The Gnome – English Lyrics

• By: Pink Floyd
• Album: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

I want to tell you a story

About a little man, if I can

A gnome named Grimble Crumble

And little gnomes stay in their homes

Eating, sleeping, drinking their wine

He wore a scarlet tunic

A blue green hood, it looked quite good

He had a big adventure

Amidst the grass, fresh air at last

Wining, dining, biding his time

And then one day, Hooray!

Another way for gnomes to say

Ooh, my

Look at the sky, look at the river

Isn't it good?

Look at the sky, look at the river

Isn't it good?

Winding, finding places to go

And then one day, hooray!

Another way for gnomes to say

Ooh, my

Ooh, my

...

Key Grammar Structures

• I want to tell you a story

  ➔ Infinitive (to + verb)

  ➔ The phrase "to tell" is an infinitive, used after the verb "want" to express purpose.

• About a little man, if I can

  ➔ First conditional (if + present simple)

  ➔ The clause "if I can" is a first conditional, showing a possible condition.

• He wore a scarlet tunic

  ➔ Simple past tense

  ➔ "Wore" is the simple past form of "wear", indicating a completed action in the past.

• Look at the sky, look at the river

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ "Look" is an imperative verb, giving a command to the listener.

• Isn't it good?

  ➔ Negative question with contraction

  ➔ "Isn't" is a contraction of "is not", forming a negative question that expects confirmation.

• Winding, finding places to go

  ➔ Gerund / present participle

  ➔ "Winding" and "finding" are present participles used as nouns, functioning like gerunds.

• And then one day, hooray!

  ➔ Discourse marker (And then)

  ➔ "And then" signals a sequence of events, linking the previous narrative to what follows.

• Another way for gnomes to say

  ➔ Infinitive (to + verb)

  ➔ "to say" is an infinitive that follows the noun "way", indicating purpose.