AfterHours – English Lyrics

• By: AJR

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of AJR's "AfterHours" and discover a vibrant blend of pop, electronic, and hip-hop that makes language learning an engaging journey. This song is special for its relatable narrative of youthful experiences, offering rich vocabulary and expressions to describe social dynamics, emotions, and self-reflection in modern English.

[English]

Damn, now all the pretty teens and fake IDs around me

Where did they come from?

Oh, we'll never look like all the models in the movies

We'll never know

But tonight, call your friends down

We're on our way now

And I feel like shouting, oh, I feel like shouting

Oh, tonight, it don't matter who you're from

Tonight we're 21 under all these lights (hey)

...

(Hey)

I put my heart, I put my soul, I put my life in it

Look at me now

(Hey)

We're feeling dumb with coke and rum, we raise a glass to it

The underdogs

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh

(Hey)

I throw my fingers to the ceiling and I won't give in

Look at me now

Wait, give me a minute, just a minute, get my focus straight

They're looking bored

When did all my friends turn into fake IDs and skinny jeans?

I don't belong

But tonight, call your friends down

We're on our way now

And I feel like shouting, oh, I feel like shouting

Oh, tonight, it don't matter who you're from

Tonight we're 21 under all these lights

...

(Hey)

I put my heart, I put my soul, I put my life in it

Look at me now

(Hey)

We're feeling dumb with coke and rum, we raise a glass to it

The underdogs

Oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh-oh-oh

(Hey)

I throw my fingers to the ceiling and I won't give in

Look at me now

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
shouting /ˈʃaʊtɪŋ/ A1	verb - to speak or call out in a loud voice
friends /frɛndz/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and has a bond of mutual affection
tonight /təˈnaɪt/ A1	adverb - on this night
lights /laɪts/ A1	noun - a source of illumination
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood in the body
soul /soʊl/ A2	noun - the spiritual part of a person
underdogs /ˈʌndərˌdɔɡz/ B1	noun - a person or group expected to lose or fail
ceiling /ˈsiːlɪŋ/ A2	noun - the upper interior surface of a room
focus /ˈfoʊkəs/ A2	verb - to concentrate attention on something
bored /bɔːrd/ A2	adjective - feeling tired and impatient because something is uninteresting
belong /bɪˈlɒŋ/ A2	verb - to be in the right place or suitable for a particular group
models /ˈmɒdəlz/ A2	noun - a person who poses for an artist or photographer
movies /ˈmuːviːz/ A1	noun - a story or event recorded by a camera and shown on a screen
glass /ɡlæs/ A1	noun - a hard, transparent material used for windows or drinking containers
fingers /ˈfɪŋɡərz/ A1	noun - one of the five parts at the end of the hand
minute /ˈmɪnɪt/ A1	noun - a unit of time equal to 60 seconds

Key Grammar Structures

• Damn, now all the pretty teens and fake IDs around me

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ The phrase 'are around me' is implied, showing an action happening now.

• Oh, we'll never look like all the models in the movies

  ➔ Future Simple with 'will'

  ➔ 'We'll never look' uses 'will' to express a future prediction or certainty.

• But tonight, call your friends down

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ 'Call your friends down' is a direct command, using the imperative mood.

• And I feel like shouting, oh, I feel like shouting

  ➔ Present Simple with 'feel like'

  ➔ 'I feel like shouting' uses 'feel like' to express a desire or state of mind.

• Tonight we're 21 under all these lights

  ➔ Present Continuous with 'be'

  ➔ 'We're 21' uses 'be' in the present continuous to describe a temporary state.

• I put my heart, I put my soul, I put my life in it

  ➔ Simple Past Tense

  ➔ 'I put' is in the simple past, indicating completed actions.

• We're feeling dumb with coke and rum, we raise a glass to it

  ➔ Present Continuous with 'be feeling'

  ➔ 'We're feeling dumb' uses 'be feeling' to describe a current emotional state.

• I throw my fingers to the ceiling and I won't give in

  ➔ Simple Present with 'throw' and Future Simple with 'won't'

  ➔ 'I throw' is present simple, while 'I won't give in' uses 'won't' for future negation.