A War With Time – English Lyrics

• By: Brandi Carlile
• Album: Returning To Myself

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a poignant journey of self-discovery and the complexities of human connection with Brandi Carlile's 'A War With Time.' This evocative track, known for its deep emotional resonance and reflective lyrics, offers a rich linguistic landscape for English learners. Explore how Carlile masterfully uses imagery and metaphor to convey the universal battle between holding onto the past and embracing the future, making it a powerful and relatable song for understanding nuanced English expression.

[English]

I don't remember the timeline

Just December and the eastern skyline

It was just my time to go

It wasn't even a cold night

Disappointed in the northern nights, I

Always thought there'd be snow

Four hundred people on a broken wheel

When the plane touched down in a concrete minefield

I guess we all made it out okay

Following the streets to a sliver of blue

You can lose the sky and it can lose you too

But you get a little lost to find your way

I'm living in a war with time

I could still reach out and touch you and I

Wish I didn't know the things I know

I'm standing in an open door

None of it was overrated and I

Never gonna wanna let you go

But I want you to go

Don't even ask me, just go

I don't remember the faces

Just the anger and the haunted places

So alive, I could taste it on the rain

Even the roaches come from somewhere else

Leaving a stain where the angels fell

In a city where no one knows your name

I'm living in a war with time

I could still reach out and touch you and I

Wish I didn't know the things I know

I'm standing in an open door

None of it was overrated and I

Never gonna wanna let you go

But I want you to go

Don't even ask me, just go

Hold their eyes, make sure they know

Stand your ground but see the soul

Beneath the pain and broken home

With every drop of rain and bone

Square your shoulders, turn to stone

Slowly shake your head for no

When you find yourself alone

Retrace your steps and come back home

I'm living in a war with time

I could still reach out and touch you and I

Wish I didn't know the things I know

I'm standing in an open door

None of it was overrated and I

Never gonna wanna let you go

But I want you to go

I want you to go (I know you want me to)

And I want you to go (go)

I want you to go

Don't even ask me, just go

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
war /wɔːr/ B2	noun - a state of armed conflict between different countries or groups
time /taɪm/ A2	noun - the progress of events, the duration of something
sky /skaɪ/ A2	noun - the region of the atmosphere seen from the Earth's surface
night /naɪt/ A2	noun - the period of darkness in each twenty-four hours
street /striːt/ A2	noun - a public road in a city or town
blue /bluː/ A2	adjective - the color of the sky at clear conditions
touch /tʌtʃ/ B1	verb - to make contact with something or someone
lost /lɒst/ B1	adjective - not knowing where you are; not found
angel /ˈeɪn.dʒəl/ C1	noun - a spiritual being often depicted with wings
home /hoʊm/ A2	noun - the place where one lives
overrated /ˌoʊ.vɚˈreɪ.tɪd/ C2	adjective - considered to be better or more important than they really are
never /ˈnɛv.ər/ A2	adverb - at no time; not ever

Key Grammar Structures

• I don't remember the timeline

  ➔ negative contraction with auxiliary verb

  ➔ The phrase uses "don't" as a contraction of "do not" to form negative statements.

• Just December and the eastern skyline

  ➔ article usage with nouns

  ➔ The phrase "the eastern skyline" uses the definite article "the" to specify a particular skyline.

• It was just my time to go

  ➔ adjective + infinitive phrase

  ➔ The phrase "just my time to go" combines an adjective "just" with an infinitive phrase "to go" to express a sense of timing or necessity.

• And the plane touched down in a concrete minefield

  ➔ past tense of irregular verb

  ➔ The verb "touched" is the past tense form of "touch," used here to describe an action completed in the past.

• Followed the streets to a sliver of blue

  ➔ past tense of verb

  ➔ The verb "followed" is past tense of "follow," indicating an action completed in the past.

• Beneath the pain and broken home

  ➔ preposition + noun phrase

  ➔ The phrase uses "beneath" as a preposition to indicate position under "the pain and broken home."

• Square your shoulders, turn to stone

  ➔ imperative verb + object + infinitive phrase

  ➔ The phrase uses imperative verbs "Square" and "turn" followed by the object and an infinitive phrase to give commands or advice.