Switchfoot- The World You Want(Learn English with Songs)

Lyrics

I'm picking up the pieces
I'm trying out adhesives
I'm trying to fix a place that feels broken
All my words they fail me
My voices don't avail me
I'm trying to say the hope that's unspoken

Is this the world you want?
Is this the world you want?
You're making it
Every day you're alive
Is this the world you want?
Is this the world you want?
You're making it

The world feels so malicious
With all our hits and misses
Feels like we're in the business of rust
It's when I stop to listen
All the moments I've been missing
I finally hear a voice I can trust

Is this the world you want?
Is this the world you want?
You're making it
Every day you're alive
Is this the world you want?
Is this the world you want?
You're making it
Every day you're alive

You change the world
You change the world
You change the world
Every day you're alive
You change the world
Honey, you change the world
You change my world

You start to look like what you believe
You float through time like a stream
If the waters of time are made up by you and I
If you change the world for you, you change it for me

What you say is your religion
How you say it's your religion
Who you love is your religion
How you love is your religion
All your science, your religion
All your hatred, your religion
All your wars are your religion
Every breath is your religion yea

Is this the world you want?
Is this the world you want?
You're making it
Every day you're alive
Is this the world you want?
Is this the world you want?
You're making it
Every day you're alive

You change the world
You change the world
You change my world
Every day you're alive
You change my world
Honey, you change my world
You change my world

Difficult Phrases and Words

1. adhesives

   1. Context: I'm picking up the pieces / I'm trying out adhesives / I'm trying to fix a place that feels broken

   2. Definition: an adhesive substance (such as glue or cement)

   3. Additional sentence: Use an adhesive like tape to hang these Christmas decorations around the room.

2. avail

   1. Context: All my words they fail me / My voices don't avail me / I'm trying to say the hope that's unspoken

   2. Definition: to be of use or advantage

   3. Additional sentence: I tried to beat him with a different strategy, but it was to no avail.

3. malicious

   1. Context: The world feels so malicious

   2. Definition: having or showing a desire to cause harm to someone

   3. Additional sentence: Tim’s malicious boss scolded him for being sick.

4. rust

   1. Context: Feels like we're in the business of rust

   2. Definition: to degenerate especially from inaction, lack of use, or passage of time

   3. Additional sentence: The rusted bike stayed out in the rain for 3 months.

Discussion Questions

1. What do you think this song is about?

2. Can you relate to anything in this song?

3. The singer implies that the world is broken, and he is trying to put it back together with adhesives. Do you see the world as broken? Do you think that a person can help to make the world a little less broken?

4. At the beginning the singer is sad about his powerlessness in the face of this broken world when he says “All my words they fail me / My voices don't avail me/” However, later in the song he is more optimistic that we can change the world. Can you think of a time when you changed the world for the better? Who do you think changes the world for the better?

5. Who is someone who you would label as malicious? Was there a time when someone acted maliciously to you?

6. The singer says that “The world feels so malicious.” Do you agree/disagree? Why?

7. The singer says “Feels like we're in the business of rust.” He sees degeneration all around him, and he gets pessimistic. However, later he is optimistic that we can change the world. Do you think that the world is increasingly degenerating? Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the direction of the world?