Wicked Man's Rest – English Lyrics

• By: Passenger

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the lyrical depth and unique soundscape of Passenger's "Wicked Man's Rest." This song offers a rich tapestry of English vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, perfect for language learners. Its introspective storytelling and poignant exploration of human nature make it a special and engaging piece, allowing you to connect with the language on a deeper, emotional level while appreciating its melodic and lyrical craftsmanship.

[English]

You can say I'm mad

You can say I'm crazy

But I'm only as bad

As the maker who made me

Sinner in the darkness

Liar in the church

Deaf man's silence

The blind man's search

Teardrop falling

Memory recalling

Ghost in your dreams

And your secret recordings

Mad man's matches

Lump in your throat

The pea under your mattress

The hole in your coat

Singer with the sound down

Winner on the come down

Poet in the overcoat

Looking for a suntan

On his birthday

Prisoner on his first day

Tired of the new wave

I rise to meet you

As your trust dissolves to shame

Oh, this innocence has turned and lost its way

Retrace the footprints

Off the path from which I came

I'm the beast in you, the beast in me

(Which way are we going?

The doors close in an hour)

You can say I'm mad

You can say I'm crazy

But I'm only as bad

As the maker who made me

Needle for the user

The pain in your chest

Beggar and the chooser

The wicked man's rest

Fear in the stuntman

Sneer in the playground

Bottle in the hand

Of a dirty old drunk man

Leaf falling

Autumn calling

Dark clouds forming

I rise to meet you

As your trust dissolves to shame

Oh, this innocence has turned and lost its way

Retrace the footprints

Off the path from which I came

I'm the beast in you, the beast in me

Bite my nails

Right down to the skin

Where one trust ends

And another lie begins

Patch over holes

In my weakened heart

Which angels hold

And devils pull apart

I'm the beast in you

The beast in me

The bitterness, the jealousy

The part of you that never sleeps

(Are you my angel?

Will we walk all night through solitary streets?)

And you hardly can imagine

What you never had before

And the reason that you're given

Still leaves you wanting more

And you hardly can imagine what you never had before

And the reason that you're given still leaves you wanting more

I rise to meet you as your trust dissolves to shame

Oh, this innocence has turned and lost its way

Retrace the footprints

Off the path from which I came

I'm the beast in you, the beast in me

The bitterness, the jealousy

The part of you that never sleeps

Key Grammar Structures

• But I'm only as bad as the maker who made me

  ➔ Comparative Structure + Relative Clause

  ➔ "as bad as" shows equality comparison. "who made me" is a relative clause modifying "maker".

• Deaf man's silence / The blind man's search

  ➔ Possessive Case + Nominalization

  ➔ Apostrophe + s ('s) indicates possession. Adjectives "deaf/blind" become nouns through nominalization.

• Looking for a suntan

  ➔ Present Participle Phrase

  ➔ Reduced relative clause modifying "Poet" (implied subject). Functions as adjective phrase.

• As your trust dissolves to shame

  ➔ Subordinating Conjunction "As"

  ➔ "As" introduces a subordinate clause showing simultaneous action or cause. Preposition "to" indicates transformation.

• Where one trust ends and another lie begins

  ➔ Adverbial Clause of Place + Parallel Structure

  ➔ "Where" introduces location metaphor. Parallel verbs "ends/begins" with contrasting subjects "trust/lie".

• Which angels hold and devils pull apart

  ➔ Non-restrictive Relative Clause

  ➔ "Which" refers to "holes" from previous context. Commas implied in poetic structure. Shows contrast between "angels/devils".

• And you hardly can imagine what you never had before

  ➔ Adverb Position + Noun Clause

  ➔ Adverb "hardly" between subject and verb for emphasis. "what you never had" functions as object noun clause.

• The part of you that never sleeps

  ➔ Defining Relative Clause

  ➔ "that never sleeps" specifies which "part" is meant. No commas used with restrictive clauses.

• I rise to meet you

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "to meet" explains the purpose of rising. Infinitive form expresses intention.

• Bite my nails right down to the skin

  ➔ Phrasal Verb + Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ "bite down" is a phrasal verb meaning to chew aggressively. "to the skin" shows extent with prepositional phrase.