Paradise City – English Lyrics

• By: Guns N' Roses
• Album: Appetite for Destruction

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic journey, and "Paradise City" by Guns N' Roses is an excellent starting point. The song's clear, anthemic chorus, "Take me down to the Paradise City, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty," is easy to sing along to and helps with pronunciation and rhythm. The verses, with their more narrative style, offer a glimpse into descriptive storytelling in English. What makes this song special for learners is its raw energy and the universal theme of longing for a better place, making the language both accessible and emotionally resonant.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
paradise /ˈpær.ə.daɪs/ B2	noun - a place or state of perfect happiness
city /ˈsɪt.ɪ/ A2	noun - a large town
grass /ɡræs/ A2	noun - the green plants that cover the ground
girl /ɡɜːl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
pretty /ˈprɪt.i/ A2	adjective - attractive in a delicate way
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
take /teɪk/ A2	verb - to move or carry something
city /ˈsɪt.i/ A2	noun - a large town
green /ɡriːn/ A2	adjective - of the color of grass
please /pliːz/ A1	adverb - used to make a polite request or offer
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
love /lʌv/ A1	noun / verb - a strong feeling of affection
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - a place where a person lives
gone /ɡɔn/ B1	adjective / verb (past participle of 'go') - having left; no longer present
going /ˈɡoʊ.ɪŋ/ A2	verb / noun - to move from one place to another

Key Grammar Structures

• Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty

  ➔ Present simple tense used for facts or general truths

  ➔ The phrase *'is'* indicates **present simple tense** used to state facts.

• Take me down to the Paradise City

  ➔ Imperative mood used for requests or commands, with 'please' to add politeness

  ➔ The phrase *'Take me down'* is in the **imperative** form, expressing a request.

• Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty

  ➔ Use of the conjunction 'and' to connect two clauses of similar structure

  ➔ The conjunction *'and'* joins two **clause** elements to form a compound sentence.

• I'd have another cigarette, but I can't see

  ➔ Mixed conditional structure, expressing hypothetical or contrasting ideas using 'would' and 'can't'

  ➔ The phrase *'I'd have'* is a **contraction** of 'I would have,' indicating a hypothetical action.

• Tell me who you're gonna believe

  ➔ Using 'gonna' as a contraction of 'going to' for future intentions or plans

  ➔ The word *'gonna'* is a colloquial contraction indicating a **future** action or intention.

• Please take me home

  ➔ Polite request using 'please' at the beginning of a sentence

  ➔ The word *'please'* functions as a **politeness marker** to make requests more courteous.

• Your charity case, so buy me somethin' to eat

  ➔ Use of 'so' as a coordinating conjunction to indicate cause or result

  ➔ The word *'so'* introduces a **result** clause, explaining the reason for the request.