The Show Must Go On – English Lyrics

• By: 2CELLOS
• Album: Let There Be Cello

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Empty spaces, what are we living for?

Abandoned places, I guess we know the score, on and on

Does anybody know what we are looking for?

Another hero, another mindless crime

Behind the curtain, in the pantomime

Hold the line

Does anybody want to take it anymore?

The show must go on

The show must go on, yeah

Inside my heart is breaking

My makeup may be flaking

But my smile, still, stays on

Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance

Another heartache, another failed romance, on and on

Does anybody know what we are living for?

I guess I'm learning

I must be warmer now

I'll soon be turning, round the corner now

Outside the dawn is breaking

But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free

The show must go on

The show must go on

Inside my heart is breaking

My makeup may be flaking

But my smile, still, stays on

My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies

Fairy tales of yesterday, grow but never die

I can fly, my friends

The show must go on

The show must go on

I'll face it with a grin

I'm never giving in

On with the show

I'll top the bill

I'll overkill

I have to find the will to carry on

On with the show

Show

Show must go on

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
empty /ˈɛmpti/ A2	adjective - containing nothing
spaces /ˈspeɪsɪz/ A2	noun - an area that is empty or available
abandoned /əˈbændəndd/ B1	adjective - having been deserted or left
hero /ˈhɪəroʊ/ B1	noun - a person admired for courage or noble qualities
crime /kraɪm/ B1	noun - an act committed in violation of the law
curtain /ˈkɜːrtən/ A2	noun - a piece of fabric hung to cover a window or stage
breaking /ˈbreɪkɪŋ/ B1	verb - to separate into pieces
smile /smaɪl/ A1	noun - a facial expression indicating happiness
chance /tʃɑːns/ A2	noun - a possibility of something happening
heartache /ˈhɑːrtˌeɪk/ B2	noun - emotional anguish or grief
romance /roʊˈmæns/ B1	noun - a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love
learning /ˈlɜːrnɪŋ/ A2	verb - to gain knowledge or skill
aching /ˈeɪkɪŋ/ B2	verb - to feel a dull or continuous pain
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being
painted /ˈpeɪntɪd/ A2	verb - to cover with color
wings /wɪŋz/ A2	noun - the appendages used for flight
fly /flaɪ/ A1	verb - to move through the air using wings
grin /ɡrɪn/ A2	noun - a wide smile
bill /bɪl/ A2	noun - a list of performers in a show

Key Grammar Structures

• Empty spaces, what are we living for?

  ➔ Present continuous tense as a stative question.

  ➔ The phrase "are we living" uses the present continuous to ask about the purpose of our existence.

• Another hero, another mindless crime

  ➔ Use of nominal phrases to list items in parallel.

  ➔ The repetition of "Another" followed by a noun creates a list of items in a parallel structure.

• My makeup may be flaking

  ➔ Modal verb "may" expressing possibility.

  ➔ Here, "may be flaking" suggests that the makeup possibly is coming off, not certain but likely.

• Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance

  ➔ Use of "Whatever" as a pronoun introducing a concessive clause.

  ➔ "Whatever happens" means no matter what happens; it introduces a condition that does not affect the main clause.

• I'll face it with a grin

  ➔ Future simple tense for intention or decision.

  ➔ "I'll face" shows the speaker's determination to confront something in the future.

• I'll never giving in

  ➔ Incorrect form: should be "I'll never give in" (future simple + base verb).

  ➔ The phrase incorrectly uses "giving" after 'I'll'; the correct form is "I'll never give in" with base verb after 'will'.

• My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies

  ➔ Simile using 'like' to compare two things.

  ➔ The sentence compares 'my soul' to 'the wings of butterflies' using 'like' to create a vivid image.