Pompeii – English Lyrics

• By: Bastille
• Album: &

Lyrics & Translation

Explore history and emotion with Bastille's hit song "Pompeii," a unique blend of indie-pop and historical narrative. Delve into the lyrics inspired by the ancient Roman city and discover how this song captures the feeling of being stuck while offering a vibrant soundscape for learning English through music.

[English]

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

I was left to my own devices

Many days fell away with nothing to show

And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love

Grey clouds roll over the hills, bringing darkness from above

But if you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?

And if you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like you've been here before?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

We were caught up and lost in all of our vices

In your pose as the dust settled around us

And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love

Grey clouds roll over the hills, bringing darkness from above

But if you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?

And if you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like you've been here before?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

Oh, where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?

Oh-oh, where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?

And the walls kept tumbling down in the city that we love

(Oh, where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?)

Grey clouds roll over the hills bringing darkness from above

(Oh, where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?)

But if you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?

And if you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like you've been here before? Oh

How am I going to be an optimist about this?

How am I going to be an optimist about this?

If you close your eyes

Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all? Oh-oh

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Eh, eheu, eheu

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
left /lɛft/ A1	verb - past tense of leave; to go away from
days /deɪz/ A1	noun - plural of day; a period of 24 hours
walls /wɔːlz/ A1	noun - plural of wall; a vertical structure that encloses or divides an area
tumbling /ˈtʌmblɪŋ/ B2	verb - falling suddenly
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town or urban area
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to feel deep affection for someone or something noun - an intense feeling of affection
clouds /klaʊdz/ A1	noun - plural of cloud; a visible mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere
hills /hɪlz/ A1	noun - plural of hill; a naturally raised area of land, not as high or steep as a mountain
darkness /ˈdɑːknəs/ B1	noun - the state of being dark; absence of light
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - plural of eye; the organ of sight
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
changed /tʃeɪndʒd/ A1	verb - past tense of change; to become different
optimist /ˈɒptɪmɪst/ B2	noun - a person who tends to be hopeful and confident about the future or the success of something
lost /lɒst/ A2	adjective - unable to find one's way; no longer possessed verb - past tense of lose; to come to be without something
vices /ˈvaɪsɪz/ C1	noun - immoral or wicked behavior
dust /dʌst/ A1	noun - fine, dry particles of earth or waste matter verb - to remove dust from the surface of
rubble /ˈrʌbəl/ B2	noun - waste or rough fragments of stone, brick, or concrete, especially as the result of demolition or decay
sins /sɪnz/ B2	noun - an immoral act considered a transgression against divine law

Key Grammar Structures

• I was left to my own devices

  ➔ Passive Voice (Past Simple)

  ➔ The subject "I" receives the action rather than performing it. "Was left" is the passive form of the verb "to leave" in the past simple. It means someone or something caused the speaker to be in a state of being left to their own resources.

• Many days fell away with nothing to show

  ➔ Past Simple with an adverbial phrase of manner.

  ➔ "Fell away" is in the past simple tense, describing the action of days passing. "With nothing to show" is an adverbial phrase describing how the days passed, indicating they were unproductive.

• Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?

  ➔ Present Simple (Question Form) with 'almost' and 'at all'

  ➔ This is a question in the present simple tense. "Almost" modifies the verb "feel" to indicate approximation, and "at all" emphasizes the lack of change.

• How am I gonna be an optimist about this?

  ➔ Future with "gonna" (informal), Question Form

  ➔ "Gonna" is a colloquial contraction of "going to", used to express future intention. The sentence is framed as a question about the possibility of being optimistic.

• We were caught up and lost in all of our vices

  ➔ Past Simple Passive + Past Participle as Adjective.

  ➔ "Were caught up" is in the past simple passive. "Lost" acts as a past participle functioning as an adjective modifying "we", describing their state.

• In your pose as the dust settled around us

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase + Past Simple

  ➔ "In your pose" is a prepositional phrase describing the setting. "Settled" is the past simple tense verb indicating the action of the dust.

• Oh, where do we begin, the rubble or our sins?

  ➔ Interrogative sentence using 'where' and choice question (A or B?)

  ➔ This line presents a rhetorical question using "where" to inquire about the starting point, and then offers a choice between two options: "the rubble or our sins?" This is a choice question forcing consideration between two unpleasant alternatives.