A Hero's Death – English Lyrics

• By: Fontaines D.C.

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic way to connect with a culture, and Fontaines D.C.'s 'A Hero's Death' offers a unique window into contemporary Irish identity and artistry. The song's repetitive, mantra-like lyrics are perfect for language learners to grasp and practice pronunciation. What makes this song special is its raw honesty and lyrical depth, which explores universal feelings of doubt and the search for meaning, all delivered with a powerful Dublin accent that provides an authentic learning experience.

[English]

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

...

Don't get stuck in the past

Say your favourite things at mass

Tell your mother that you love her

And go out of your way for others

Sit beneath a light that suits ya

And look forward to a brighter future

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

...

Sink as far down as you can be pulled up

Happiness really ain't all about luck

Let your demeanour be your deep down self

And don't sacrifice your life for your health

When you speak, speak sincere

And believe me friend, everyone will hear

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

...

Bring your own two cents

Never borrow them from someone else

Buy yourself a flower every hundredth hour

Throw your hair down from your lonely tower

And if, and if

You find yourself in the family way

Give the kid more than what you got in your day

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

...

Never let a clock tell you what you got time for

It only goes around, goes around, goes around

Take your family name for your own great sins

'Cause each day is where it all begins

And don't give up too quick

You only get one line, you better make it stick

If we give ourselves to every breath

Then we're all in the running for a hero's death

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

Life ain't always empty

...

That was the year of the sneer

Now the real thing's here

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
empty /ˈempti/ A2	adjective - containing nothing; not filled or occupied.
past /pɑːst/ A2	noun - the time or a period of time before the moment of speaking or writing.
things /θɪŋz/ A1	noun - an object that one need not, cannot, or does not wish to give a specific name to.
mother /ˈmʌðər/ A1	noun - a female parent.
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - feel deep affection for (someone). noun - an intense feeling of deep affection.
others /ˈʌðərz/ A1	noun - people or things that are different or distinct from those already mentioned or known about.
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.
future /ˈfjuːtʃər/ A2	noun - a time yet to come.
brighter /ˈbraɪtər/ B2	adjective - emitting or reflecting much light; shining.
happiness /ˈhæpinəs/ B1	noun - the state of being happy.
luck /lʌk/ A2	noun - success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions.
demeanour /dɪˈmiːnər/ C1	noun - outward behavior or bearing.
health /helθ/ A2	noun - the state of being free from illness or injury.
friend /frend/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection.
flower /ˈflaʊər/ A1	noun - the seed-bearing part of a plant, consisting of reproductive organs (stamens and carpels) that are typically surrounded by a brightly colored corolla (petals) and a green calyx (sepals).
hair /her/ A1	noun - any of the fine threadlike strands growing from the skin of humans or animals.
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ A2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company.
tower /ˈtaʊər/ A2	noun - a tall, narrow building or part of a building, typically having a flat roof.
family /ˈfæməli/ A1	noun - a group consisting of parents and children living together in a household.
kid /kɪd/ A1	noun - a child or young person.
clock /klɒk/ A1	noun - an instrument for measuring and showing time.
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
name /neɪm/ A1	noun - a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known, addressed, or referred to.
sins /sɪnz/ B2	noun - an immoral act considered a transgression against divine law.
day /deɪ/ A1	noun - each of the twenty-four-hour periods, reckoned from one midnight to the next, into which a year is divided, and corresponding to a rotation of the earth on its axis.
breath /breθ/ A2	noun - the air inhaled or exhaled in respiration.
hero /ˈhɪroʊ/ A2	noun - a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
death /deθ/ A2	noun - the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism.
year /jɪər/ A1	noun - the time it takes the earth to travel around the sun
sneer /snɪər/ B2	noun - a contemptuous or mocking smile, remark, or tone.
thing /θɪŋ/ A1	noun - an object that one need not, cannot, or does not wish to give a specific name to.