No Good (Attack the Radical) – English Lyrics

• By: Pantera
• Album: Vulgar Display of Power

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the high-energy world of Pantera! This song is perfect for learners looking to master intense, rhythmic English expressions and powerful, assertive vocabulary used in rock and metal music.

[English]

In the states there's a problem with

Race because of ignorant past burned fires

From evolution we've been killing each other

I figure man should have it down to a science

No chance, not for a minute

Not for a second I won't be defensive

I'm straight out in my opinion

You'd better listen to a man who knows what he's saying

I've seen your side

You run and hide for the mere fact that you feel inferior

Be superior

And know your interior

Race, pride, prejudice

Black man, white man (no stand)

Live in the past

We make it last (a hated mass)

No solution

Mind pollution

For revolution

So low behold my eyes

This land of fools will rise

No good

For no one

You're no good

For no one

You blame oppression and play the role of criminals

To rape and burn show progress is minimal

White hoods and militants, you know it's such a pity

Living, breathing, violence in your city

If one man had one home

In one world he'd live alone without variety

Full of anxiety no one to point at question

Or even talk to-in his private grave

No matter what color

He wouldn't be saved from hell, he dwells

A closed mind playing the part of prison cells

Race, pride, prejudice

Black man, white man (no stand)

Live in the past

We make it last (a hated mass)

No solution

Mind pollution

For revolution

So low behold my eyes

This land of fools will rise

You're no good

For no one

You're no good

For no one

...

So low behold my eyes

This land of fools will rise

No good

For no one

You're no good

For no one

Ooh

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ignorant /ˈɪɡnərənt/ B2	adjective - Lacking knowledge, information, or awareness.
evolution /ˌiːvəˈluːʃən/ B2	noun - The process of development over time.
defensive /dɪˈfɛnsɪv/ B2	adjective - Used or intended to defend or protect.
inferior /ɪnˈfɪəriər/ B2	adjective - Lower in rank, status, or quality.
superior /suːˈpɪəriər/ B2	adjective - Higher in rank, status, or quality.
prejudice /ˈprɛdʒʊdɪs/ B2	noun - Preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.
pollution /pəˈluːʃən/ B1	noun - The presence or introduction of harmful substances.
revolution /ˌrɛvəˈluːʃən/ B2	noun - A forcible overthrow of a government or social order.
oppression /əˈprɛʃən/ C1	noun - Prolonged cruel or unjust treatment.
minimal /ˈmɪnɪməl/ B2	adjective - Of a minimum amount, quantity, or degree.
militants /ˈmɪlɪtənts/ C2	noun - People favoring confrontational or violent methods.
variety /vəˈraɪəti/ B1	noun - The quality or state of being different or diverse.
anxiety /æŋˈzaɪəti/ B2	noun - A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease.
dwells /dwɛlz/ C1	verb - To live in or at a specified place; to think or speak about at length.
fools /fuːlz/ B1	noun - Persons who lack judgment or sense.

Key Grammar Structures

• I figure man should have it down to a science

  ➔ Modal verb 'should' for logical deduction/expectation

  ➔ The speaker uses 'should' to suggest that humanity ought to have mastered the concept of racial equality by now.

• Not for a second I won't be defensive

  ➔ Double negative / Emphasis through negation

  ➔ The construction 'not... won't' creates an emphatic, albeit informal, double negative to show firm resolve.

• You'd better listen to a man who knows what he's saying

  ➔ Had better (modal phrase for strong advice)

  ➔ Using 'you'd better' implies a warning that ignoring the speaker's advice will have negative consequences.

• You run and hide for the mere fact that you feel inferior

  ➔ Complex sentence with a causal phrase ('for the mere fact that')

  ➔ The phrase 'for the mere fact that' emphasizes the specific, singular reason for someone's behavior.

• If one man had one home in one world he'd live alone

  ➔ Second Conditional (hypothetical situation)

  ➔ The 'if... had... would' structure describes an unlikely or imagined scenario to illustrate the isolation of a closed mind.

• No matter what color, he wouldn't be saved from hell

  ➔ Concessive clause ('No matter what...')

  ➔ The 'no matter what' structure emphasizes that the condition (color) does not change the outcome (hell).

• A closed mind playing the part of prison cells

  ➔ Participial phrase as a modifier

  ➔ The participial phrase 'playing the part of...' modifies 'a closed mind', equating it metaphorically to a prison.

• You blame oppression and play the role of criminals

  ➔ Parallelism with compound predicate

  ➔ The structure uses two verbs 'blame' and 'play' linked to the same subject 'you' to build a strong, rhythmical argument.