Chains of Love – English Lyrics

• By: Charli XCX
• Album: Wuthering Heights

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the dark, romantic world of gothic literature and cinematic pop with 'Chains of Love.' This track is a masterclass in using dramatic, emotionally charged English to describe an all-consuming love that feels like a beautiful prison. You can learn vocabulary related to intense emotion and literary concepts of love and torment, delivered through Charli XCX's unique blend of electronic and baroque pop. The song is special for its powerful lyricism and dramatic departure from her usual hyperpop style.

[English]

I'd rather lay down in thorns

I'd rather drown in a stream

I'd rather light myself on fire

I'd rather wear all these scars

I'd rather watch my skin bleed

In the eye of your storm

(I can't let go)

Shatterin' like glass

Yes, they're breakin' up my heart

The chains of love are cruel

I shouldn't feel like a prisoner

My face is turnin' blue

Can't breathe without you here

The chains of love are cruel

I shouldn't feel like a prisoner

No matter how hard I try

I'm here so permanently, yeah

And I wait for your call

(I can't let go)

I know the chains of love won't break

I know the chains of love won't break

Shatterin' like glass

Yes, they're breakin' up my heart

The chains of love are cruel

I shouldn't feel like a prisoner

My face is turnin' blue

I can't breathe without you here

The chains of love are cruel

I shouldn't feel like a prisoner

...

I know the chains of love won't break

I know the chains of love won't break

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
chain /tʃeɪn/ B1	noun - a series of connected metal rings used for fastening or restraining something
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a strong feeling of deep affection for someone
thorn /θɔːrn/ B2	noun - a small sharp pointed growth on the stem of a plant
stream /striːm/ B1	noun - a small narrow river
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A2	noun - flames, light, and heat produced by burning
scar /skɑːr/ B2	noun - a mark left on the skin after a wound has healed
bleed /bliːd/ B2	verb - to lose blood from the body because of a cut or injury
storm /stɔːrm/ B1	noun - a violent weather condition with strong winds and rain
glass /ɡlæs/ A2	noun - a hard, transparent material used for windows and bottles
cruel /ˈkruːəl/ B2	adjective - causing pain or suffering to others deliberately
prisoner /ˈprɪzənər/ B1	noun - a person kept in prison as a punishment or during war
breathe /briːð/ B1	verb - to take air into the lungs and let it out again
break /breɪk/ A2	verb - to separate into pieces because of a blow or strain
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ in the chest that pumps blood through the body
skin /skɪn/ A2	noun - the thin outer layer covering the body of a person or animal

Key Grammar Structures

• I'd rather lay down in thorns

  ➔ Preference structure: would rather + bare infinitive

  ➔ The phrase "would rather" expresses a preference, followed by the base verb "lay".

• I'd rather light myself on fire

  ➔ Reflexive pronoun usage

  ➔ The reflexive pronoun "myself" refers back to the subject "I" in "light myself on fire".

• Shatterin' like glass

  ➔ Present participle as adjective & simile with 'like'

  ➔ "Shatterin'" is a present participle modifying an implied subject, and "like glass" creates a simile using 'like'.

• Yes, they're breakin' up my heart

  ➔ Present continuous & phrasal verb 'break up'

  ➔ "They're breaking up" uses the present continuous, and "break up" is a phrasal verb meaning to destroy or end.

• I shouldn't feel like a prisoner

  ➔ Modal verb 'should' in negative for advice

  ➔ "Shouldn't feel" uses the modal "should" in its negative form to express that it's inadvisable to feel like a prisoner.

• My face is turnin' blue

  ➔ Present continuous & colloquial -in' ending

  ➔ "Turnin'" is a colloquial form of "turning" with the -g dropped in the present continuous "is turning".

• Can't breathe without you here

  ➔ Elliptical sentence (omitted subject)

  ➔ The subject "I" is omitted in "Can't breathe", a common informal ellipsis in English.

• No matter how hard I try

  ➔ Concessive subordinate clause: 'no matter how'

  ➔ "No matter how" introduces a concessive clause showing that regardless of effort ("how hard I try"), the result stays the same.

• In the eye of your storm

  ➔ Idiomatic prepositional phrase 'in the eye of'

  ➔ "In the eye of your storm" uses the idiomatic phrase "in the eye of" meaning at the center of turmoil.

• I know the chains of love won't break

  ➔ Negative future simple with 'won't'

  ➔ "Won't break" is the negative form of the future simple, expressing that something will not happen.