Beautiful Ghosts – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift
• Album: Midnights

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the poignant world of "Beautiful Ghosts," a captivating collaboration between Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber for the *Cats* movie. This orchestral ballad offers a unique opportunity to experience rich English lyricism, exploring themes of yearning, memory, and resilience through the perspective of a young character. Its theatrical style and emotional depth make it a compelling piece for language learners to appreciate Swift's versatility and the evocative power of English songwriting in a musical context.

[English]

Follow me home

If you dare to

I wouldn't know

Where to lead you

Should I take chances

When no one took chances on me?

So I watch from the dark, wait for my life to start

With no beauty in my memory

All that I wanted

Was to be wanted

Too young to wander London streets

Alone and haunted

Born into nothing

At least you have something

Something to cling to

Visions of dazzling rooms I'll never get let into

And the memories were lost long ago

But at least you have beautiful ghosts

...

Perilous night

Their voices calling

A flicker of light

Before the dawning

Out here, the wild ones

Are taming the fear within me

Scared to call them my friends and be broken again

Is this hope just a mystical dream?

All that I wanted

Was to be wanted

Too young to wander London streets

Alone and haunted

Born into nothing

At least you have something

Something to cling to

Visions of dazzling rooms, I'll never get let into

And the memories were lost long ago

But at least you have beautiful ghosts

And so maybe my home isn't what I had known

What I thought it would be

But I feel so alive with these phantoms of night

And I know that this life isn't safe

But it's wild and it's free

All that I wanted

Was to be wanted

I'll never wander London streets

Alone and haunted

Born into nothing

With them, I have something

Something to cling to

I never knew I'd love this world they've let me into

And the memories were lost long ago

So I'll dance with these beautiful ghosts

And the memories were lost long ago

So I'll dance with these beautiful ghosts

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
haunted /ˈhɔːntɪd/ B2	adjective - visited by ghosts
visions /ˈvɪʒənz/ B2	noun - the faculty or state of being able to see
dazzling /ˈdæzlɪŋ/ C1	adjective - extremely impressive, beautiful, or attractive
memories /ˈmeməriz/ B1	noun - something remembered from the past; a recollection
ghosts /ɡoʊsts/ B1	noun - the spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living
perilous /ˈperələs/ C1	adjective - full of danger or risk
voices /ˈvɔɪsɪz/ A2	noun - the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song
flicker /ˈflɪkər/ B2	noun - a momentary flash of light verb - to shine unsteadily; vary rapidly in brightness
dawning /ˈdɔːnɪŋ/ B2	noun - the first light of day; sunrise
wild /waɪld/ A2	adjective - living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated
taming /ˈteɪmɪŋ/ B2	verb - to domesticate (an animal)
fear /fɪr/ A2	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by the perception of danger, pain, or threat
hope /hoʊp/ A2	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen
mystical /ˈmɪstɪkəl/ C1	adjective - inspiring a sense of mystery and wonder
phantoms /ˈfæntəmz/ C1	noun - a ghost
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living, not dead
dance /dæns/ A1	verb - move rhythmically to music

Key Grammar Structures

• Should I take chances when no one took chances on me?

  ➔ Modal verbs for asking questions.

  ➔ The phrase "Should I" indicates a question about possibility or permission.

• All that I wanted was to be wanted.

  ➔ Past simple tense for expressing desires.

  ➔ The phrase "All that I wanted" shows a past desire.

• Born into nothing, at least you have something.

  ➔ Past participle used as an adjective.

  ➔ The word "Born" describes a state of being.

• Visions of dazzling rooms I'll never get let into.

  ➔ Future tense with 'will' for predictions.

  ➔ The phrase "I'll never get let into" indicates a future prediction.

• But I feel so alive with these phantoms of night.

  ➔ Present simple tense for expressing feelings.

  ➔ The phrase "I feel so alive" expresses a current emotional state.

• So I'll dance with these beautiful ghosts.

  ➔ Future tense with 'will' for intentions.

  ➔ The phrase "I'll dance" indicates a future intention.