Yellow Brick Road – English Lyrics

• By: Angus & Julia Stone

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into "Yellow Brick Road" by Angus & Julia Stone, a mesmerizing folk-pop narrative that offers a unique window into expressions of love, loss, and introspection in English. Through its rich metaphors and evocative imagery, you can explore nuanced emotional vocabulary, learn about common cultural allusions like 'The Wizard of Oz,' and appreciate how personal journeys are articulated in song lyrics. The song's gentle yet profound storytelling makes it an excellent choice for expanding your understanding of English through music, revealing how complex feelings are conveyed with simple, powerful phrases.

[English]

Just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down

...

Sweet Mary Jane, won't you lay me down?

...

Lost my heart in California, lost my mind

...

Shot me down with a revolver, got me high

...

Then a "Heart of Gold" came on the stereo, Mr. Young made me cry

...

Then all the colours of the rainbow fell in my eyes

I lost my mind long ago

Down that yellow brick road

I lost my mind long ago

Down that yellow brick road

...

Took a train to the river where I dove right in

...

That skinny dippin' girl made the blue bird sing

...

Fell in love in California, she blew my mind

...

She shot me down with her revolver, she got me high

...

Then the weather man came on the radio, said there'll be sunshine

...

Then all the colours of the rainbow fell in my mind

...

I lost my mind long ago

Down that yellow brick road

I lost my mind long ago

Down that yellow brick road

...

I lost my mind long ago

Down that yellow brick road

I lost my mind long ago

Down that yellow brick road

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
spoon /spuːn/ A1	noun - an implement consisting of a small shallow bowl on a handle, used for eating, stirring, and serving food
sugar /ˈʃʊɡər/ A1	noun - a sweet crystalline substance obtained from various plants, especially sugar cane and sugar beet, consisting essentially of sucrose, and used as a sweetener in food and drink
medicine /ˈmedsɪn/ A2	noun - a compound or preparation used for the treatment or prevention of disease, especially a drug or drugs taken orally or injected
sweet /swiːt/ A1	adjective - having a pleasant taste or smell
lay /leɪ/ A2	verb - to put down gently or carefully
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation
lost /lɒst/ A2	adjective - unable to be found; having disappeared or been taken away
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought
shot /ʃɒt/ B1	verb - to hit, wound, or kill with a bullet or arrow
revolver /rɪˈvɒlvər/ B2	noun - a pistol with a revolving cylinder containing several chambers and cartridges
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow
colors /ˈkʌlərz/ A1	noun - the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light
rainbow /ˈreɪnboʊ/ A2	noun - a multicolored arc in the sky caused by refraction and dispersion of light by rain or other water droplets
brick /brɪk/ A1	noun - a rectangular block of baked clay used for building walls, pavements, and other structures
yellow /ˈjeloʊ/ A1	adjective - of the color between green and orange in the spectrum, resembling that of ripened lemons or sunflowers.
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a wide way leading from one place to another, especially one with a specially prepared surface that vehicles can use
train /treɪn/ A1	noun - a series of railway carriages or wagons moved as a unit by a locomotive or by integral motors.
river /ˈrɪvər/ A1	noun - a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another such stream
dive /daɪv/ A2	verb - plunge head first into water
skinny /ˈskɪni/ A2	adjective - very thin

Key Grammar Structures

• Just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down

  ➔ Subject + verb (simple present tense)

  ➔ The sentence uses the **simple present tense** to describe a general truth or habitual action.

• Sweet Mary Jane, won't you lay me down?

  ➔ Negative contractions with auxiliary/modal verbs

  ➔ Uses the **negative contraction** **won't** (will not) to form a question or request in a poetic way.

• Lost my heart in California, lost my mind

  ➔ Past simple tense for completed actions

  ➔ Uses the **past simple tense** to indicate that the actions were completed in the past.

• Shot me down with a revolver, got me high

  ➔ Past simple tense with irregular verbs

  ➔ Uses **irregular past tense forms** like 'shot' and 'got' to indicate actions in the past.

• Then all the colours of the rainbow fell in my eyes

  ➔ Past simple tense, metaphorical expression

  ➔ Uses **past simple tense** combined with a **metaphorical expression** to describe vivid visual feelings.

• I lost my mind long ago / Down that yellow brick road

  ➔ Repeated simple past tense, infinitive phrase

  ➔ Emphasizes a repeated action using **repetition** and an **infinitive phrase** for poetic effect.