Glitter & Gold – English Lyrics

• By: Barns Courtney

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the rhythmic world of Barns Courtney! This song is perfect for learners looking to master expressive, soulful English pronunciation and idiomatic expressions regarding ambition and value. Its driving beat and clear, powerful vocals make it an engaging way to practice listening to modern indie-rock storytelling.

[English]

I am flesh and I am bone

Rise up, ting ting, like glitter and gold

I've got fire in my soul

Rise up, ting ting, like glitter

Yeah

Like glitter and gold

Yeah

Like glitter

Do you walk in the valley of kings?

Do you walk in the shadow of men

Who sold their lives to a dream?

Do you ponder the manner of things

In the dark?

The dark, the dark, the dark

I am flesh and I am bone

Arise, ting ting, like glitter and gold

I've got fire in my soul

Rise up, ting ting, like glitter

Yeah

Like glitter and gold

Yeah

Like glitter

Do you walk in the meadow of spring?

Do you talk to the animals?

Do you hold their lives from a string?

Do you ponder the manner of things

In the dark?

The dark, the dark, the dark

I am flesh and I am bone

Arise, ting ting, like glitter and gold

I've got fire in my soul

Rise up, ting ting, like glitter

I am flesh and I am bone

Arise, ting ting, like glitter and gold

I've got fire in my soul

Rise up, ting ting, like glitter

'Cause everybody in the back room's

Spinning up

Don't remember what you're asking for

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
flesh /flɛʃ/ B2	noun - the soft substance consisting of muscle and fat that is found between the skin and bones of an animal or a human
bone /boʊn/ A2	noun - any of the hard parts that form the skeleton of a human or animal body
glitter /ˈɡlɪtər/ B2	noun - small, shiny pieces of metal or plastic used for decoration
gold /ɡoʊld/ A1	noun - a chemical element that is a valuable, shiny, yellow metal
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being
valley /ˈvæli/ A2	noun - an area of low land between hills or mountains
shadow /ˈʃædoʊ/ A2	noun - a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface
ponder /ˈpɑːndər/ C1	verb - to think about something carefully, especially before making a decision
manner /ˈmænər/ B2	noun - a way in which a thing is done or happens
arise /əˈraɪz/ B2	verb - to get up from a sitting or lying position
meadow /ˈmɛdoʊ/ B2	noun - a field of grass, often with wildflowers
spring /sprɪŋ/ A1	noun - the season between winter and summer
animals /ˈænɪməl/ A1	noun - a living organism that feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and nervous system
string /strɪŋ/ A2	noun - material consisting of threads of cotton, hemp, or other material twisted together to form a thin length
spinning /ˈspɪnɪŋ/ B1	verb - to turn or cause to turn or whirl around quickly

Key Grammar Structures

• I am flesh and I am bone

  ➔ Simple Present Tense (State of being)

  ➔ Using "am" as a copula verb to define one's essential identity or nature.

• Do you walk in the valley of kings?

  ➔ Interrogative sentence (Simple Present)

  ➔ The auxiliary verb "Do" is placed before the subject to form a question.

• Who sold their lives to a dream?

  ➔ Relative clause with "who" (Simple Past)

  ➔ The pronoun "who" acts as the subject of the clause to describe the "men".

• Do you ponder the manner of things?

  ➔ Infinitive and noun phrases

  ➔ The verb "ponder" is followed by the object phrase "the manner of things".

• I've got fire in my soul

  ➔ Present Perfect (Possession)

  ➔ The contraction "I've got" is an informal way to express "I have" or possession.

• Do you hold their lives from a string?

  ➔ Prepositional phrase of instrument

  ➔ The preposition "from" (or "by") indicates the mechanism or control method.

• Everybody in the back room's spinning up

  ➔ Present Continuous (Action in progress)

  ➔ The structure "is spinning" describes an ongoing action within a specific context.

• Don't remember what you're asking for

  ➔ Imperative negative and Noun clause

  ➔ The clause "what you're asking for" functions as the object of "remember".