Arcade – English Lyrics

• By: Duncan Laurence, FLETCHER

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and Duncan Laurence's "Arcade" offers a poignant and accessible entry point into English. The song's clear, emotional lyrics about love and loss are easy to follow, allowing learners to connect with universal feelings while picking up new vocabulary and phrasing. Its compelling melody and heartfelt delivery make it a memorable song that you'll want to sing along to, reinforcing what you've learned.

[English]

A broken heart is all that's left

I'm still fixing all the cracks

Lost a couple of pieces when

I carried it, carried it, carried it home

I'm afraid of all I am

My mind feels like a foreign land

Silence ringing inside my head

Please, carry me, carry me, carry me home

I've spent all of the love I saved

We were always a losing game

Small-town boy in a big arcade

I got addicted to a losing game

Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh

All I know, all I know

Loving you is a losing game

Do you love me, or love me not?

Peeling pieces from my heart

And my rose-colored lens is gone

Still I carry, I carry, I carry on

Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh

All I know, all I know

Loving you is a losing game

Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh

All I know, all I know

Loving you is a losing game

I don't need your games, game over

...

Get me off this roller coaster

Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh

All I know, all I know

Loving you is a losing game

Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh

All I know, all I know

Loving you is a losing game

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ in your chest that pumps blood noun - the emotional center of a person
fix /fɪks/ A2	verb - to repair something
lose /luːz/ A2	verb - to no longer have something verb - to fail to win
game /ɡeɪm/ A2	noun - an activity done for fun noun - a competition
arcade /ɑːrˈkeɪd/ B1	noun - a public place with coin-operated games
addict /əˈdɪkt/ B1	verb - to be physically and mentally dependent on something
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a strong feeling of affection verb - to have a strong affection for
peel /piːl/ B1	verb - to remove the outer layer of something
carry /ˈkæri/ A2	verb - to hold and transport something
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the part of a person that thinks and feels
silence /ˈsaɪləns/ B1	noun - the absence of sound
roller /ˈroʊlər/ B1	noun - a type of amusement park ride
coaster /ˈkoʊstər/ B1	noun - a small mat to protect surfaces from drinks
pieces /ˈpiːsɪz/ A2	noun - parts of something that has been broken
saved /seɪvd/ A2	verb - protected from harm or loss
gone /ɡɔːn/ A2	adjective - no longer present

Key Grammar Structures

• A broken heart is all that's left

  ➔ Inversion after 'all'

  ➔ The structure 'is all that's left' uses inversion for emphasis. Normally, it would be 'all that's left is a broken heart'. This highlights the completeness of the loss. The word being highlighted is **'is'**.

• I'm afraid of all I am

  ➔ Reflexive pronoun 'all'

  ➔ The use of 'all' as a reflexive pronoun refers back to the subject 'I', encompassing the entirety of the speaker's being. It's a more emphatic way of saying 'everything about myself'. The word being highlighted is **'all'**.

• We were always a losing game

  ➔ Metaphorical use of 'game'

  ➔ The word 'game' is used metaphorically to represent the relationship. It implies a competition with a predetermined negative outcome. The word being highlighted is **'game'**.

• Still I carry, I carry, I carry on

  ➔ Repetition for emphasis

  ➔ The repetition of 'carry' emphasizes the speaker's continued effort and resilience despite the pain. 'Carry on' is a phrasal verb meaning to continue. The word being highlighted is **'carry'**.