Waste – English Lyrics

• By: Smash Mouth

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Smash Mouth's 'Waste,' a poignant exploration of love and regret. Penned by guitarist Greg Camp, this song offers a chance to explore themes of relationships, career choices, and the emotional toll of change, making it a compelling piece for English language learners interested in understanding nuanced emotions and storytelling through music.

[English]

I'm lookin' at my watch

At all the time that's been stolen

When I was carryin' you

Seems I've tripped and I've fallen

Don't want no one to ache

Oh, to be drunk and forgetful

To get out of this unscathed

Oh, to be free and inhuman

Some may say

I love to play

When the chance is there to take

I'm moppin' up the floor

From messy recipes of romance

I'm packing up the pots

Too many cooks in the kitchen

Some may say

I love to let

A good thing go to waste

I let it go to waste

Let a good thing go to waste

A good thing go to waste

Let a good thing go to waste

A good thing go to waste

I'm lookin' at my watch

At all the time that's been stolen

When I was carryin' you

Seems I've tripped and I've fallen

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
watch /wɒtʃ/ A1	noun - a small time‑keeping device worn on the wrist verb - to look at or observe attentively
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the measured period in which events occur
stolen /ˈstoʊlən/ B1	verb - past participle of ‘steal’; taken without permission
carry /ˈkæri/ A2	verb - to hold or transport something from one place to another
tripped /trɪpt/ B1	verb - past tense of ‘trip’; stumbled or lost balance
fallen /ˈfɔːlən/ B1	verb - past participle of ‘fall’; dropped down to the ground
drunk /drʌŋk/ B1	adjective - intoxicated by alcohol
forgetful /fərˈɡɛtfl/ B2	adjective - tending to forget things
unscathed /ʌnˈskeɪðd/ C1	adjective - not injured; unharmed
free /friː/ A1	adjective - not restrained; able to act or move as one wishes
inhuman /ɪnˈhjuːmən/ B2	adjective - lacking human qualities; cruel
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a deep affection or strong feeling of attachment verb - to feel deep affection for someone or something
chance /tʃɑːns/ A2	noun - a possibility of something happening
waste /weɪst/ B1	noun - material that is discarded as useless or unwanted verb - to use or expend carelessly; to discard
messy /ˈmɛsi/ B1	adjective - untidy; disorderly
romance /ˈroʊmæns/ B2	noun - a love relationship or a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love
kitchen /ˈkɪtʃən/ A1	noun - a room where food is prepared and cooked
cooks /kʊks/ A2	noun - people who prepare food as a job or hobby verb - third‑person singular of ‘cook’; prepares food by heating
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - of high quality; satisfactory

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm lookin' at my watch

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The contraction 'I'm' and 'lookin'' indicates ongoing action at the moment of speaking, emphasizing the speaker's current focus on the watch.

• When I was carryin' you

  ➔ Past continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase 'was carryin'' denotes an action that was ongoing in the past, highlighting the duration of the speaker carrying the subject.

• Oh, to be drunk and forgetful

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose

  ➔ The phrase 'to be drunk and forgetful' expresses a desired state or outcome, using the infinitive form to convey a wish or aspiration.

• Some may say I love to play

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement with indefinite pronoun

  ➔ The verb 'say' agrees with the indefinite pronoun 'some', demonstrating proper subject-verb agreement in the sentence.

• I'm moppin' up the floor

  ➔ Present continuous tense with contraction

  ➔ The contraction 'I'm moppin'' emphasizes the ongoing action of mopping, typical of present continuous tense usage.

• A good thing go to waste

  ➔ Subjunctive mood

  ➔ The phrase 'go to waste' uses the subjunctive mood to express a hypothetical or wished-for situation, often used in formal or poetic contexts.