Afterlife – English Lyrics

• By: Arcade Fire
• Album: Reflektor

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful and immersive experience, and Arcade Fire's 'Afterlife' offers a rich text for English learners. The song's lyrical depth, with its philosophical questions about love, loss, and what comes next, provides a great opportunity to explore nuanced vocabulary and emotional expression. The blend of straightforward pleas like 'Can we work it out?' with more poetic imagery makes it both accessible and challenging. What makes 'Afterlife' special is its unique fusion of introspective themes with an uplifting, danceable melody, creating a cathartic journey that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.

[English]

Afterlife

Oh my god, what an awful word

And after all the breath, and the dirt, and the fires are burnt

And after all this time

And after all the ambulances go

And after all the hangers on are done hanging on in the dead light of the afterglow

I gotta know!

Can we work it out?

If we scream and shout

'Till we work it out

Can we, just work it out?

Scream and shout

'Till we work it out

'Till we work it out

'Till we work it out

'Till we work it out

'Till we work it out

Afterlife

I think I saw what happens next

Oh it was just a glimps of you like looking through a window or shallow sea

Could you see me?

And after all this time

It's like nothing else we used to know

And after all the hangers on are done hanging on in the dead light of the afterglow

I've got to know!

Can we work it out?

If we scream and shout

'Till we work it out

Can we, just work it out?

If we scream and shout

'Till we work it out

But you say "Ohhh ohhh oh oh oh."

When love is gone, where does is go?

And you say "Ohh ohh oh oh oh"

When love is gone

Where does it go?

Where do we go?

Where do we go?

Where do we go?

Where do we go?

Where do we go?

Where do we go?

Where do we go?

Where do we go?

And after this

Can it last another night?

After all the bad advice

It had nothing at all to do with life

I've gotta know!

Can we work it out?

Scream and shout

'Till we work it out

Can we, just work it out?

Scream and shout

'Till we work it out

But you say "Ohhh ohhh oh oh oh"

When love is gone

Where does it go?

And you say, "Ohh ohh oh oh oh"

When love is gone, where does it go?

Ohhh ohhh oh oh oh

When love is gone

But where did it go?

Ohhh ohhh oh oh hewwwewwew we ew

When love is gone

But where did it go?

And where do we goooooooooo?

(Brass instruments scaling)

Ohhh ohhh oh oh oh

Ohhh ohhh oh oh oh

Ohhh ohhh oh oh oh

Ohhh ohhh oh oh oh

(Laboured breathing)

Is this the afterlife?

(Continued laboured breathing)

It's just an afterlife

With you.

It's just an afterlife.

It's just an afterlife. (Backup singer)

It's just an afterlife

With you.

It's just an afterlife (Backup singer)

It's just an afterlife.

(Laboured breathing)

(TV music ambiance)

Ah ha ahh all right, get his gun Dusty! Get his gun!

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
awful /ˈɔːfʊl/ B1	adjective - very bad or unpleasant.
breath /breθ/ A2	noun - the air taken into or expelled from the lungs.
dirt /dɜːrt/ A2	noun - a substance, such as mud or dust, that makes something dirty.
fires /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - combustion or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke.
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
ambulances /ˈæmbjʊləns/ B1	noun - a vehicle equipped for taking sick or injured people to and from hospital, especially in emergencies.
hangers /ˈhæŋər/ B2	noun - a person who stays close to a famous or powerful person hoping to get some advantage from them
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible. adjective - not heavy
dead /ded/ A2	adjective - no longer alive.
afterglow /ˈɑːftərɡləʊ/ C1	noun - a pleasant feeling or memory that follows an experience.
scream /skriːm/ B1	verb - to utter a loud, piercing cry expressing extreme emotion or pain. noun - a loud, piercing cry expressing extreme emotion or pain.
shout /ʃaʊt/ A2	verb - to utter a loud cry, typically as an expression of a strong emotion. noun - a loud cry, typically as an expression of a strong emotion.
glimpse /ɡlɪmps/ B2	noun - a momentary or partial view. verb - see or perceive briefly or partially.
window /ˈwɪndoʊ/ A1	noun - an opening in the wall or roof of a building or vehicle that is fitted with glass or other transparent material in a frame to admit light or air and allow people to see out.
shallow /ˈʃæloʊ/ B1	adjective - of little depth.
sea /siː/ A1	noun - the expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface and surrounds its landmasses.
advice /ədˈvaɪs/ B1	noun - guidance or recommendations concerning prudent future action, typically given by someone regarded as knowledgeable or authoritative.
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.

Key Grammar Structures

• Oh my god, what an awful word

  ➔ Exclamatory sentence with indefinite article "an"

  ➔ The sentence uses "an" before "awful" because the word starts with a vowel sound. It's an exclamation expressing a strong negative feeling about the word "afterlife".

• And after all the hangers on are done hanging on in the dead light of the afterglow

  ➔ Present perfect passive construction ("are done") with a prepositional phrase ("hanging on in the dead light of the afterglow") modifying the action.

  ➔ "Are done hanging on" suggests that the hangers-on have completed the act of clinging to something, possibly fame or importance. The prepositional phrase provides context, highlighting the bleakness of their current situation.

• Can we work it out?

  ➔ Modal verb "can" for ability/possibility in a question form.

  ➔ This is a simple question using "can" to inquire about the possibility of resolving a problem or situation.

• If we scream and shout 'Till we work it out

  ➔ Conditional clause with "if" + present simple, followed by a time clause with "'till'" (until) and present simple.

  ➔ This shows a condition (screaming and shouting) and its duration ('till we work it out') using present simple in both clauses to suggest a repeated or habitual action towards a goal.

• I think I saw what happens next

  ➔ Indirect question using "what" as a relative pronoun to introduce the noun clause acting as the object of "saw".

  ➔ "What happens next" is not a direct question but a statement reported indirectly. "What" links the speaker's visual experience to the subsequent events.

• It's just an afterlife With you.

  ➔ Simple sentence using "it's" (it is) and the preposition "with" to indicate companionship or association.

  ➔ This expresses that the experience of the afterlife is defined or made bearable by the presence of another person ("you"). "With you" functions as an adverbial phrase modifying "afterlife."