Banquet – English Lyrics

• By: Bloc Party
• Album: Silent Alarm

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the energetic indie rock hit "Banquet" by Bloc Party, a song filled with raw emotion and intriguing lyrics. This track offers a chance to dive into the language of desire and inner conflict, making it a standout piece for understanding the band's signature sound and lyrical depth.

[English]

A heart of stone, a smoking gun

I can give you life, I can take it away

A heart of stone, a smoking gun

I'm working it out, I'm working

Why'd you feel so underrated?

...

Why'd you feel so negated?

...

Turning away from the light, becoming adult

Turning into myself

I wanted to bite, not destroy, to feel her underneath

Turning into the light

She don't think straight

No, no, no, she don't think straight

...

She got such a dirty mind and it never ever stops

And you don't taste like her and you never ever will

And we don't read the papers, we don't read the news

Heaven's never enough, we will never be fooled

Turning away from the light, becoming adult

Turning into my soul

I wanted to bite, not destroy, to feel her underneath

Turning into the light

And if you feel (And if you feel)

A little left behind (A little left behind)

We will wait for you on the other side

And if you feel (And if you feel)

A little left behind (A little left behind)

We will wait for you on the other side

'Cause I'm on fire

'Cause you know I'm on fire when you come

'Cause you know I'm on fire

'Cause you know I'm on fire, so stomp me out

'Cause I'm on fire

'Cause I'm on fire

'Cause I'm on fire

'Cause I'm on fire

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood through the body
stone /stoʊn/ A2	noun - a hard, solid mineral matter of a certain size
smoking /ˈsmoʊ.kɪŋ/ B1	noun - the act of inhaling and exhaling smoke from a cigarette or similar substance
gun /ɡʌn/ A2	noun - a weapon that shoots bullets
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the existence of living things
feel /fiːl/ A2	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
underrated /ˌʌndərˈreɪtɪd/ B2	adjective - considered to be less important or less good than they really are
turning /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ/ B1	verb - the act of changing direction or position
light /laɪt/ A2	noun - the natural agent that makes things visible verb - to illuminate or make lighter adjective - not heavy or dark; bright
destroy /dɪˈstrɔɪ/ B2	verb - to damage something so badly that it no longer exists or cannot be repaired
underneath /ˌʌndərˈniːθ/ B2	preposition - directly beneath or below something
become /bɪˈkʌm/ A2	verb - to start to be something or to change into something
side /saɪd/ A1	noun - the surface or part of something that is on a particular aspect, surface, or direction

Key Grammar Structures

• A heart of stone, a smoking gun

  ➔ Noun phrase

  ➔ The phrase "a heart of stone" uses a noun phrase to describe a characteristic.

• I can give you life, I can take it away

  ➔ Modal verbs

  ➔ The use of "can" indicates ability or possibility.

• Turning away from the light, becoming adult

  ➔ Gerund phrase

  ➔ The gerund "turning" indicates an ongoing action.

• She don't think straight

  ➔ Non-standard verb form

  ➔ The phrase uses "don't" instead of "doesn't" which is a common non-standard usage.

• Heaven's never enough, we will never be fooled

  ➔ Future simple tense

  ➔ The phrase uses the future simple tense to express a certainty about the future.

• We will wait for you on the other side

  ➔ Future continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase uses the future continuous tense to indicate an action that will be ongoing in the future.

• 'Cause I'm on fire

  ➔ Informal contraction

  ➔ The phrase uses the informal contraction "'Cause" for "Because".