Testify – English Lyrics

• By: Rage Against The Machine

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

(angry rock music)

♪ Uh ♪

- I support the death penalty.

- I support the death penalty.

We will be prosperous if we embrace free trade.

- Prosperity from free and fair trade.

♪ The movie ran through me ♪

♪ The glamour subdue me ♪

♪ The tabloid untie me ♪

♪ I'm empty, please fill me ♪

♪ Mister Anchor, assure me ♪

♪ That Baghdad is burning ♪

♪ Your voice, it is so soothing ♪

♪ That cunning mantra of killing ♪

♪ I need you, my witness ♪

♪ To dress this up so bloodless ♪

♪ To numb me and purge me now ♪

♪ Of thoughts of blaming you ♪

♪ Yes, the car is our wheelchair ♪

♪ My witness, your coughing ♪

♪ Oily silence mocks the legless ♪

♪ Ones who travel now in coffins ♪

♪ On the corner ♪

♪ The jury's sleepless ♪

♪ We found your weakness ♪

♪ And it's right outside your door, now testify ♪

♪ Now testify ♪

♪ It's right outside your door, now testify ♪

♪ Yes, testify ♪

♪ It's right outside your door ♪

♪ With precision you feed me ♪

♪ My witness, I'm hungry ♪

♪ Your temple, it calms me ♪

♪ So I can carry on ♪

♪ My slaving, sweating ♪

♪ The skin right off my bones ♪

♪ On a bed of fire, I'm choking ♪

♪ On the smoke that fills my home ♪

♪ The wrecking ball is rushing ♪

♪ Witness, you're blushing ♪

♪ The pipeline is gushing ♪

♪ While here we lie in tombs ♪

♪ While on the corner ♪

♪ The jury's sleepless ♪

♪ We found your weakness ♪

♪ And it's right outside your door, now testify ♪

♪ Yeah, testify ♪

♪ It's right outside your door, now testify ♪

♪ Now testify ♪

♪ Well, it's right outside your door ♪

♪ Mass graves for the pump and the price is set ♪

♪ And the price is set ♪

♪ Mass graves for the pump and the price is set ♪

♪ And the price is set ♪

♪ Mass graves for the pump and the price is set ♪

♪ And the price is set ♪

♪ Mass graves for the pump and the price is set ♪

♪ And the price is set ♪

- Invest your money for the future.

- Invest in the future.

- I've been talking about clean air.

- We've gotta clean up our air.

- I support a ban on soft money.

- We will get all of the soft money out of the campaign.

- God bless you. - God bless you.

♪ Who controls the past now controls the future ♪

♪ Who controls the present now controls the past ♪

♪ Who controls the past now controls the future ♪

♪ Who controls the present now ♪

♪ Now testify ♪

♪ Testify ♪

♪ It's right outside your door, now testify ♪

♪ Testify ♪

♪ It's right outside your door ♪

- If you're not turned on to politics,

politics will turn on you.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
testify /ˈtɛstɪfaɪ/ B1	verb - to give a formal statement of what one has seen, heard, or experienced
witness /ˈwɪtnəs/ A2	noun - a person who sees something happen and can describe it verb - to see or know by personal presence
prosperous /ˈprɒspərəs/ B2	adjective - successful and thriving, especially in financial terms
glamour /ˈɡlæmər/ B1	noun - the quality of being attractive, exciting, and special
subdue /səbˈdjuː/ B2	verb - to bring something under control
tabloid /ˈtæbɒɪd/ B1	noun - a small-sized newspaper that focuses on sensational stories
cunning /ˈkʌnɪŋ/ B1	adjective - clever, especially in a way that is not honest
mantra /ˈmæntrə/ B2	noun - a word or phrase repeated often, especially to comfort or inspire
bloodless /ˈblʌdlɪs/ C1	adjective - without bloodshed or violence
purge /pɜːrdʒ/ B2	verb - to remove or get rid of something unwanted
wheelchair /ˈwiːlʧɛər/ A2	noun - a chair fitted with wheels for use by a person who cannot walk
legless /ˈlɛɡlɪs/ B1	adjective - without legs
coffin /ˈkɒfɪn/ A2	noun - a box for burying a dead body
precision /prɪˈsɪʒən/ B2	noun - the quality of being exact and accurate
slaving /ˈsleɪvɪŋ/ B1	verb - working very hard, often under harsh conditions
wrecking /ˈrɛkɪŋ/ B1	verb - destroying or damaging something
pipeline /ˈpaɪplaɪn/ B1	noun - a long tube used to transport liquids or gases
grave /ɡreɪv/ A2	noun - a place where a dead body is buried

Key Grammar Structures

• We will be prosperous if we embrace free trade.

  ➔ First Conditional

  ➔ The sentence uses the structure 'if + present simple, will + infinitive' to express a likely result in the future.

• The movie ran through me

  ➔ Past Simple (Passive Voice)

  ➔ The verb 'ran' is in the past simple, and the sentence is in passive voice, emphasizing the effect on the subject.

• I'm empty, please fill me

  ➔ Present Continuous

  ➔ The sentence uses 'am' + 'empty' to describe a current state, and 'please fill me' is a request.

• Your voice, it is so soothing

  ➔ Emphatic Structure

  ➔ The use of 'it is' emphasizes the adjective 'soothing' to highlight the quality of the voice.

• While on the corner, the jury's sleepless

  ➔ Subordinate Clause

  ➔ The phrase 'while on the corner' is a subordinate clause that provides additional context to the main clause.

• Mass graves for the pump and the price is set

  ➔ Parallel Structure

  ➔ The phrase uses parallel structure with 'mass graves for the pump' and 'the price is set' to create a rhythmic effect.

• Who controls the past now controls the future

  ➔ Present Simple with Future Implication

  ➔ The present simple 'controls' implies a future consequence, linking past control to future control.