Breaking Down – English Lyrics

• By: Florence + The Machine

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the hauntingly beautiful world of Florence + The Machine's 'Breaking Down', a song that masterfully articulates the experience of emotional fragility. Through poetic lyrics and a blend of indie and orchestral elements, this track offers a unique opportunity to explore themes of mental health and resilience, teaching listeners how to articulate complex emotions in English.

[English]

All alone

It was always there you see

And even on my own

It was always standing next to me

I can see it coming from the edge of the room

Creeping in the streetlight

Holding my hand in the pale gloom

Can you see it coming now?

Oh, I think I'm breaking down again

Oh, I think I'm breaking down

All alone

Even when I was a child

I've always known

There was something to be find

You know that I can see you coming from the edge of the room

Creeping in the streetlight

Holding my hand in the pale gloom

Can you see it coming now?

Oh, I think I'm breaking down again

Oh, I think I'm breaking down

All alone

On the edge of sleep

My old familiar friend

Comes and lies down next to me

And I can see you coming from the edge of the room

Smiling in the streetlight

Even with my eyes shut tight

I still see you coming

Oh, I think I'm breaking down again

Oh, I think I'm breaking down again

Oh, I think I'm breaking down again

Oh, I think I'm breaking down

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
alone /əˈloʊn/ B1	adjective - having no one else present
breaking /ˈbreɪkɪŋ/ B2	verb - to cause something to separate into pieces
see /siː/ A1	verb - to perceive with the eyes
room /ruːm/ A1	noun - a space that can be occupied
child /tʃaɪld/ A1	noun - a young human being
friend /frɛnd/ A1	noun - a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
gloom /ɡluːm/ B2	noun - a state of partial or total darkness
edge /ɛdʒ/ B1	noun - the boundary line or the part farthest from the center
coming /ˈkʌmɪŋ/ A2	verb - to move or travel towards a place
smiling /ˈsmaɪlɪŋ/ A2	verb - to make a facial expression showing happiness

Key Grammar Structures

• It was always standing next to me

  ➔ Past Continuous (was + -ing)

  ➔ The verb "was" (past of "to be") is followed by the present participle "standing" to describe an ongoing action in the past.

• I can see it coming from the edge of the room

  ➔ Modal verb + bare infinitive + gerund

  ➔ The modal "can" is followed by the bare infinitive "see"; "coming" is a gerund functioning as the object of "see".

• Can you see it coming now?

  ➔ Question with modal verb + subject + base verb

  ➔ The modal "Can" is placed at the beginning, followed by the subject "you" and the base verb "see" to form a yes‑no question.

• I've always known

  ➔ Present Perfect (have + past participle)

  ➔ "I've" = "I have"; "have" is the auxiliary verb and "known" is the past participle, showing an experience that started in the past and continues.

• Even when I was a child

  ➔ Temporal subordinate clause introduced by "when"

  ➔ "when" introduces a clause that refers to a specific time in the past – "I was a child".

• You know that I can see you coming from the edge of the room

  ➔ "that"‑clause + modal verb + gerund

  ➔ "that" introduces a complement clause; inside it, "can" (modal) is followed by "see" (bare infinitive) and "coming" (gerund) as the object.

• My old familiar friend comes and lies down next to me

  ➔ Coordinated present simple verbs (comes + lies down)

  ➔ "comes" and "lies down" are two present‑simple actions linked by the conjunction "and" to describe what the friend does.

• Oh, I think I'm breaking down again

  ➔ Present continuous with reporting verb "think"

  ➔ "think" introduces a reported thought; "am" + "breaking" forms the present continuous to show an ongoing state.

• There was something to be found

  ➔ Past simple with infinitive passive construction (to be + past participle)

  ➔ "was" is the past tense of "to be"; the phrase "to be found" uses the infinitive "to be" + past participle "found" to express a passive meaning.