Sinners – English Lyrics

• By: Rod Wave

Lyrics & Translation

"Sinners" by Rod Wave offers a profound entry point into understanding the nuanced emotional storytelling prevalent in contemporary American hip-hop. Through Rod Wave's raw and reflective lyrics, listeners can explore themes of generational trauma, the weight of fame, and the enduring quest for freedom against systemic challenges, making it a compelling piece for language learners to engage with authentic, emotionally rich English.

[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
free /friː/ A1	adjective - not imprisoned or enslaved verb - to liberate or release
dream /driːm/ A1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep verb - to experience dreams
slave /sleɪv/ A2	noun - a person legally owned by another and forced to work without pay
scared /skɛərd/ A2	adjective - feeling fear or alarm
glitter /ˈɡlɪtər/ B1	noun - small pieces of reflective material that sparkle verb - to shine brightly with a sparkling light
fortune /ˈfɔːrtʃən/ B1	noun - a large amount of money or assets
insane /ɪnˈseɪn/ B1	adjective - mentally ill or irrational
maintain /meɪnˈteɪn/ B2	verb - to keep or preserve in a certain condition
humble /ˈhʌmbl/ B1	adjective - modest or unpretentious
contract /ˈkɒntrækt/ B2	noun - a legally binding agreement
ridin' /ˈraɪdɪŋ/ A2	verb - slang for riding
afloat /əˈfləʊt/ C1	adjective - floating on water or financially stable
werewolves /ˈwɛəwʊlvz/ B1	noun - mythical creatures that transform into wolves
vampires /ˈvæmpaɪərz/ B1	noun - mythical beings that feed on blood
grave /ɡreɪv/ A2	noun - a place where a dead body is buried

Key Grammar Structures

• Did I dig myself a deeper hole?

  ➔ Past Simple with Tag Question

  ➔ The sentence uses the Past Simple ("did dig") to ask about a past action and then adds a tag question ("a deeper hole?") to seek confirmation or invite agreement. The inversion of 'did' is crucial for forming the question.

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

  ➔ Non-standard English - Habitual 'be'

  ➔ The use of 'be' instead of 'is' is a feature of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and indicates a habitual or general truth. It means 'that which glitters is not gold'. It's a stylistic choice reflecting the artist's background.

• If he knew I was a slave to the state

  ➔ Second Conditional

  ➔ This is a second conditional sentence, expressing an unreal or hypothetical situation. The structure is 'If + Past Simple, would + base form of verb'. It suggests the speaker imagines a scenario where his great-great grandfather knew his current situation.

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

  ➔ Negative Contraction & Coordination

  ➔ "ain't" is a contraction of 'am not/is not/are not', common in informal speech and AAVE. The sentence coordinates multiple nouns ('ghosts', 'vampires', 'whips', 'chains') using commas and 'and', creating a list of things the speaker isn't afraid of.

• Shit, it all be the same

  ➔ Interjection & Non-standard 'be'

  ➔ "Shit" functions as an interjection expressing frustration or emphasis. Again, 'be' is used in a non-standard way, indicating a general truth or recurring pattern – everything feels the same.