The sounds of English…
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Ain’t no rest for the wicked Cage the elephant
Historical Center, Tlaxcala City, Mexico
Ain’t no rest for the wicked Cage The Elephant
“Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” is the third single by the American rock band Cage the Elephant. It was released as a CD single on June 16, 2008.
The song talks about three particular instances in which the narrator realizes, “there ain’t no rest for the wicked.” First, he encounters a prostitute asking if he desires to spend the night with her. The narrator proceeds to ask her why she does what she does. The chorus (her response) analyzes the main reasons why individuals follow the paths they follow (“…Money don’t grow on trees, I’ve got bills to pay, I’ve got mouths to feed…”). The narrator, fifteen minutes later, is mugged by a criminal, whom he asks the same question and from whom he receives the same answer. Finally, upon turning on the television, the narrator sees a preacher as he is arrested for stealing the funds of his church. This third part is followed by a third chorus saying that everyone is the same, and we all have no rest “until we close our eyes for good.”
The lyrics
Ain’t no rest for the wicked
[Verse 1]
I was walking down the street when out the corner of my eye
I saw a pretty little thing approaching me
She said, “I never seen a man, who looks so all alone
Oh, could you use a little company?
If you pay the right price, your evening will be nice
And you can go and send me on my way.”
I said, “You’re such a sweet young thing, why you do this to yourself?”
She looked at me and this is what she said:
[Chorus]
“Oh there ain’t no rest for the wicked
Money don’t grow on trees
I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed
There ain’t nothing in this world for free
Oh no, I can’t slow down, I can’t hold back
Though you know, I wish I could
Oh no there ain’t no rest for the wicked
Until we close our eyes for good”
[Verse 2]
Not even 15 minutes later I’m still walking down the street
When I saw the shadow of a man creep out out of sight
And then he swept up from behind, he put a gun up to my head
He made it clear he wasn’t looking for a fight
He said, “Give me all you’ve got, I want your money, not your life
But if you try to make a move I won’t think twice.”
I told him, “You can have my cash, but first you know I gotta ask:
What made you want to live this kind of life?”
He said:
[Chorus]
“There ain’t no rest for the wicked
Money don’t grow on trees
I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed
There ain’t nothing in this world for free
Oh no, I can’t slow down, I can’t hold back
Though you know, I wish I could
Oh no there ain’t no rest for the wicked
Until we close our eyes for good”
[Verse 3]
Well now a couple hours past and I was sitting in my house
The day was winding down and coming to an end
And so I turned on the TV and flipped it over to the news
And what I saw I almost couldn’t comprehend
I saw a preacher man in cuffs, he’d taken money from the church
He’d stuffed his bank account with righteous dollar bills
But even still I can’t say much because I know we’re all the same
Oh yes, we all seek out to satisfy those thrills
[Chorus]
You know there ain’t no rest for the wicked
Money don’t grow on trees
We got bills to pay, we got mouths to feed
There ain’t nothing in this world for free
Oh no we can’t slow down, we can’t hold back
Though you know we wish we could
Oh no there ain’t no rest for the wicked
Until we close our eyes for good
Vocabulary
To be mugged To be robbed or attacked. Last night I was mugged on my way home; they stole all my money and my credit cards.
Out the corner of my eye This is a way to say I saw something quickly, without concentrating or paying attention to what I was seeing. I was walking down the street when out of the corner of my eye, I think I saw an extraterrestrial walking in my direction, then suddenly he disappeared.
A pretty little thing A way to say a nice looking woman. She was such a pretty little thing. I have to admit I fell in love with her at that moment.
Send me on my way (Send someone on their way) Expression used to say that we have finished our business and you can leave. If there’s no more to discuss, I will have to send you on your way, for I have other people waiting for me.
No rest for the wicked ( An expression that originates in the bible. It usually means that you have to work hard to survive. I was working late again! Just ain’t no rest for the wicked.
Money don’t grow on trees This is one way of saying that money should not be wasted or spent foolishly because it’s hard to make it. The way he spends his money, you would think that money grows on trees!
Hold back This is an expression used to say that a person can’t stop doing something even if he doesn’t want to keep on doing it. He just can’t hold back from fighting all the time, even though he says he tries not to do so.
I got mouths to feed An expression that means that you have people that depend on you to live, typically children. Of course, he works all day. Do you know how many mouths he has to feed? He has ten children!
Nothing in this world for free It is another way to say that you will have to work hard to have what you want in life. I had to work nights to buy my car, nothing in this world is for free!
Close our eyes for good Another way to say until we die. He will never change, not even when he closes his eyes for good!
Creep out of sight Used to express that someone appears unexpectedly. I was watching the cat sleeping in the sun when suddenly he just crept out of sight and vanished!
I won’t think twice A way of saying, I will act immediately without hesitation. If he shouts at me again, I won’t think twice before I hit him.
I gotta (do something) Slang expression to indicate I have to (do something). Well, I gotta go. See you later.
Winding down Used to say that something or someone is slowing down from a fast pace and sometimes ending also. It seems that the busy season is almost over, activity is finally winding down in town.
Flipped it over to the news To change the channel to the news. It can mean to switch to something else quickly. Flip the channel over to the movie. It’s about to begin now.
Man in cuffs Slang expression used to say that the police have arrested someone. Cuffs mean the metal that wraps around the arms and locked with a key, also called handcuffs. When I saw John, they had him in cuffs and were about to put him into a police car.
Righteous dollar bills Slang expression used to say that the priest had got the money by preaching about good and evil, even though he was using this money for his own very personal needs. He got all those righteous dollars by collecting money for the poor!
The Listening Exercises
Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked by Cage The Elephant
The original version of this song, it has been selected for the Netflix series, Lucifer, and begins the first episode. The pronunciation is quite clear and easy to understand. The video displays the dark side of humanity that the lyrics talk about.
Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked – Forte
This rendition is an interesting exercise. The vocal chorus makes it a little more difficult to focus on the lead singer. You can work with listening to the lead singer and also listening to the choir. The singer’s pronunciation is a little more complicated to follow.
Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked – Vintage Jazz ft. Joey Cook
I have to confess that I like Vintage Jazz, and this cover song is not an exception. Joey Cook, the vocalist, has a typical Eastern USA accent found in many of the jazz songs. Her pronunciation may be a little hard at first, but with a bit of effort, you can follow it through. If you are watching the video, the subtitles with the lyrics are a great help.
Lennon & Maisy Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked
This cover is a very clear version of this song. Both voices are pronouncing clearly, and the lyrics on the TV set help a lot, also, if you are watching the video while you listen. Overall, a good cover.
Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked Dischord A Cappella
This rendition of the song has some useful qualities. Its speed is slower than most of the other versions, and the lead voice is quite clear. The chorus also is easy to understand or make out, for they also pronounce in a distinct form. As a song, it well done and can be enjoyed while practicing a listening exercise.
Nightcore – Aint no rest for the wicked
The high speed and sound effects make this performance a more advanced listening experience. Still, with a little practice, it can be done and will test your listening skills.
Cage The Elephant – Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked Live Video
Usually, the lyrics in a live version are more challenging to understand. Still, in this version, since it is mainly acoustic, it is surprisingly accessible, and an excellent performance by Cage The Elephant.
Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked Molly Roach
After working hard with the Nightcore interpretation of this cover song, you will be happy to relax and enjoy this slow-paced performance by Molly Roach, whose pronunciation is easy to understand.
Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked Ronnie Watts
Ronnie Watts sings along with her guitar at a higher speed, which may complicate understanding her as she sings, but the good part is that she has a great voice, and there are no other instruments to distract you while listening. An excellent cover.
Cage The Elephant – “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” – Live Cover by Anna Mar and Edan Flynn
This cover is a great version to work with your listening skills. Edan Flynn plays a great guitar that blends into the song and allows you to concentrate on the singers easy to understand voice. Enjoy!
Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked Catch the Clarity
This last interpretation of the song is to help you prove that you can understand the lyrics even though they are a little fast-paced. The band’s instruments fill in the music, but they still allow you to focus on the words without too much of a problem.
There are a variety of different voices singing the same beautiful lyrics. Each voice with its own pace, inflection, and personality. Listen to these different versions, and exercise your English listening skills, remember that learning is fun, so enjoy!
All photographs by ©edudelcorral
Talking easy, the English lessons The Listening Exercises