One of the Greats – English Lyrics

• By: Florence + The Machine
• Album: Everybody Scream

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Florence + The Machine's powerful track, "One of the Greats," a song so deeply personal it began as a poem born from a brush with mortality. The English used here is visceral and poetic, offering a profound look at the struggle for creative survival and the scrutiny faced by powerful female artists, making it an essential listen for understanding contemporary artistic struggle.

[English]

♪♪♪

♪ I CRAWLED UP FROM UNDER THE EARTH ♪

♪ BROKEN NAILS AND COUGHING DIRT ♪

♪ SPITTING OUT MY SONGS SO ♪

♪ YOU COULD SING ALONG OH ♪

♪ AND WITH EACH BEDRAGGLED BREATH I KNEW I CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD ♪

♪ TO SHOW YOU HOW IT’S DONE ♪

♪ TO SHOW YOU WHAT IT TAKES ♪

♪ TO CONQUER AND TO CRUCIFY ♪

♪ TO BECOME ONE OF THE GREATS ♪

♪ ONE OF THE GREATS ♪

♪ I KEPT A SCREAM INSIDE MY CHEST ♪

♪ KILLED EVERYONE I’D EVER KISSED ♪

♪ HUNG THEM ON THE WALL LIKE TROPHIES ♪

♪ EACH NAME A STAIN UPON MY LIPS ♪

♪ I TOLD THE TRUTH BUT COULD NEVER SEE IT THROUGH ♪

♪ YOU SEE YOURSELF HUNG ON THE WALL BUT THAT SONG IS NOT ABOUT YOU ♪

♪ I WROTE DOWN ALL MY FUMBLING VISIONS TRANSMITTED BY A TELEVISION ♪

♪ GOT EVERYTHING I THOUGHT I WANTED AND CRIED HUNGOVER IN A HOTEL CLOSET ♪

♪ DID I GET IT RIGHT? ♪

♪ DO I WIN THE PRIZE? ♪

♪ DO YOU REGRET BRINGING ME BACK TO LIFE? ♪

♪ ARMS OUTSTRETCHED BACK FROM THE DEAD ♪

♪ STREETLIGHTS BURSTING OVERHEAD ♪

♪ ARMS OUTSTRETCHED BACK FROM THE DEAD ♪

♪ STREETLIGHTS BURSTING OVERHEAD ♪

♪ I DID MY BEST, TRIED TO IMPRESS, MY CHILDHOOD DREAM MADE FLESH ♪

♪ AND MY DRESSES AND MY FLOWERING SADNESS ♪

♪ SO LIKE A WOMAN TO PROFIT FROM HER MADNESS ♪

♪ I WAS ONLY BEAUTIFUL UNDER THE LIGHTS ♪

♪ ONLY POWERFUL THERE ♪

♪ BURNED DOWN AT 36 ♪

♪ WHY DID YOU DIG ME UP FOR THIS? ♪

♪ ARMS OUTSTRETCHED BACK FROM THE DEAD ♪

♪ STREETLIGHTS BURSTING OVERHEAD ♪

♪ ARMS OUTSTRETCHED BACK FROM THE DEAD ♪

♪ STREETLIGHTS BURSTING OVERHEAD ♪

♪ YOU'LL BURY ME AGAIN ♪

♪ YOU’LL SAY IT’S ALL PRETEND ♪

♪ THAT I COULD NEVER BE GREAT BEING HELD UP AGAINST SUCH MALE TASTES ♪

♪ BECAUSE WHO REALLY GETS TO BE ONE OF THE GREATS ♪

♪ ONE OF THE GREATS ♪

♪ BUT I’VE REALLY DONE IT THIS TIME ♪

♪ THIS ONE IS ALL MINE ♪

♪ I’LL BE UP THERE WITH THE MAN AND THE 10 OTHER WOMEN ♪

♪ AND THE 100 GREATEST RECORDS OF ALL TIME ♪

♪ IT MUST BE NICE TO BE A MAN ♪

♪ AND MAKE BORING MUSIC JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN ♪

♪ NOW DON’T GET ME WRONG, I’M A FAN ♪

♪ YOU’RE MY SECOND FAVOURITE FRONT MAN ♪

♪ AND YOU COULD HAVE ME IF YOU WEREN’T SO AFRAID OF ME ♪

♪ IT’S FUNNY HOW MEN DON’T FIND POWER VERY SEXY ♪

♪ SO THIS ONE’S FOR THE LADIES ♪

♪ DO I DRIVE YOU CRAZY? ♪

♪ DID I GET IT RIGHT? ♪

♪ DID I GET IT RIGHT? ♪

♪ DO I WIN THE PRIZE? ♪

♪ DO YOU REGRET BRINGING ME BACK TO LIFE? ♪

♪ DID I GET IT RIGHT? ♪

♪ DO I WIN THE PRIZE? ♪

♪ DO YOU REGRET BRINGING ME BACK TO LIFE? ♪

♪ ARMS OUTSTRETCHED BACK FROM THE DEAD ♪

♪ STREETLIGHTS BURSTING OVERHEAD ♪

♪ ARMS OUTSTRETCHED BACK FROM THE DEAD ♪

♪ STREETLIGHTS BURSTING ♪

♪ TOO FEMININE TO FUNCTION ♪

♪ A PILE OF BODIES AND A TRAIL ♪

♪ OF DESTRUCTION ♪

♪ I WILL LET THE LIGHT IN ♪

♪ I WILL LET SOME LOVE IN ♪

♪ I WILL BE HAPPY ♪

♪ IT WILL BE PERFECT ♪

♪ I WILL LET THE LIGHT IN ♪

♪ I WILL LET SOME LOVE IN ♪

♪ I WILL BE HAPPY ♪

♪ IT WILL BE PERFECT ♪

♪ I WILL LET THE LIGHT IN (ARMS OUTSTRETCHED BACK FROM THE DEAD) ♪

♪ (STREETLIGHTS BURSTING OVERHEAD) ♪

♪ (ARMS OUTSTRETCHED BACK FROM THE DEAD) ♪

♪ (STREETLIGHTS BURSTING OVERHEAD) ♪

♪ (ARMS OUTSTRETCHED BACK FROM THE DEAD) ♪

♪ (STREETLIGHTS BURSTING OVERHEAD) ♪

♪ (ARMS OUTSTRETCHED) ♪

♪ (ARMS OUTSTRETCHED) ♪

♪ (STREETLIGHTS BURSTING) ♪

♪ (OVERHEAD) ♪

♪ (OVERHEAD) ♪

♪ (STREETLIGHTS BURSTING) ♪

♪ (OVERHEAD) ♪

♪♪♪

[MUSIC ENDS]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
crawl /krɔːl/ A2	verb - to move slowly on hands and knees or belly
nails /neɪlz/ A2	noun - the hard outer covering of fingers and toes
dirt /dɜːrt/ A2	noun - soil; earth
songs /sɔŋz/ A1	noun - pieces of music with words to sing
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - to make musical sounds with the voice
dead /ded/ A2	adjective - no longer alive; lifeless
conquer /ˈkɒŋ.kər/ B2	verb - to defeat or overcome
great /greɪt/ A1	adjective - very good or important
scream /skriːm/ A2	verb - to shout loudly in fear or anger noun - a loud high-pitched cry
wall /wɔːl/ A2	noun - a vertical structure built to enclose or divide
television /ˈtel.ɪ.vɪʒ.ən/ A2	noun - a device for receiving television broadcasts
madness /ˈmæd.nəs/ B1	noun - the state of being insane; craziness
power /ˈpaʊ.ər/ B1	noun - the ability or capacity to do something
feminine /ˈfem.ɪ.nɪn/ B1	adjective - having qualities typically associated with women
destruction /dɪˈstrʌk.ʃən/ B1	noun - the act of destroying or ruining
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a strong feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
visions /ˈvɪʒ.ənz/ B1	noun - imaginary or prophetic sights; dreams
regret /rɪˈɡret/ B1	verb - to feel sorry about something

Key Grammar Structures

• I CRAWLED UP FROM UNDER THE EARTH

  ➔ Past Simple with 'up' for movement

  ➔ The verb 'crawled' is in the past simple tense, and 'up' indicates direction.

• TO SHOW YOU HOW IT’S DONE

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose

  ➔ The infinitive 'to show' is used to express purpose after the verb 'came back'.

• I KEPT A SCREAM INSIDE MY CHEST

  ➔ Past Simple with 'kept'

  ➔ 'Kept' is the past tense of 'keep', indicating a continuous action in the past.

• EACH NAME A STAIN UPON MY LIPS

  ➔ Pronoun 'each' with singular noun

  ➔ 'Each' is used to refer to individual items in a group, here with the singular noun 'name'.

• YOU SEE YOURSELF HUNG ON THE WALL

  ➔ Passive voice with 'hung'

  ➔ The verb 'hung' is in the passive voice, indicating the subject is receiving the action.

• I WILL LET THE LIGHT IN

  ➔ Future Simple with 'will'

  ➔ 'Will' is used to express a future action or promise.

• IT MUST BE NICE TO BE A MAN

  ➔ Modal verb 'must' for speculation

  ➔ 'Must' is used here to express a strong belief or speculation about a situation.

• SO LIKE A WOMAN TO PROFIT FROM HER MADNESS

  ➔ Adjective clause with 'like'

  ➔ The phrase 'like a woman' functions as an adjective clause describing the subject.