Learn English with Songs: “Society”

Hi!

Do you know Eddie Veder? He’s an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam.

Society is a great song about wanting too much. Tell us if you like it!

1. Read the lyrics
2. Understand the vocabulary
3. Sing!

Lyrics

It’s a mystery to me
We have a greed with which we have agreed
And you think you have to want more than you need
Until you have it all, you won’t be free

Society, you’re a crazy breed
I hope you’re not lonely without me

When you want more than you have, you think you need
And when you think more than you want, your thoughts begin to bleed
I think I need to find a bigger place
Cause when you have more than you think, you need more space

Society, you’re a crazy breed
I hope you’re not lonely without me
Society, crazy indeed
Hope you’re not lonely without me

There’s those thinking more or less, less is more
But if less is more, how you keepin score?
Means for every point you make your level drops
Kinda like you’re startin’ from the top
And you can’t do that

Society, you’re a crazy breed
I hope you’re not lonely without me
Society, crazy indeed
I hope you’re not lonely without me
Society, have mercy on me
I hope you’re not angry if I disagree
Society, you’re crazy indeed
I hope you’re not lonely without me

Vocabulary

Greed – a selfish desire to have more of something (especially money).

Breed – a kind of person.

Lonely – sad from being apart from other people.

Bleed – to lose or release blood because of a cut, injury, etc.

Indeed – without any question — used to stress the truth of a statement.

Keeping score – to officially record the number of points, goals, runs, etc., that each player or team gets in a game or contest.

Have mercy – to treat someone with mercy or pity.

Video