Wake Up Call – English Lyrics

• By: Phil Collins
• Album: Testify

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the energetic pop-rock of Phil Collins' "Wake Up Call" and learn how its upbeat tempo and encouraging lyrics inspire listeners to embrace every moment. This song offers a fantastic opportunity to improve your English vocabulary related to daily life, motivation, and seizing opportunities, all while enjoying Collins' signature sound.

[English]

This is your wake up call... young hearts be free

Get up, get on, get out about and shout it

Tell'em all you're dressed and on your way

Oh there's absolutely no doubt about it

This is your wake up call

You're gonna miss it all

Am I the only one out there that's listening

Cos it's such a lovely noise that I can hear

Eyes are opening up to all around them

This is their wake up call

They're gonna miss it all

Can you feel what's happening here

Everything is changing all around you

It's in the air, electricity

Everybody, yes everybody's waking up

Good morning to you

You're not the only one out there who's running

But the man who's sitting next to you's asleep

So pick him up and shake him till he hears you

This is his wake up call

He's gonna miss it all

Can you feel what's happening here

Everything is changing all around you

It's in the air, electricity

Everybody, yes everybody's waking up

Good morning to you

Those who've done all they can do sleep easy

Those that turn away, they sleep alone

But there's no doubt about it absolutely

This is a wake up call

We're gonna miss it all

This is your wake up call

This is your wake up call

This is your wake up call

You're gonna miss it

You're gonna miss it all

This is your wake up call

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
wake /weɪk/ A2	verb - to stop sleeping
call /kɔːl/ A1	noun - a telephone communication verb - to name or label
hearts /hɑːrts/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood; feelings of love
free /friː/ A1	adjective - not imprisoned; without cost
shout /ʃaʊt/ A2	verb - to yell loudly
doubt /daʊt/ A2	noun - uncertainty; lack of conviction
miss /mɪs/ A1	verb - to fail to catch or experience
listening /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/ B1	verb - paying attention to sounds
lovely /ˈlʌvli/ B2	adjective - delightful; attractive
noise /nɔɪz/ A2	noun - unpleasant sound
hear /hɪər/ A1	verb - to perceive sound
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs of sight
changing /ˈtʃeɪndʒɪŋ/ B1	verb - becoming different
electricity /ɪˌlɛkˈtrɪsɪti/ B2	noun - form of energy caused by charged particles
morning /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/ A1	noun - the early part of the day
running /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ B1	verb - moving fast on foot
asleep /əˈsliːp/ A2	adjective - not awake; sleeping
shake /ʃeɪk/ B1	verb - to move quickly back and forth
sleep /sliːp/ A1	verb - to rest in a state of unconsciousness
alone /əˈloʊn/ A2	adjective - by oneself; without others

Key Grammar Structures

• Get up, get on, get out about and shout it

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The sentence gives a command using the verb "Get" repeated for emphasis.

• Tell'em all you're dressed and on your way

  ➔ Present simple with contraction

  ➔ The clause "you're" is a contraction of "you are" in the present simple.

• You're gonna miss it all

  ➔ Future with "going to" (informal "gonna")

  ➔ The phrase "gonna" is the informal contraction of "going to" used to express future intent.

• Am I the only one out there that's listening

  ➔ Question with "to be" + relative clause (present participle)

  ➔ The sentence starts with the inverted "Am I" and contains the relative clause "that's listening".

• Eyes are opening up to all around them

  ➔ Present continuous (progressive) tense

  ➔ "are opening" is the present continuous form, showing an action in progress.

• It's in the air, electricity

  ➔ Contraction (It’s = It is) in present simple

  ➔ "It's" is the shortened form of "it is", used here as a present‑simple statement.

• But the man who's sitting next to you's asleep

  ➔ Relative clause with present continuous (who's sitting)

  ➔ The relative clause "who's sitting" describes "the man" and uses the present continuous.

• So pick him up and shake him till he hears you

  ➔ Imperative + "till" + present simple

  ➔ The commands "pick" and "shake" are followed by the clause "till he hears you" (present simple).

• Those who've done all they can do sleep easy

  ➔ Present perfect in relative clause (who've done)

  ➔ "who've done" combines "who have" with the past participle "done" to form the present perfect.

• We're gonna miss it all

  ➔ Future with "going to" (informal "gonna")

  ➔ "gonna" is the informal contraction of "going to" indicating a future action.