11th Dimension – English Lyrics

• By: Julian Casablancas
• Album: Phrazes For The Young

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Julian Casablancas' "11th Dimension" and explore themes of disillusionment and the yearning for something more. This song is a great example of Julian's exploration of new wave and electronic influences, offering a unique sonic landscape and introspective lyrics.

[English]

I just nod, I've never been so good at shaking hands

I live on the frozen surface of a fireball

Where cities come together, to hate each other in the name of sport

America, nothing is ever just anything

I looked up to you, but you thought I would look the other way

And you hear what you want to hear

And they take what they want to take

Don't be sad, won't ever happen like this anymore

So when's it coming?

This life's new great movement that I can join

It won't end here, your faith has got to be greater than your fear

Forgive them even if they are not sorry

All the vultures, bootleggers at the door waiting

You are looking for your own voice, but in others

While it hears you, trapped in another dimension

Drop your guard, you don't have to be smart all of the time

I got a mind full of blanks

I need to go somewhere new fast

And don't be shy, oh no, at least deliberately

No one really cares or wonders why anymore

Oh, I've got music, coming outta my hands and feet and gizzards, oh

That is how it once was done

All the dreamers on the run

Forgive them even if they are not sorry

All the vultures, bootleggers at the door waiting

We're so quick to point out our own flaws in others

Complicated mammals on the wings of robots

If you believe in this world no one has died in vain

But don't you dare get to the top and not know what to do

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
nod /nɒd/ A2	verb - to move your head down and then up, sometimes several times, especially to show agreement, understanding, or approval.
shake /ʃeɪk/ A2	verb - to move something quickly backwards and forwards or up and down
frozen /ˈfroʊzən/ A2	adjective - turned into ice
fireball /ˈfaɪərbɔːl/ B2	noun - a ball of fire, especially one caused by an explosion.
hate /heɪt/ A2	verb - to dislike someone or something very much
sport /spɔːrt/ A2	noun - a game, competition, or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job
hear /hɪər/ A1	verb - to receive or become conscious of a sound using your ears
take /teɪk/ A1	verb - to remove something, especially without permission
sad /sæd/ A1	adjective - unhappy
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
great /ɡreɪt/ A1	adjective - very large or of considerable size
faith /feɪθ/ B1	noun - strong belief in God or in a particular religion
fear /fɪər/ A2	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by the perception of danger, real or imagined
vultures /ˈvʌltʃərz/ B2	noun - a large bird that eats dead animals
voice /vɔɪs/ A2	noun - the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song
trapped /træpt/ B1	adjective - unable to escape from a place or situation
dimension /daɪˈmɛnʃən/ B2	noun - a measurable extent of some kind, such as length, breadth, depth, or height
guard /ɡɑːrd/ B1	noun - a person who protects something verb - to protect
smart /smɑːrt/ A2	adjective - intelligent
blanks /blæŋks/ B2	noun - empty spaces

Key Grammar Structures

• I've never been so good at shaking hands

  ➔ Present Perfect with 'never' and 'so + adjective + at'

  ➔ Uses the present perfect tense ('I've been') to describe an experience that has relevance to the present. 'Never' emphasizes the lack of previous experience. 'So good at' highlights the degree of proficiency.

• Where cities come together, to hate each other in the name of sport

  ➔ Relative clause with 'where' + infinitive of purpose ('to hate')

  ➔ 'Where' introduces a relative clause specifying the location. The infinitive 'to hate' explains the purpose or reason for the cities coming together.

• I looked up to you, but you thought I would look the other way

  ➔ Phrasal verb ('look up to') + Conditional 'would' in reported thought

  ➔ 'Look up to' is a phrasal verb meaning to admire or respect. 'Would' is used to express what the other person *thought* would happen in the future (from their perspective in the past).

• Don't be sad, won't ever happen like this anymore

  ➔ Imperative ('Don't be') + Future simple with negative contraction ('won't ever')

  ➔ 'Don't be' is an imperative giving a command or instruction. 'Won't ever' is a contraction of 'will not ever', indicating that something will absolutely not happen again in the same way.

• This life's new great movement that I can join

  ➔ Relative clause with 'that' (omitted relative pronoun) + Modal verb 'can'

  ➔ 'That' introduces a relative clause describing the movement. The relative pronoun is omitted because it is the object of the verb 'join'. 'Can' expresses the ability to join.

• Your faith has got to be greater than your fear

  ➔ 'Has got to' (idiomatic expression for obligation/necessity) + Comparative adjective ('greater than')

  ➔ 'Has got to' is an informal way of saying 'must' or 'has to'. It expresses a strong obligation or necessity. 'Greater than' is the comparative form, indicating that one thing is larger or more important than another.

• Forgive them even if they are not sorry

  ➔ Imperative ('Forgive') + Conditional clause ('even if')

  ➔ 'Forgive' is an imperative verb giving a command. 'Even if' introduces a conditional clause, indicating that the forgiveness should occur regardless of whether the other party is remorseful.

• If you believe in this world no one has died in vain

  ➔ Conditional sentence (Type 1/Real) with 'if' clause + Present Perfect ('has died')

  ➔ This is a Type 1 conditional, expressing a real possibility. 'If you believe' is the condition, and 'no one has died in vain' is the likely result if the condition is met. The Present Perfect ('has died') connects past events to the present belief.