Yellow Brick Road – English Lyrics

• By: Angus & Julia Stone

Lyrics & Translation

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.