Alive – English Lyrics

• By: Empire of the Sun
• Album: Ice on the Dune

Lyrics & Translation

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living, not dead
slow /sloʊ/ A1	verb - to reduce speed adjective - moving or operating at a low speed
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features
goodbye /ˌɡʊdˈbaɪ/ A1	noun - an instance of saying goodbye
last /læst/ A1	adjective - coming after all others in time or order
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise
lost /lɒst/ A2	adjective - unable to find one's way; not knowing one's whereabouts verb - past tense of lose
eyesight /ˈaɪsaɪt/ B1	noun - the ability to see
help /help/ A1	verb - to give assistance
see /siː/ A1	verb - perceive with the eyes; discern visually
loving /ˈlʌvɪŋ/ A2	verb - feeling or showing love
minute /ˈmɪnɪt/ A1	noun - a unit of time equal to sixty seconds or one sixtieth of an hour
waking /ˈweɪkɪŋ/ A2	verb - to emerge from sleep; stop sleeping
snow /snoʊ/ A1	noun - atmospheric water vapor frozen into ice crystals and falling in light white flakes or lying on the ground as a white layer
freedom /ˈfriːdəm/ B1	noun - the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance
future /ˈfjuːtʃər/ A2	noun - the time that is to come

Key Grammar Structures

• Days slow by my window

  ➔ Intransitive verb usage (slow). Word Order.

  ➔ Here, "days" is the subject, and "slow" is an intransitive verb meaning the days pass slowly. Note the slightly unusual word order, where 'slow' comes directly after 'days' for emphasis or stylistic effect. A more common phrasing might be "Days pass slowly by my window."

• World slows down as it goes

  ➔ Present Simple tense for general truths. Use of "as" as a conjunction.

  ➔ The "World slows down" uses the present simple tense to describe a general truth or observation. "As it goes" uses "as" to mean "while" or "during the time that." This means, while the world continues moving, it gives the feeling of slowing down.

• Lost my eyesight

  ➔ Past Simple tense. Implied subject ("I").

  ➔ This uses the past simple tense. The subject "I" is omitted for brevity, creating a more immediate and impactful feeling. The full sentence would be "I lost my eyesight."

• Can't you help me see?

  ➔ Modal verb "can" for ability/request. Interrogative sentence structure.

  ➔ This is a question using the modal verb "can" to make a request. It literally asks if someone has the ability to help the speaker understand or see things clearly, often in a metaphorical sense.

• Loving every minute 'cause you make me feel so alive

  ➔ Present Continuous tense with stative verbs (feeling). Use of "'cause" as a contraction of "because". So + adjective.

  ➔ "Loving every minute" uses the present continuous tense to emphasize the ongoing and active nature of the feeling. While "love" is often a stative verb, its use in the continuous here highlights the intensity and experience of actively enjoying each moment. "'Cause" is a shortened, informal version of "because". "So alive" is an intensifier, showing the degree to which they are feeling alive.

• Wrapped in blow we go

  ➔ Past Participle as an adjective ("Wrapped"). Inverted word order for emphasis.

  ➔ "Wrapped" acts as an adjective describing the subject (implied: "we"). The phrase has an unusual word order; a more standard phrasing would be "We go, wrapped in blow". The inversion likely serves for stylistic and rhythmic purposes, placing emphasis on the state of being wrapped.

• Freedom is within you

  ➔ Simple Present tense with a linking verb (is). Prepositional phrase (within you).

  ➔ This statement uses the simple present tense with the linking verb "is" to express a general truth or a state of being. "Within you" is a prepositional phrase indicating the location or source of the freedom.