This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race – English Lyrics

• By: Fall Out Boy
• Album: Infinity On High

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

♪ Dance, dance ♪

(crowd cheering)

- [Man] Check if everything's under control.

(man talking)

("This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" by Fall Out Boy)

(fast-paced rock music)

(camera flashes booming)

♪ I am an arms dealer ♪

♪ Fitting you with weapons in the form of words ♪

♪ And don't really care which side wins ♪

♪ Long as the room keeps singing ♪

♪ That's just the business I'm in ♪

♪ This ain't a scene, it's a damn arms race ♪

♪ And this ain't a scene, it's a damn arms race ♪

♪ And this ain't a scene, it's a damn arms race ♪

♪ I'm not a shoulder to cry on, but I digress ♪

♪ I'm a leading man and the lies I weave are oh so intricate ♪

♪ Oh so intricate yeah ♪

♪ I'm a leading man and the lies I weave are oh so intricate ♪

♪ Oh so intricate yeah ♪

♪ I wrote the gospel on giving up ♪

♪ You look pretty sinking ♪

♪ But the real bombshells have already sunk ♪

♪ Primadonnas of the gutter ♪

♪ At night we're painting your trash gold, while you sleep ♪

♪ Crashing not like hips or cars ♪

♪ No, more like parties ♪

♪ This ain't a scene, it's a damn arms race ♪

♪ And this ain't a scene, it's a damn arms race ♪

♪ This ain't a scene, it's a damn arms race ♪

♪ Bandwagon's full, please catch another ♪

♪ I'm a leading man and the lies I weave are oh so intricate ♪

♪ Oh so intricate yeah ♪

♪ I'm a leading man and the lies I weave are oh so intricate ♪

♪ Oh so intricate yeah ♪

♪ Whoa, oh, oh, oh, whoa, oh ♪

♪ All the boys who the dance floor didn't love ♪

♪ And all the girls whose lips couldn't move fast enough ♪

♪ Sing, until your lungs give out ♪

♪ This ain't a scene, it's a damn arms race ♪

♪ This ain't a scene, it's a damn arms race ♪

♪ Now you ♪

♪ And this ain't a scene, it's a damn arms race ♪

♪ Wear out the groove ♪

♪ This ain't a scene, it's a damn arms race ♪

♪ Sing it out loud ♪

♪ This ain't a scene, it's a damn arms race ♪

♪ Oh, oh ♪

♪ This ain't a scene, it's a damn arms race ♪

(Pete panting)

- Dreams again?

(Patrick snoring)

- Wait.

(car honking) (crowd cheering)

♪ Damn arms race ♪

♪ I'm a leading man and the lies I weave are oh so intricate ♪

♪ Oh so intricate yeah ♪

♪ I'm a leading man and the lies I weave are oh so intricate ♪

♪ Oh so intricate ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
arms /ɑrmz/ A1	noun - weapons or firearms
dealer /ˈdiːlər/ A2	noun - a person who sells something, especially illegally
weapons /ˈwɛpənz/ A1	noun - tools or instruments used for attack or defense
intricate /ˈɪntrɪkət/ C1	adjective - very complicated or detailed
weave /wiːv/ B1	verb - to make something by interlacing threads verb - to create a story or lie
gospel /ˈɡɑːspəl/ B1	noun - the teachings of Jesus Christ noun - something that is believed to be true
bombshells /ˈbɒmʃɛlz/ B2	noun - a surprising or shocking piece of news
primadonnas /ˌprɪməˈdɒnəz/ C1	noun - a person who behaves as if they are the most important
gutter /ˈɡʌtər/ B1	noun - a channel at the edge of a street for water to flow away noun - a low or vile condition
bandwagon /ˈbændwæɡən/ B2	noun - a trend or activity that many people follow
leading /ˈliːdɪŋ/ A2	adjective - most important or prominent
sinking /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/ B1	verb - to go down below the surface of something adjective - feeling depressed or hopeless
crashing /ˈkræʃɪŋ/ A2	verb - to fall or collide with a loud noise
parties /ˈpɑːrtiz/ A1	noun - social gatherings
scene /siːn/ A1	noun - a place or setting where events occur
race /reɪs/ A1	noun - a competition of speed

Key Grammar Structures

• I am an arms dealer

  ➔ Simple Present Tense, Subject-Verb-Complement structure

  ➔ The sentence uses the simple present to state a fact or a role. The verb 'am' is a form of 'to be' and links the subject 'I' to the description 'an arms dealer'.

• Fitting you with weapons in the form of words

  ➔ Present Participle as an Adjective/Gerund, Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ "Fitting" acts as an adjective describing the action being done *to* 'you'. 'In the form of words' is a prepositional phrase specifying the type of 'weapons'.

• I wrote the gospel on giving up

  ➔ Past Simple Tense, Noun as Adjective (Gospel)

  ➔ The sentence uses the past simple to describe a completed action. 'Gospel' is used metaphorically, functioning as an adjective to describe the 'writing' – it's a 'gospel *about* giving up'.

• You look pretty sinking

  ➔ Present Continuous (as a descriptive state), Adjective derived from a Verb (Sinking)

  ➔ While 'sinking' is a verb, here it functions as an adjective describing *how* 'you' look. It's not a literal sinking, but a metaphorical state of decline.

• But the real bombshells have already sunk

  ➔ Past Perfect Tense, Metaphorical Noun (Bombshells)

  ➔ The past perfect ('have sunk') indicates an action completed *before* another point in the past. 'Bombshells' are used metaphorically to represent shocking revelations or events.