Stand By Your Gun – English Lyrics

• By: George Ezra
• Album: Wanted On Voyage

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the vibrant sounds of George Ezra's "Stand By Your Gun" and immerse yourself in its infectious rhythm. This song offers a fantastic opportunity to learn English through its catchy chorus and clear, expressive vocals. Its upbeat nature makes memorizing the lyrics an enjoyable experience, helping you to pick up new vocabulary and conversational phrases in a fun, musical context.

[English]

I wouldn't recommend what I have done

Oh, the prophets pointed out where I went wrong

Singing, woo-hoo, go figure out your desire

Woo-hoo, my darling, stand by your gun

We don't need no nothing more

We're quite attached to the forty-four

Take a chance, take our words

We fall down, we go there, we go anywhere, now woo-hoo

...

My mistakes land like embers on your tongue

In the foreground, you're still busy getting young

Singing, woo-hoo, go figure out your desire

Woo-hoo, my darling, stand by your gun

See, we don't need no nothing more

We're quite attached to the forty-four

Take a chance, take our words

We fall down, we go there, we go anywhere singing

Woo-hoo, go figure out your desire

Woo-hoo, my darling, stand by your gun

See, we don't need no nothing more

We're quite attached to the forty-four

Take a chance, take our words

We fall down, we go there, we go anywhere, now woo-hoo

Woo-hoo-hoo

Woo-hoo

Woo-hoo-hoo

Waste your time, oh lessons learned

How long will you go, will you go, will you go and

Waste your time, oh lessons learned

How long will you go, will you go, will you go and

Waste your time, oh lessons learned

How long will you go, will you go, will you go and

Waste your time, oh lessons learned

How long will you go, will you go, will you go and

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
recommend /ˌrekəˈmend/ B1	verb - to suggest something as a good idea
prophets /ˈprɑːfɪts/ B2	noun - people claiming to speak for a god or to predict the future
desire /dɪˈzaɪər/ B1	noun - a strong feeling of wanting something
darling /ˈdɑːrlɪŋ/ A2	noun - a term of endearment for someone loved
chance /tʃæns/ A2	noun - an opportunity to do something
mistakes /mɪsˈteɪks/ A2	noun - an incorrect action or decision
embers /ˈembərz/ B2	noun - small pieces of burning coal or wood in a dying fire
foreground /ˈfɔːrˌɡraʊnd/ B2	noun - the part of a scene or picture that is nearest to the viewer
attached /əˈtætʃt/ B1	adjective - connected or joined to something
forty-four /ˈfɔːrtiˌfɔːr/ A1	noun - the number 44, likely referring to a caliber of a gun
lessons /ˈlesənz/ A2	noun - something learned from experience
waste /weɪst/ A2	verb - to use or expend thoughtlessly
tongue /tʌŋ/ A1	noun - the muscular organ in the mouth used for tasting and speaking
figure /ˈfɪɡjər/ A2	verb - to understand or solve something
gun /ɡʌn/ A1	noun - a weapon that fires bullets

Key Grammar Structures

• I wouldn't recommend what I have done

  ➔ modal verb in conditional + present perfect

  ➔ The phrase "wouldn't recommend" uses the modal verb "would" + not + base verb to express a hypothetical recommendation, while "have done" is in the present perfect to refer to a past action with present relevance.

• Singing, woo‑hoo, go figure out your desire

  ➔ present participle phrase + imperative verb

  ➔ "Singing" is a present participle functioning as an introductory clause, and "go figure out" is an imperative urging the listener to discover their desire.

• Woo‑hoo, my darling, stand by your gun

  ➔ imperative verb

  ➔ "stand" is an imperative verb giving a direct command to the addressed person.

• We don't need no nothing more

  ➔ double negative in present simple

  ➔ "don't" is the negative auxiliary for the present simple, and "no nothing" creates a double negative, which is non‑standard but conveys strong negation.

• We're quite attached to the forty‑four

  ➔ present simple (be) + adjective phrase

  ➔ "We're" contracts "we are"; the verb "are" links the subject to the adjective phrase "quite attached to the forty‑four" describing a state.

• Take a chance, take our words

  ➔ imperative verb (repetition for emphasis)

  ➔ "Take" is used as an imperative; the clause is repeated to stress the action of seizing opportunity and listening to "our words".

• My mistakes land like embers on your tongue

  ➔ simple present verb + simile construction

  ➔ "land" is a simple present verb describing what the mistakes do, and "like embers on your tongue" is a simile using "like" to compare the mistakes to glowing coals.

• We fall down, we go there, we go anywhere

  ➔ simple present repeated actions

  ➔ Each clause uses the simple present "fall", "go" to describe habitual or repeated actions, creating a rhythmic sequence.

• How long will you go, will you go, will you go and

  ➔ future simple with modal "will" (repetition for emphasis)

  ➔ "will you go" is the simple future formed with the modal "will"; the phrase is repeated three times to stress uncertainty or anticipation.