Alive – English Lyrics

• By: Sia
• Album: This Is Acting

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Sia's empowering anthem, "Alive," and discover how this song, initially penned for Adele, became a testament to Sia's vocal prowess and ability to convey deep emotional strength. Explore the lyrics, uncover the story behind the song's creation, and learn how it resonates as a powerful message of survival and self-discovery. By exploring the themes of resilience and personal triumph in "Alive," you'll gain a deeper understanding of Sia's artistry and the emotional depth that her music offers.

[English]

(bell dinging)

(soft music)

♪ I was born in a thunderstorm ♪

♪ I grew up overnight ♪

♪ I played alone ♪

♪ I played on my own ♪

♪ I survived ♪

♪ Hey ♪

♪ I wanted everything I never had ♪

♪ Like the love that comes with light ♪

♪ I wore envy and I hated that ♪

♪ But I survived ♪

♪ I had a one-way ticket to a place where all the demons go ♪

♪ Where the wind don't change ♪

♪ And nothing in the ground can ever grow ♪

♪ No hope, just lies ♪

♪ And you're taught to cry into your pillow ♪

♪ But I survived ♪

♪ I'm still breathing, I'm still breathing ♪

♪ I'm still breathing, I'm still breathing ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I found solace in the strangest place ♪

♪ Way in the back of my mind ♪

♪ I saw my life in a stranger's face ♪

♪ And it was mine ♪

♪ I had a one-way ticket to a place where all the demons go ♪

♪ Where the wind don't change ♪

♪ And nothing in the ground can ever grow ♪

♪ No hope, just lies ♪

♪ And you're taught to cry into your pillow ♪

♪ But I survived ♪

♪ I'm still breathing, I'm still breathing ♪

♪ I'm still breathing, I'm still breathing ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ You took it all, but I'm still breathing ♪

♪ You took it all, but I'm still breathing ♪

♪ You took it all, but I'm still breathing ♪

♪ You took it all, but I'm still breathing ♪

♪ You took it all, but I'm still breathing ♪

♪ You took it all, but I'm still breathing ♪

♪ You took it all, but I'm still breathing ♪

♪ You took it all, but I'm still breathing ♪

♪ I have made every single mistake ♪

♪ That you could ever possibly make ♪

♪ I took and I took and I took what you gave ♪

♪ But you never noticed that I was in pain ♪

♪ I knew what I wanted, I went in and got it ♪

♪ Did all the things that you said that I wouldn't ♪

♪ I told you that I would never be forgotten ♪

♪ And all in spite of you ♪

♪ And I'm still breathing, I'm still breathing ♪

♪ I'm still breathing, I'm still breathing ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

♪ I'm alive ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
born /bɔːrn/ A2	verb - brought into life; given birth
thunderstorm /ˈθʌndərstɔːrm/ B1	noun - a storm with thunder and lightning
grew /ɡruː/ A1	verb - past tense of grow; to increase in size or amount
survived /sərˈvaɪvd/ B1	verb - continued to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible
envy /ˈenvi/ B2	noun - a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck. verb - to feel envy towards (someone).
demons /ˈdiːmənz/ B2	noun - an evil spirit or devil, especially one thought to possess a person or act as a tormentor in hell.
wind /wɪnd/ A1	noun - the perceptible natural movement of the air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction
grow /ɡroʊ/ A1	verb - to increase in size or amount
hope /hoʊp/ A2	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen
lies /laɪz/ B1	noun - a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - shed tears
breathing /ˈbriːðɪŋ/ A2	verb - the process of taking air into and expelling it from the lungs.
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A1	adjective - living; not dead
solace /ˈsɑːləs/ C1	noun - comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness
strangest /ˈstreɪndʒɪst/ B1	adjective - unusual or surprising in a way that is odd or unsettling
mistake /mɪˈsteɪk/ A2	noun - an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury.
forgotten /fərˈɡɑːtn/ B1	verb - past participle of forget; no longer remembered

Key Grammar Structures

• I was born in a thunderstorm

  ➔ Past Simple (Passive Voice)

  ➔ Use of the passive voice to emphasize the experience of being born rather than who performed the action. "Was born" is formed using "was" (past tense of "be") + past participle "born".

• I wanted everything I never had

  ➔ Relative Clause (Object)

  ➔ The clause "I never had" functions as a relative clause modifying "everything." The relative pronoun (which/that) is omitted as it is the object of "had."

• Where the wind don't change

  ➔ Negative Concord (Non-Standard)

  ➔ This line uses "don't" with "wind", which is grammatically incorrect in standard English (should be "doesn't"). This is an example of negative concord, a feature found in some dialects where a negative element can spread through a clause. Often used in informal speech or in song lyrics for emphasis or stylistic effect.

• And you're taught to cry into your pillow

  ➔ Present Simple (Passive Voice) with infinitive

  ➔ The passive voice "you're taught" indicates that someone else is teaching this. The infinitive phrase "to cry into your pillow" expresses the purpose or result of the teaching.

• I'm still breathing

  ➔ Present Continuous

  ➔ Describes an action that is happening at the moment of speaking. Here, it emphasizes the continuation of life despite challenges.

• I found solace in the strangest place

  ➔ Past Simple + Superlative adjective

  ➔ Using the past simple tense to describe a completed action in the past. The superlative adjective "strangest" is used to emphasize that the place was unlike any other.

• I have made every single mistake

  ➔ Present Perfect

  ➔ The present perfect tense ("have made") connects the past mistakes to the present. It suggests the consequences or results of those mistakes are still relevant.

• That you could ever possibly make

  ➔ Modal Verb + Adverb

  ➔ "Could" is a modal verb expressing possibility. "Possibly" is an adverb modifying the verb "make," emphasizing the extent of the possibility. The structure highlights the comprehensive nature of the speaker's mistakes.