Jack's Lament – English Lyrics

• By: Geoff Castellucci

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the melancholic world of Jack Skellington with Geoff Castellucci's captivating low bass cover of "Jack's Lament." This song offers a unique opportunity to explore emotional depth and storytelling through music, showcasing Castellucci's incredible vocal range and the song's poignant message of yearning for change. Pay attention to how the lyrics and his vocal delivery convey Jack's inner conflict, making it a powerful piece for understanding character expression in English.

[English]

(melancholy music)

♪ There are few who'd deny at what I do I am the best ♪

♪ For my talents are renowned far and wide ♪

♪ When it comes to surprises in the moonlit night ♪

♪ I excel without ever even trying ♪

♪ With the slightest little effort of my ghostlike charms ♪

♪ I have seen grown men give out a shriek ♪

♪ With the wave of my hand and a well-placed moan ♪

♪ I have swept the very bravest off their feet ♪

♪ Yet year after year it's the same routine ♪

♪ And I grow so weary of the sound of screams ♪

♪ And I, Jack, the Pumpkin King ♪

♪ Have grown so tired ♪ ♪ Ooh ooh ♪

♪ Of the same old thing ♪ ♪ Same old thing ♪

♪ Oh, somewhere deep inside of these bones ♪

♪ An emptiness began to grow ♪

♪ There's something out there far from my home ♪

♪ A longing that I've never known ♪

♪ I'm the master of fright and a demon of light ♪

♪ And I'll scare you right out of your pants ♪

♪ Ah ♪

♪ To a guy in Kentucky I'm Mister Unlucky ♪

♪ And I'm known throughout England and France ♪

- Bonjour.

♪ And since I am dead I can take off my head ♪

♪ To recite Shakespearean quotations ♪

♪ No animal nor man can scream like I can ♪

♪ With the fury of my recitations ♪

♪ But who here would ever understand ♪

♪ That the Pumpkin King with the skeleton grin ♪

♪ Would tire of his crown ♪

♪ If they only understood ♪

♪ He'd give it all up if he only could ♪

♪ Oh, there's an empty place in my bones ♪

♪ That calls out for something unknown ♪

♪ The fame and praise come year after year ♪

♪ Does nothing for these empty tears ♪

(melancholy music)

Hey, all. Geoff here, and happy Halloween.

This video was made with the support

of spooky folks just like you

and all the wonderful souls over at Patreon.

If you'd like early access to every single video I release,

behind the scenes footage,

or wanna hop on a livestream with me,

head on over to Patreon and check it out.

I'll see you there.

Extra special thanks goes out to Hulder Draco,

Helen Anderson, Diane Holland, Sarah O,

Lori Templeman, Laura Muller, Patricia Schuman,

Debbie Goodling, Jordi S, Barb Wells, AM Person,

Angie Woollard, Carl Thomas and Melanie Thomas.

Also M Lagnestal and Dorothy Bruun and Debs Badger.

Thanks again for watching, and have a safe Halloween.

I'll see you in the next one.

(melancholy music)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
talent /ˈtælənt/ B2	noun - natural ability to do something well
renowned /rɪˈnaʊnd/ B2	adjective - widely known and admired
surprise /sərˈpraɪz/ B1	noun - an unexpected event or thing that causes astonishment verb - to cause surprise in someone
ghost /ɡoʊst/ B2	noun - the spirit of a dead person that appears to the living
effort /ˈɛfərt/ B1	noun - physical or mental activity needed to achieve something
monument /ˈmɒnjumənt/ B2	noun - a structure built to commemorate a person or event
routine /ruˈtiːn/ B1	noun - a sequence of actions regularly followed
longing /ˈlɒŋɪŋ/ B2	noun - a strong desire for something that is out of reach
fury /ˈfjʊəri/ B2	noun - intense and violent anger
grin /ɡrɪn/ B2	noun - a broad smile verb - to smile broadly
crown /kraʊn/ B2	noun - a circular ornamental headdress worn by a monarch verb - to adorn with a crown
recite /rɪˈsaɪt/ B2	verb - to repeat aloud from memory

Key Grammar Structures

• There are few who'd deny

  ➔ Existential 'there are' + quantifier 'few' with relative clause

  ➔ It introduces the existence of a small number of people who would deny.

• I have seen grown men give out a shriek

  ➔ Present perfect tense 'have seen' + object + infinitive verb 'give out'

  ➔ Expresses that the speaker has experienced witnessing people scream.

• That the Pumpkin King with the skeleton grin would tire of his crown

  ➔ Conditional 'would' + base verb 'tire' to express hypothetical situation

  ➔ Uses the conditional mood to describe a hypothetical situation where the Pumpkin King might grow tired.

• There's something out there far from my home

  ➔ Existential 'there's' + noun phrase + adverbial phrase 'far from'

  ➔ States the existence of an unknown presence distant from the speaker's home.

• He'd give it all up if he only could

  ➔ Conditional 'if' + past simple 'could' + modal 'would' to express hypothetical resignation

  ➔ Expresses a hypothetical situation where he might give up everything if it were possible.

• Ooh ooh

  ➔ Onomatopoeic expressions used for vocalization or sound effects

  ➔ Represents a vocalization or emotional expression in musical or lyrical context.