Christmas Lights – English Lyrics

• By: Coldplay

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music can be a joyful experience, and Coldplay's "Christmas Lights" offers a unique opportunity for English learners. The song's clear narrative and emotive lyrics provide a great context for understanding vocabulary related to emotions and festive settings. Its blend of sadness and hope makes it a compelling and memorable song, allowing learners to connect with the language on a deeper level.

[English]

[RECORD PLAYER CLICKING] [RECORD PLAYER WHIRRING]

[WISTFUL MUSIC]

♪ Christmas night ♪

♪ Another fight ♪

♪ Tears we cried, a flood ♪

♪ Got all kinds of poison in ♪

♪ Of poison in my blood ♪

♪ I took my feet to Oxford Street ♪

♪ Trying to right a wrong ♪

♪ Just walk away, those windows say ♪

♪ But I can't believe she's gone ♪

♪ When you're still waiting for the snow to fall ♪

♪ Doesn't really feel like Christmas at all ♪

[WISTFUL MUSIC]

♪ Up above candles only a flicker ♪

♪ Oh, they flicker and they flow ♪

♪ And I'm up here holding onto all those chandeliers of hope ♪

♪ And like some drunken Elvis singing ♪

♪ I go singing out of tune ♪

♪ Singing how I always loved you, darling ♪

♪ And I always will ♪

♪ Oh, when you're still waiting for the snow to fall ♪

♪ It doesn't really feel like Christmas at all ♪

♪ Still waiting for the snow to fall ♪

♪ It doesn't really feel like Christmas at all ♪

[WISTFUL MUSIC]

♪ Those Christmas lights ♪

♪ Light up the street ♪

♪ Down where the sea and city meet ♪

♪ May all your troubles soon be gone ♪

♪ Oh, Christmas lights keep shining on ♪

♪ Those Christmas lights light up the street ♪

♪ Maybe they'll bring her back to me ♪

♪ And then all my troubles will be gone ♪

♪ Oh, Christmas lights keep shining on ♪

[WISTFUL MUSIC]

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

[WISTFUL MUSIC]

♪ Oh, Christmas lights light up the street ♪

♪ Light up the fireworks in me ♪

♪ May all your troubles soon be gone ♪

♪ Those Christmas lights keep shining on ♪

[WISTFUL MUSIC]

[FIREWORKS WHISTLING] [FIREWORKS BOOMING]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
Christmas /ˈkrɪsməs/ A1	noun - the annual Christian festival celebrating Christ's birth, held on December 25
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours
fight /faɪt/ A2	noun - a violent confrontation or struggle verb - take part in a violent struggle involving physical force or weapons.
tears /tɪərz/ A2	noun - drops of clear salty liquid secreted from glands in the eye
flood /flʌd/ B1	noun - an overflowing of a large amount of water beyond its normal confines verb - cover or fill (a place or thing) with water.
poison /ˈpɔɪzən/ B2	noun - a substance that is capable of causing the illness or death of a living organism when introduced or absorbed.
blood /blʌd/ A2	noun - the red fluid that circulates in the arteries and veins of humans and other vertebrate animals
feet /fiːt/ A1	noun - plural of foot; the lower extremity of the leg below the ankle
street /striːt/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town
wrong /rɒŋ/ A2	adjective - not correct or true
windows /ˈwɪndoʊz/ A1	noun - an opening in the wall or roof of a building or vehicle that is fitted with glass or other transparent material
snow /snoʊ/ A1	noun - atmospheric water vapour frozen into ice crystals and falling in light white flakes or lying on the ground as a white layer verb - (of snow) fall
candles /ˈkændlz/ A2	noun - a cylinder or block of wax or tallow with a central wick that is lit to produce light as it burns
flicker /ˈflɪkər/ B1	verb - shine unsteadily; vary rapidly in brightness noun - a wavering light
hope /hoʊp/ A2	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen verb - want something to happen or be the case
singing /ˈsɪŋɪŋ/ A1	noun - the act of producing musical sounds with the voice
lights /laɪts/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible verb - provide with light; illuminate.
sea /siː/ A1	noun - the expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface and surrounds its land masses.
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town or urban area
troubles /ˈtrʌblz/ A2	noun - difficulties or problems
fireworks /ˈfaɪərwɜːrks/ A2	noun - small explosive devices used for entertainment

Key Grammar Structures

• Tears we cried, a flood

  ➔ Ellipsis (omission of words) for poetic effect

  ➔ The sentence omits the auxiliary verb "have". It should be "Tears *we have* cried, a flood". This is done to emphasize the emotional impact and create a more concise, poetic expression.

• Got all kinds of poison in / Of poison in my blood

  ➔ Repetition for emphasis and emotional impact; colloquial use of 'got'

  ➔ The repetition of "of poison in" emphasizes the feeling of being consumed by negativity. "Got" is used in a colloquial way, meaning "have".

• Trying to right a wrong

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose

  ➔ "To right a wrong" explains the purpose of taking his feet to Oxford Street. It indicates *why* he is taking that action.

• But I can't believe she's gone

  ➔ Present perfect simple

  ➔ "She's gone" is a shortened form of "She has gone", indicating that the action of leaving happened in the past and has relevance to the present. The speaker still can't believe the impact of that event.

• When you're still waiting for the snow to fall

  ➔ Present continuous tense to express something ongoing

  ➔ The use of "are waiting" (you're waiting) emphasizes the continuing nature of the waiting; it's not just a single moment but an ongoing state. This highlights the lingering hope and the unfulfilled expectation.

• Doesn't really feel like Christmas at all

  ➔ Negative auxiliary with adverb of degree

  ➔ "Doesn't" is the negative auxiliary verb. "Really" is an adverb of degree, modifying "feel". This combination emphasizes the lack of the Christmas feeling. The "at all" intensifies the negation.

• Maybe they'll bring her back to me

  ➔ Future simple with 'maybe' (expressing possibility)

  ➔ "They'll bring" is the future simple tense. The addition of "Maybe" softens the statement and indicates a possibility or hope, rather than a certainty.

• May all your troubles soon be gone

  ➔ Modal verb "may" expressing a wish or hope

  ➔ The modal verb "may" is used here to express a benevolent wish for the listener. It indicates a hope that the listener's troubles will soon disappear.