Things It Would Have Been Helpful To Know Before The Revolution – English Lyrics

• By: Father John Misty
• Album: Pure Comedy

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Father John Misty's 'Things It Would Have Been Helpful To Know Before The Revolution' to explore themes of societal collapse and enduring human nature through sharp satire. The song's unique blend of melancholy verses and orchestral shifts offers a fascinating, if bleak, perspective on the modern world and possible futures, making it a special piece to study.

[English]

♫ It got too hot and so we overthrew the system

♫ 'Cause there's no place

♫ for human existence like right here

♫ On this bright blue marble orbited by trash

♫ Man, there's no beating that

♫ It was no big thing to give up the way of life we had

♫ My social life is now quite a bit less hectic

♫ The nightlife and the protests are pretty scarce

♫ Now I mostly spend the long days walking through the city

♫ Empty as a tomb

♫ Sometimes I miss the top of the food chain

♫ But what a perfect afternoon

♫ Industry and commerce toppled to their knees

♫ The gears of progress halted

♫ The underclass set free

♫ The super-ego shatters with our ideologies

♫ The obscene injunction to enjoy life

♫ Disappears as in a dream

♫ And as we return to our native state

♫ To our primal scene

♫ The temperature, it started dropping

♫ The ice floes began to freeze

♫ From time to time we all get a bit restless

♫ With no one advertising to us constantly

♫ But the tribe at the former airport

♫ Some nights has meat and dancing

♫ If you don't mind gathering and hunting

♫ We're all still pretty good at eating on the run

♫ Things it would have been helpful

♫ to know before the revolution

♫ Though I'll admit some degree of resentment

♫ For the sudden lack of convenience around here

♫ But there are some visionaries

♫ among us developing some products

♫ To aid us in our struggle to survive

♫ On this godless rock that refuses to die

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
system /ˈsɪstəm/ B2	noun - a set of connected things or procedures
revolution /ˌrɛv.əˈluː.ʃən/ B2	noun - a rapid, fundamental change in political power or social organization
overthrow /ˌoʊ.vərˈθroʊ/ C1	verb - to remove someone from power, often by force
human /ˈhjuː.mən/ A2	noun - a person; a member of the species Homo sapiens
existence /ɪɡˈzɪs.təns/ B2	noun - the state of being alive or present
protest /prəˈtɛst/ B1	noun - an organized public display of objection verb - to express an objection to something publicly
underclass /ˈʌn.dɚˌklɑːs/ C1	noun - the segment of society that is economically disadvantaged and socially marginalized
progress /ˈprəʊ.ɡres/ B2	noun - forward or onward movement towards a destination or goal
ideology /ˌaɪ.diˈɒl.ə.dʒi/ C1	noun - a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy
native /ˈneɪ.tɪv/ B1	adjective - originating naturally in a particular place; indigenous
primal /ˈpraɪ.məl/ C1	adjective - relating to an early stage in evolutionary development; basic and essential
temperature /ˈtem.pə.rə.tʃər/ B1	noun - the degree of hotness or coldness measured on a standard scale
ice /aɪs/ A2	noun - frozen water
freeze /friːz/ B1	verb - to become hardened into ice; to cause to become rigid or immobile
tribe /traɪb/ B1	noun - a social group consisting of families or communities sharing a common ancestry, language, and culture
gather /ˈɡæð.ər/ B1	verb - to bring together; to collect
hunt /hʌnt/ B1	verb - to chase and kill wild animals for food or sport
survive /sərˈvaɪv/ B1	verb - to continue to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship
visionary /ˈvɪʒ.ən.eri/ C1	noun - a person with original ideas about what the future could/should be like
convenience /kənˈviː.ni.əns/ B2	noun - the state of being able to proceed with something easily and without trouble

Key Grammar Structures

• It became too hot, so we overthrew the system.

  ➔ Causative and coordination ('so' + past tense clause)

  ➔ The word 'so' connects cause and result, showing consequence.

• There's no place for human existence like this one.

  ➔ Comparative structure using 'like' for similarity

  ➔ The phrase 'like this one' compares other places to this specific one.

• It was no big thing to give up the way of life we had.

  ➔ Infinitive phrase functioning as subject complement

  ➔ The infinitive 'to give up' explains the action being described as 'no big thing'.

• Sometimes I miss being at the top of the food chain.

  ➔ Gerund as object of the verb 'miss'

  ➔ The gerund 'being' shows the continuous state that is missed.

• Industry and commerce fell to their knees.

  ➔ Idiomatic expression with metaphor

  ➔ The phrase 'fell to their knees' metaphorically means collapse or defeat.

• The underclass was set free.

  ➔ Passive voice in simple past

  ➔ The focus is on the result ('set free') rather than the actor.

• If you don't mind gathering and hunting, life is fine.

  ➔ Conditional clause with simple present

  ➔ The clause 'If you don't mind' expresses a real possibility or condition.

• Things it would have been helpful to know before the revolution.

  ➔ Nominal clause with past conditional perfect

  ➔ The phrase expresses an unrealized possibility in the past—something useful that wasn’t known in time.