A World Alone – English Lyrics

• By: Lorde
• Album: Pure Heroine

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the unique, conversational songwriting of Lorde with 'A World Alone.' This track is perfect for English learners who want to grasp modern, idiomatic phrasing and the nuances of poetic, youthful expression in a contemporary setting.

[English]

That slow burn, wait while it gets dark

Bruising the sun

I feel grown up with you in your car

I know it's dumb

We both got a million bad habits to kick

Not sleeping is one

We're biting our nails, you're biting my lip

I'm biting my tongue

But people are talking, people are talking

But people are talking, people are talking

Raise a glass, 'cause I'm not done saying it

They all wanna get rough, get away with it

Let 'em talk, 'cause we're dancing in this world alone

World alone, we're alone

All my fake friends and all of their noise

Complain about work

They're studying business, I study the floor

And you haven't stopped smoking all night

Maybe the internet raised us

Or maybe people are jerks

The people are talking, people are talking

But not you

The people are talking, people are talking

Raise a glass, 'cause I'm not done saying it

They all wanna get rough, get away with it

Let 'em talk, 'cause we're dancing in this world alone

World alone, we're alone

All the double-edged people into schemes

They make a mess, then go home and get clean

You're my best friend, and we're dancing in a world alone

World alone, we're all alone

I know we're not everlasting

We're a train wreck waiting to happen

One day the blood won't flow so gladly

One day we'll all get still

Get still

The people are talking, people are talking

The people are talking, people are talking

Raise a glass, 'cause I'm not done saying it

They all wanna get rough, get away with it

Let 'em talk, 'cause we're dancing in this world alone

World alone, we're alone

All the double-edged people into schemes

They make a mess, then go home and get clean

You're my best friend, and we're dancing in a world alone

World alone, we're all alone

The people are talking, people are talking

The people are talking, people are talking

The people are talking, people are talking

The people are talking, people are talking

Let 'em talk

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
burn /bɜːrn/ A2	noun - a sensation of heat or a slow-burning process verb - to be on fire or feel heat
bruising /ˈbruːzɪŋ/ B2	verb - causing marks on the skin or damaging something
habit /ˈhæbɪt/ B1	noun - a settled or regular tendency or practice
biting /ˈbaɪtɪŋ/ A2	verb - using teeth to cut into something
rough /rʌf/ B1	adjective - not gentle, violent, or coarse
complain /kəmˈpleɪn/ B1	verb - to express dissatisfaction or annoyance
jerk /dʒɜːrk/ B2	noun - a person who behaves badly or rudely
scheme /skiːm/ B2	noun - a secret or dishonest plan
mess /mes/ A2	noun - a dirty or untidy state/situation
everlasting /ˌevərˈlæstɪŋ/ C1	adjective - lasting forever or a very long time
wreck /rek/ B2	noun - something that has been destroyed or badly damaged
double-edged /ˌdʌbl ˈedʒd/ C1	adjective - having both favorable and unfavorable consequences

Key Grammar Structures

• I feel grown up with you in your car

  ➔ Adjective Complement

  ➔ The phrase "grown up" acts as an adjective describing the subject's state of maturity.

• We both got a million bad habits to kick

  ➔ Infinitive as an Adjective

  ➔ The infinitive "to kick" modifies the noun "habits," meaning habits that need to be gotten rid of.

• They all wanna get rough, get away with it

  ➔ Phrasal Verb (Idiom)

  ➔ "Get away with it" is a phrasal verb meaning to escape punishment or negative consequences for an action.

• And you haven't stopped smoking all night

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ "Haven't stopped" indicates an action that started in the past and has continued throughout the night.

• Maybe the internet raised us

  ➔ Modal of Probability

  ➔ "Maybe" expresses a possibility, suggesting that the internet might have shaped the speaker's generation.

• We're a train wreck waiting to happen

  ➔ Participle Phrase

  ➔ "Waiting to happen" is a participle phrase describing the noun "train wreck."

• One day the blood won't flow so gladly

  ➔ Future Simple (Negative)

  ➔ "Won't flow" (will not flow) makes a prediction about a future state.

• All the double-edged people into schemes

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase (Adjectival)

  ➔ "Into schemes" functions as an adjective phrase describing the "people."