Can't Sleep – English Lyrics

• By: Above & Beyond
• Album: We Are All We Need

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and "Can't Sleep" by Above & Beyond offers a poignant entry point into the emotional landscape of English lyricism. The song's clear, heartfelt vocals by Ashley Tomberlin make it easy to follow the narrative of love and loss. What makes this track special is its universal theme of heartbreak, allowing learners to connect with complex emotions while appreciating the beauty of trance music.

[English]

4:30 a.m., I'm awake again

Singing to the dark through open eyes

While dreaming I see only you and me

Stuck between desire and compromise

If I said I want you back I'd be a liar

There's nothing left of us to long for anymore

But inside the ashes burns an endless fire

And every night I can't help reaching out for more

And I can't sleep, you're so far away from me

And I can't sleep, and I can't sleep

And I can't sleep, you're so far away from me

And I can't sleep, and I can't sleep

You're leaving me scars scattered in my heart

A road map of all the places you have been

And I can't escape, can't wash this away

My love has burned your mark so deep within

If I said I want you back I'd be a liar

There's nothing left of us to long for anymore

But inside the ashes burns an endless fire

And every night I can't help reaching out for more

And I can't sleep, you're so far away from me

And I can't sleep, and I can't sleep

And I can't sleep, you're so far away from me

And I can't sleep, and I can't sleep

(Sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep)

(Sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep)

(Sleep, sleep, sleep)

And I can't sleep, you're so far away from me

And I can't sleep, and I can't sleep

And I can't sleep, you're so far away from me

And I can't sleep, and I can't sleep

And I can't sleep, you're so far away from me

And I can't sleep, and I can't sleep

And I can't sleep, you're so far away from me

And I can't sleep, and I can't sleep

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
sleep /sliːp/ A1	verb - to be in a state of rest when your eyes are closed, your body is inactive, and your mind is unconscious noun - a condition of rest for the body and mind
awake /əˈweɪk/ A2	adjective - not sleeping
singing /ˈsɪŋɪŋ/ A2	noun - the act of making musical sounds with your voice
dark /dɑːrk/ A1	noun - absence of light adjective - with little or no light
dreaming /ˈdriːmɪŋ/ A2	noun - The activity of the mind during sleep
desire /dɪˈzaɪər/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen verb - to strongly wish for or want something
compromise /ˈkɒmprəmaɪz/ B2	noun - an agreement or settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions. verb - settle a dispute by mutual concession.
liar /ˈlaɪər/ B1	noun - a person who tells lies
ashes /ˈæʃɪz/ B1	noun - the powdery residue left after the burning of a substance
burns /bɜːrnz/ A2	verb - to produce flames and heat; to be on fire
endless /ˈendləs/ B1	adjective - having no end or limit
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - the state of burning that produces heat and light
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours
scars /skɑːrz/ B1	noun - a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not completely healed and fibrous connective tissue has developed. verb - mark (someone) with a scar or scars.
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.
escape /ɪˈskeɪp/ B1	verb - break free from confinement or control. noun - an act of breaking free from confinement or control.
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection. verb - feel deep affection or sexual love for (someone).
deep /diːp/ A2	adjective - extending far down from the top or surface.

Key Grammar Structures

• 4:30 a.m., I'm awake again

  ➔ Use of time as setting and present simple tense.

  ➔ The line sets the scene with the time, immediately placing the listener in a specific moment. "I'm awake" uses the present simple to describe a current state.

• While dreaming I see only you and me

  ➔ Subordinating conjunction "while" and inversion of subject-verb order for emphasis

  ➔ The word "while" introduce a subordinate clause indicating simultaneity. Inversion ( "I see" rather than "see I" is less common here). Emphatic inversion is used.

• If I said I want you back I'd be a liar

  ➔ Second Conditional: Expressing an unreal or hypothetical situation.

  ➔ The "If + past simple, would + infinitive" structure indicates a hypothetical scenario. The speaker is stating they *would* be a liar *if* they said they wanted the person back, implying they don't.

• There's nothing left of us to long for anymore

  ➔ Use of "nothing" as a pronoun and infinitive of purpose.

  ➔ "Nothing" acts as a pronoun, replacing something that could be longed for. The phrase "to long for" acts as an infinitive of purpose, explaining *why* there is nothing left.

• But inside the ashes burns an endless fire

  ➔ Inversion for emphasis. (Subject-verb inversion).

  ➔ Instead of "an endless fire burns", the phrase is inverted to place emphasis on "an endless fire" and to create a more poetic effect. The subject 'an endless fire' comes after the verb 'burns'.

• You're leaving me scars scattered in my heart

  ➔ Present Continuous tense describing an ongoing effect and past participle as adjective

  ➔ "You're leaving" indicates that the action is still happening, continuing to affect the speaker. "Scattered" is a past participle used as an adjective to describe the scars.

• My love has burned your mark so deep within

  ➔ Present perfect tense; adverb of degree

  ➔ "Has burned" is the present perfect tense, showing an action that started in the past and has a present result. "So deep" uses "so" as an adverb to emphasize the degree to which the mark is within the speaker.