Sabotage – English Lyrics

• By: Beastie Boys
• Album: Ill Communication

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the high-energy world of the Beastie Boys with 'Sabotage'. This track is a fantastic way to learn colloquial American English, slang, and the art of rhythmic delivery, all while experiencing one of the most influential cross-genre hits of the 90s.

[English]

(upbeat music)

♪ I can't stand it, I know you planned it ♪

♪ I'mma set it straight, this Watergate ♪

♪ I can't stand rockin' when I'm in here ♪

♪ 'Cause your crystal ball ain't so crystal clear ♪

♪ So while you sit back and wonder why ♪

♪ I got this fuckin' thorn in my side ♪

♪ Oh my god, it's a mirage ♪

♪ I'm tellin' y'all, it's sabotage ♪

♪ So, so, so, so listen up, 'cause you can't say nothin' ♪

♪ You'll shut me down with a push of your button ♪

♪ But, yo, I'm out and I'm gone ♪

♪ I'll tell you now, I keep it on and on ♪

♪ 'Cause what you see, you might not get ♪

♪ And we can bet, so don't you get souped yet ♪

♪ Scheming on a thing, that's a mirage ♪

♪ I'm trying to tell you now, it's sabotage ♪

♪ Why ♪

♪ Our backs are now against the wall ♪

♪ Listen all y'all, it's a sabotage ♪

♪ Listen all y'all, it's a sabotage ♪

♪ Listen all y'all, it's a sabotage ♪

♪ Listen all y'all, it's a sabotage ♪

♪ I can't stand it, I know you planned it ♪

♪ I'mma set it straight, this Watergate ♪

♪ But I can't stand rockin' when I'm in this place ♪

♪ Because I feel disgrace because you're all in my face ♪

♪ But make no mistakes and switch up my channel ♪

♪ I'm Buddy Rich when I fly off the handle ♪

♪ What could it be, it's a mirage ♪

♪ You're scheming on a thing, that's sabotage ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
sabotage /ˈsæbətɑːʒ/ C2	noun - Deliberately destroying or damaging something to prevent success.
mirage /məˈrɑːʒ/ C1	noun - An optical illusion; something that appears real but is not.
scheming /ˈskiːmɪŋ/ B2	verb - Planning in a devious or secret way.
disgrace /dɪsˈɡreɪs/ B2	noun - Loss of reputation or respect as the result of a dishonorable action.
crystal /ˈkrɪstl/ B1	adjective - Clear and transparent.
thorn /θɔːrn/ B2	noun - A sharp-pointed woody projection on the stem of a plant; a source of pain or annoyance.
planned /plænd/ A2	verb - Decided on and arranged in advance.
button /ˈbʌtn/ A1	noun - A small knob or disk pressed to operate an electrical device.
mistakes /mɪˈsteɪks/ A1	noun - Actions or judgments that are misguided or wrong.
channel /ˈtʃænl/ B1	noun - A band of frequencies used in radio and television transmission.
handle /ˈhændl/ A2	noun - The part of an object held by the hand.
rockin /ˈrɒkɪn/ B1	verb - Performing rock music or moving rhythmically.
straight /streɪt/ A2	adjective - Correct, honest, or frank.
souped /suːpt/ C1	adjective - Excited, agitated, or over-stimulated.
Watergate /ˈwɔːtərɡeɪt/ C2	noun - A major political scandal; a metaphor for a cover-up.

Key Grammar Structures

• I can't stand it, I know you planned it

  ➔ Modal verb of ability/possibility (can't) + Simple Past

  ➔ "Can't stand" is a phrasal verb meaning to dislike something intensely; "planned" uses the past tense to refer to an action already completed.

• While you sit back and wonder why

  ➔ Conjunction (While) + Present Simple

  ➔ "While" is used to describe two simultaneous actions or a duration of time during which the subject "sits" and "wonders."

• I've got this fuckin' thorn in my side

  ➔ Present Perfect (have got)

  ➔ "Have got" is colloquial English for "have" (possession), indicating a state that continues into the present.

• You'll shut me down with a push of your button

  ➔ Future Simple (will) for volition/prediction

  ➔ "Will" is used here to describe a habitual or predictable future action resulting from someone else's intervention.

• What you see, you might not get

  ➔ Modal verb of possibility (might) + Negative

  ➔ "Might" expresses a lower degree of certainty about the outcome, implying that things aren't always what they seem.

• So don't you get souped yet

  ➔ Imperative negative (don't) + Adverb (yet)

  ➔ "Don't" is used for a negative command/advice, and "yet" is used to indicate something has not happened up to this point.

• Our backs are now against the wall

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement (Plural) + Adverb of time (now)

  ➔ "Are" is the plural form of the verb "to be," matching the subject "backs," indicating a current difficult situation.

• I'm Buddy Rich when I fly off the handle

  ➔ First Conditional structure (implied) + Phrasal verb

  ➔ "Fly off the handle" is an idiom meaning to get suddenly angry; the sentence links an identity to a behavioral condition.