So American – English Lyrics

• By: Portugal. The Man
• Album: In The Mountain In The Cloud

Lyrics & Translation

Unlock a new layer of English and cultural understanding with Portugal. The Man's "So American." This song is a fantastic way to explore nuanced themes of national identity and self-reflection through its thought-provoking and observational lyrics. Its blend of catchy psychedelic rock and pop makes it an engaging listen, perfect for learners who want to delve into the subtleties of American culture and political commentary in music.

[English]

If pain was a color to paint on you

Your heart would be the color blue

Be a gradient from there Until your body met your hair

Which remained a silver

You are the one they call Jesus Christ

Who didn't know no rock n' roll

Just a mission, and a gun to paint rainbows in Vietnam

And a heart that always told you

There's madness in us all

There's madness in us all

So, who wrote the rules?

Who wrote the rules, who wrote the rules?

They said, every one of you will never try to lend a hand

When the police men don't understand

Boys, all you boys, you think it's so American

Girls, all you girls, yeah, you're so American

He may not be born of this land

But he was born of this world

He was born of all the mothers and the colors of our brothers

And the love that was started

You are the one they call Jesus Christ

Who may not know no rock n' roll

And there may not be a Heaven

Or a place of which to send you

But you know in the end

There's madness in us all

There's madness in us all

There's madness in us all

There's madness in us all

So, who wrote the rules?

Who wrote the rules, who wrote the rules?

They said, every one of you will never try to lend a hand

When the police men don't understand

Boys, all you boys, you think it's so American

Girls, all you girls, yeah, you're so American

There's two eyes for every one of us

But somebody got there first and took them all

There's two eyes for every one of us

But somebody got there first and took them all

Man, oh man, you think it's so American

Man, oh man, yeah, you're so American

Man, oh man, you think it's so American

Man, oh man, yeah, you're so American

There's two eyes for every one of us

But somebody got there first and took them all

There's two eyes for every one of us

But somebody got there first and took them all

Key Grammar Structures

• If pain was a color to paint on you

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Past)

  ➔ The use of 'was' instead of 'were' in the subjunctive mood to express a hypothetical situation.

• Be a gradient from there Until your body met your hair

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ The use of 'be' in the imperative mood to give a command or instruction.

• Who didn't know no rock n' roll

  ➔ Double Negative

  ➔ The use of two negative words ('didn't' and 'no') to emphasize a negative statement, which is non-standard in formal English but common in colloquial or poetic language.

• There's madness in us all

  ➔ Present Simple with 'There is'

  ➔ The use of 'there's' (contraction of 'there is') to indicate existence or presence in a general sense.

• Who wrote the rules, who wrote the rules?

  ➔ Repetition for Emphasis

  ➔ The repetition of the phrase 'who wrote the rules' to emphasize the question and create a rhetorical effect.

• But he was born of this world

  ➔ Passive Voice

  ➔ The use of the passive voice ('was born') to focus on the action rather than the doer.

• And the love that was started

  ➔ Past Perfect

  ➔ The use of 'was started' in the past perfect to indicate an action that occurred before another past action.

• There's two eyes for every one of us

  ➔ Existential 'There is' with Plural Noun

  ➔ The use of 'there's' with a plural noun ('two eyes') to indicate existence in a general sense.