In The Stars – English Lyrics

• By: The Rolling Stones
• Album: Foreign Tongues

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the soulful side of The Rolling Stones with 'In The Stars'. This song is a perfect example for English learners to study emotive vocabulary and the use of metaphors to describe grief and memory, all delivered through the legendary voice of Mick Jagger.

[English]

Ooh

Ooh

Some people seek their fortune on the turn of a card

Or throwing some bones in a whiskey glass

'Cause if you wanna seek your fortune, need a lot of luck

I was standing there when the lightning struck

I feel a heavy hand

Tangling with my plans

(Ooh) mm, it's in the stars, it's our destiny

(Ooh) it's in the stars, written you and me

(Ooh) it's in the stars, it's no mystery, yeah

(Ooh) it's in the stars, written you and me

Well, there's a poisonous cloud, there's a sickness in the land

All the judges in their robes got their rubber stamps

Well, do you wanna dance 'til thе roof caves in?

Yeah, and the guitars scrеam and the choir still sings

I feel a heavy hand

Tangling with my plans

(Ooh) hey, it's in the stars, it's our destiny

(Ooh) it's in the stars, written you and me

(Ooh) it's in the stars, it's no mystery

(Ooh) it's in the stars, it's just you and me

(Ooh) yeah, it's in the stars, it's our destiny

(Ooh) yeah, yeah, yeah, it's in the stars, written you and me

(Ooh) yeah, it's in the stars, there's no mystery

(Ooh) yeah, yeah

(Ooh) it's in the stars, in the stars, in the stars

It's in the stars, in the stars, in the stars

(Ooh) it's in the stars, whoa

Yeah

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fortune /ˈfɔːrtʃuːn/ B2	noun - Chance or luck as an external, arbitrary force affecting one's affairs.
lightning /ˈlaɪtnɪŋ/ A2	noun - The occurrence of a natural electrical discharge.
destiny /ˈdestɪni/ B2	noun - The hidden power believed to control what will happen in the future.
mystery /ˈmɪstəri/ B1	noun - Something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain.
poisonous /ˈpɔɪzənəs/ B2	adjective - Causing or capable of causing death or illness if taken into the body.
sickness /ˈsɪknəs/ A2	noun - The state of being ill.
judges /ˈdʒʌdʒɪz/ B1	noun - Public officials appointed to decide cases in a court of law.
robes /roʊbz/ B2	noun - Long, loose garments, especially those worn on formal or ceremonial occasions.
guitars /ɡɪˈtɑːrz/ A1	noun - Stringed musical instruments.
choir /ˈkwaɪər/ B2	noun - An organized group of singers, typically taking part in church services.
seek /siːk/ B2	verb - To attempt to find or get something.
heavy /ˈhevi/ A1	adjective - Of great weight; difficult to lift or move.
tangling /ˈtæŋɡlɪŋ/ B2	verb - To twist or complicate something.
scream /skriːm/ B1	verb - To make a loud, high-pitched piercing cry.
dance /dæns/ A1	verb - To move rhythmically to music.

Key Grammar Structures

• Some people seek their fortune on the turn of a card

  ➔ Simple Present Tense (Habitual/General truth)

  ➔ The verb "seek" is used in the simple present to describe a general recurring human behavior.

• If you wanna seek your fortune, need a lot of luck

  ➔ Zero Conditional (Real conditions)

  ➔ The "if" clause expresses a logical outcome: needing luck when seeking fortune.

• I was standing there when the lightning struck

  ➔ Past Continuous vs. Past Simple

  ➔ "Was standing" describes an ongoing action interrupted by the sudden action "struck".

• It's in the stars, it's our destiny

  ➔ Subject-Verb Agreement / Copula "to be"

  ➔ The pronoun "it" acts as a dummy subject referring to a general state or situation.

• Written you and me

  ➔ Passive Participle (Reduced relative clause)

  ➔ This is short for "(It is) written for you and me".

• There's a sickness in the land

  ➔ Existential "There is"

  ➔ "There is" is used to declare the presence or existence of something.

• Do you wanna dance 'til the roof caves in?

  ➔ Phrasal Verb (Inseparable)

  ➔ "Caves in" is a phrasal verb meaning to collapse, used here to create imagery.

• The choir still sings

  ➔ Adverb of time/frequency ("still")

  ➔ "Still" indicates that the action continues to happen despite other changes.