Sleeping Powder – English Lyrics

• By: Gorillaz

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on an introspective and psychedelic journey with Gorillaz's 'Sleeping Powder.' This track offers a unique blend of alternative rock and electro-funk, making it an engaging way to connect with English lyrics that delve into themes of disconnection, identity, and the allure of escapism. Its rich, metaphorical language provides an excellent opportunity to expand your English vocabulary and grasp deeper meanings in a modern musical context.

[English]

I was gone with the self of the day, gone

With the self of the day, gone

With the self of the day, gone

Gone, gone, gone

I was gone

I'm back, where are we goin'?

Seem to get tired of the mornin' dawn

With a basin on my head

I'm missin' all that I used to know, then

I get the kids to go, and I get

Up on with certain dread

And when I see the kissing down below

Easy life, I get right

I was gone with the self of the day, gone

With the self of the day, gone

With the self of the day, gone

Gone, gone, gone

I was gone

I get dropped from where I belong

I take my pills and I get in the mood and I

Take five to get it to load in

Even in the place

And I get my jeans on right

And sit in the rows and

Inside I live in a cage and I

Peek out and summon the code and I

Enter the lake to face what I'm cagin'

Gone with the self of the day, gone

With the self of the day, gone

With the self of the day, gone

Gone, gone, gone

I was gone

...

She gave me sleeping powder

I was gone

Gone, gone, gone

Ahh!

I was gone with the self of the day, gone

With the self of the day, gone

With the self of the day, gone

Gone, gone, gone, gone

I was gone

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
gone /ɡɔːn/ A1	verb/adjective - no longer present; departed
self /self/ B1	noun - a person's essential being that distinguishes them from others
day /deɪ/ A1	noun - a period of 24 hours
get /ɡet/ A1	verb - to obtain, receive, or become
back /bæk/ A1	verb - to return to a place or position
basin /ˈbeɪ.sən/ B2	noun - a large bowl for washing, or a natural depression in the earth
dread /dred/ C1	noun - great fear or apprehension
pills /pɪlz/ A2	noun - small solid medicinal doses
mood /muːd/ B1	noun - a temporary state of mind or feeling
cage /keɪdʒ/ B1	noun - a structure of bars or wires for confining animals or birds
powder /ˈpaʊ.dər/ B1	noun - a fine, dry substance produced by grinding, crushing, or chemical decomposition
tired /ˈtaɪəd/ A2	adjective - in need of rest or sleep; weary
right /raɪt/ A1	adjective - correct, morally good, or proper
easy /ˈiː.zi/ A1	adjective - achieved without great effort; presenting few difficulties
certain /ˈsɜː.tən/ B1	adjective - known for sure; established beyond doubt
head /hed/ A1	noun - the upper part of the human body containing the brain
jeans /dʒiːnz/ A2	noun - hard-wearing casual trousers made of denim

Key Grammar Structures

• I was gone with the self of the day, gone

  ➔ Past Simple (state) with Adjective Complement

  ➔ “was” is the past simple form of “to be,” describing a past state. “gone” acts as a predicate adjective here, describing the subject's condition.

• where are we goin'?

  ➔ Present Continuous for Future Plans/Intentions (informal)

  ➔ “are we goin'” (a contraction of “are we going”) uses the present continuous tense to ask about a future action or plan, which is common in informal English.

• Seem to get tired of the mornin' dawn

  ➔ Verb “seem” + To-infinitive

  ➔ The structure “seem to get” expresses that something appears or gives the impression of being true. “Seem” is typically followed by a “to-infinitive” to describe what appears to be the case.

• I'm missin' all that I used to know, then

  ➔ “Used to” for Past Habits or States

  ➔ “used to know” describes a state or a repeated action that was true or happened regularly in the past but no longer does in the present. “missin'” is an informal contraction of “missing.”

• I get the kids to go

  ➔ Causative “get someone to do something”

  ➔ The causative structure “get someone to do something” (here, “get the kids to go”) means to persuade, arrange, or cause someone to perform an action.

• when I see the kissing down below

  ➔ Gerund as a Noun

  ➔ “kissing” is a gerund (the -ing form of a verb) that functions as a noun in this sentence, referring to the act or instance of kissing.

• I get dropped from where I belong

  ➔ Passive Voice with “get”

  ➔ “get dropped” is an informal way to form the passive voice, indicating that the subject (“I”) is the recipient of the action (being dropped) rather than the performer.

• Take five to get it to load in

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose + Causative “get it to do something”

  ➔ “to get it to load in” combines an infinitive of purpose (“to get,” meaning 'in order to get') with a causative structure (“get it to load in”), meaning to cause something to load.

• to face what I'm cagin'

  ➔ Relative Clause with “what” (as a nominal relative pronoun)

  ➔ “what I'm cagin'” is a nominal relative clause where “what” acts as a pronoun meaning “the thing(s) that”, functioning as the object of “face.”

• She gave me sleeping powder

  ➔ Ditransitive Verb (Verb with two objects)

  ➔ “gave” is a ditransitive verb, which means it takes two objects: an indirect object (“me”) and a direct object (“sleeping powder”).