Blood on the street – English Lyrics

• By: HAIM
• Album: I quit

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw, honest songwriting of HAIM with "Blood on the Street." While the lyrics cut deep with post-breakup confrontation, the song's powerful grunge-country waltz style showcases the sisters' incredible vocal interplay, offering an authentic look into their musical evolution and emotional depth.

[English]

Bad times when you were mine

What more could you want? You already took all my pride

And I know when you come in close

I'll find myself tangled up in your rope

I swear you wouldn't care

If I was covered in blood, lying dead on the street

And I can count on my one hand

All the times that you really made me feel free

You did what you wanted and now you say what you say

But my hand's stronger than how it was played

The smell on your breath, what a stench

I wonder why I put up with that stress

You order a drink, took a spill on the rink

You cut your upper lip, well, boy, what did you think would happen?

Man, I get the sense

That you think this is still on the table

But when I don't pick up my phone

It's not because I am unable

You saw what you wanted and not what was there

Now you turn around and say I was unfair

Well, I wasn't

It's not that I'm holding a grudge

Or that I wanna see you in pain

It's just that when you smoked your last cigarette

You know you won't do that again

And I stayed up all night with the pack

And now the sun's up, I'm out and that's that

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
tangled ˈtæŋɡəld A2	adjective - twisted together in a confused mass
swear swɛər A1	verb - to make a serious promise or statement
covered ˈkʌvərd A1	verb - to place something over or upon
blood blʌd A1	noun - the red liquid that circulates in the bodies of people and animals
street strit A1	noun - a public road in a city or town
count kaʊnt A1	verb - to say numbers in order
free friː A1	adjective - not imprisoned or enslaved
wanted ˈwɑːntɪd A2	verb - past tense of want; to have a desire for something
stench stɛntʃ B1	noun - a strong, offensive smell
stress strɛs A2	noun - pressure or worry
order ˈɔːrdər A1	verb - to ask for something to be given or done
spill spɪl A2	verb - to cause a liquid to flow out of a container
cut kʌt A1	verb - to make an opening or divide with a sharp tool
sense sɛns A2	noun - a feeling that something is true
grudge ɡrʌdʒ B1	noun - a persistent feeling of ill will or resentment
pack pæk A1	noun - a container or bag for carrying things

Key Grammar Structures

• Bad times when you were mine

  ➔ Past tense + 'when' clause

  ➔ The phrase uses past tense ('were') with a 'when' clause to describe a past situation.

• I'll find myself tangled up in your rope

  ➔ Future tense with 'will'

  ➔ 'I'll' is a contraction of 'I will,' indicating a future action.

• If I was covered in blood, lying dead on the street

  ➔ Past subjunctive with 'was'

  ➔ The subjunctive mood ('was') is used in a hypothetical situation, even though 'were' is more common.

• You did what you wanted and now you say what you say

  ➔ Past simple + present simple contrast

  ➔ The past simple ('did') contrasts with the present simple ('say') to show a change in actions.

• But my hand's stronger than how it was played

  ➔ Comparative adjective

  ➔ 'Stronger' is a comparative adjective, comparing the strength of the hand now to before.

• It's not that I'm holding a grudge

  ➔ Present continuous with 'be'

  ➔ 'I'm holding' is present continuous, indicating an action happening now.

• You know you won't do that again

  ➔ Future with 'will' (negated)

  ➔ 'Won't' is a contraction of 'will not,' indicating a future action will not happen.

• And now the sun's up, I'm out and that's that

  ➔ Present tense with 'be' + contraction

  ➔ 'Sun's up' and 'I'm out' use contractions ('is' and 'am') for a more informal tone.