cigarette smoke – English Lyrics

• By: Olivia Rodrigo

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the emotional world of Olivia Rodrigo with 'cigarette smoke.' This song is perfect for learners to explore evocative English vocabulary related to senses, memory, and heartbreak, all delivered through a contemporary pop lens.

[English]

The cigarette smoke

The smell that I know

It clings to my clothes

Seeps into my bones

It's a real quiet house

With the shower left on

Five beers in the fridge

And the second car's gone

I regret you

And how long I stayed

I resent you

For not being brave

Ohh

Tell me something honest

So the memories turn dark

You said that I made loving look easy

Until I made it hard

Give me back my time

And I will give you back your heart

I thought that we played the perfect couple

Until you didn't want the part

Some nights can be

So fucking lonely

But it's better than begging

For you to stand up for me

Honeybee

I regret you

And what I let slide

I resent you

For taking her side

Ohh

Tell me something honest

So the memories turn dark

You said that I made loving look easy

Until I made it hard

Give me back my time

And I will give you back your heart

I thought that we played the perfect couple

Until you didn't want the part

It's bone-dry

Bitter and hollow

You'll be miles away tomorrow

Why'd I try at all

It's bone-dry

Bitter and hollow

You will never know my sorrow

Why'd I try at all

Tell me something honest

So the memories turn dark

Oh, the memories go dark

The memories go dark

The memories go dark

The memories go dark

Go dark

Go dark

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cigarette /ˌsɪɡəˈrɛt/ A2	noun - a thin cylinder of finely cut tobacco rolled in paper for smoking
cling /klɪŋ/ B2	verb - to hold on tightly to something
seep /siːp/ C1	verb - to flow or leak slowly through porous material
regret /rɪˈɡrɛt/ B1	verb - to feel sad or disappointed about something
resent /rɪˈzɛnt/ C1	verb - to feel bitterness at having been treated unfairly
brave /breɪv/ A2	adjective - ready to face and endure danger or pain
honest /ˈɒnɪst/ A2	adjective - free of deceit and untruthfulness
memories /ˈmɛməriz/ A2	noun - faculties by which the mind stores and remembers information
lonely /ˈləʊnli/ A2	adjective - feeling sad because one has no friends or company
begging /ˈbɛɡɪŋ/ B1	verb - asking for something in an earnest or humble way
bitter /ˈbɪtə/ B1	adjective - having a sharp, pungent taste or feeling angry/hurt
hollow /ˈhɒləʊ/ B2	adjective - having a hole or empty space inside
sorrow /ˈsɒrəʊ/ B2	noun - a feeling of deep distress caused by loss or disappointment
couple /ˈkʌpəl/ A1	noun - two people who are married or in a romantic relationship
perfect /ˈpɜːfɪkt/ A1	adjective - having all the required or desirable elements

Key Grammar Structures

• The smell that I know

  ➔ Relative Clause (Defining)

  ➔ "That" acts as a relative pronoun connecting "the smell" to the clause "I know".

• It clings to my clothes

  ➔ Present Simple Tense (Habitual action)

  ➔ The verb "clings" is in the present simple to describe a permanent or ongoing state.

• The shower left on

  ➔ Past Participle as Adjective/Passive sense

  ➔ "Left" is a past participle describing the state of the shower.

• You said that I made loving look easy

  ➔ Causative structure (Make + object + bare infinitive)

  ➔ "Made loving look" uses "made" followed by an object and the bare infinitive "look".

• Until I made it hard

  ➔ Subordinating Conjunction (Time clause)

  ➔ "Until" introduces a clause defining the point in time when the action changed.

• I thought that we played the perfect couple

  ➔ Reported Thought (Past Simple)

  ➔ "Played" is in the past simple, indicating a belief about a completed period in the past.

• But it's better than begging

  ➔ Gerund after comparative structure

  ➔ "Begging" is a gerund used as the object of comparison after "better than".

• You will never know my sorrow

  ➔ Future Simple (Prediction/Certainty)

  ➔ "Will" is used to express a strong certainty about a future state.