Structures

• Tell me, did I dig myself a deeper hole?

  ➔ Inversion in questions, Past Simple

  ➔ Uses inversion ('did I dig') to form a question in the past simple tense. The auxiliary verb "did" comes before the subject "I".

• Daddy told me everything that be glitter ain't gold

  ➔ Subjunctive mood (colloquial), Negative Concord/Double Negative (colloquial)

  ➔ The sentence is grammatically incorrect by standard rules but used for emphasis and colloquial expression. 'That be glitter' is an informal subjunctive. 'Ain't gold' is a double negative ('is not gold'). Both features are used for stylistic effect. It means that not everything that glitters is gold.

• How am I gon' right my wrongs? I'd rather write my songs

  ➔ Future with 'gon'', Conditional ('I'd rather')

  ➔ "gon'" is a shortened form of "going to," used to express the future. 'I'd rather' is a contraction of 'I would rather,' expressing preference or a conditional statement.

• Excuse me, master, I think you're confused

  ➔ Present Continuous (to describe current state)

  ➔ "You're confused" uses the present continuous to describe a current state of being. It emphasizes that the master *is currently* in a state of confusion.

• If he knew I was a slave to the state

  ➔ Second Conditional (unreal past condition)

  ➔ This is a second conditional clause. "If he knew..." sets up an unreal past condition. The implied main clause would be something like "...he would be upset." It describes a hypothetical situation in the past.

• Devil ridin' this back like the tires on this new Cadillac

  ➔ Simile (using 'like')

  ➔ The sentence uses "like" to create a simile, comparing the Devil's oppressive presence on his back to the way tires bear the weight of a Cadillac. It highlights the burden and constant pressure.

• I lived and I learned for this

  ➔ Parallel Structure, Past Simple

  ➔ The sentence uses parallel structure with two verbs in the past simple ("lived" and "learned") to emphasize the duration and significance of both experiences. They are connected by the implied purpose "for this."