Come a Little Closer – English Lyrics

• By: Cage the Elephant
• Album: Melophobia

Lyrics & Translation

"Come a Little Closer" by Cage the Elephant is a psychedelic rock song that encourages listeners to look beyond the surface and question their perceptions. Explore themes of introspection, human connection, and the search for deeper meaning, and improve your English comprehension by unraveling the lyrics' hidden messages.

[English]

Time shakes, found you at the water

At first you were my father, now I love you like a brother

Earthquakes shake the dust behind you

This world at times will blind you

Still I know I'll see you there

Come a little closer, then you'll see

Come on, come on, come on

Things aren't always what they seem to be

Come on, come on, come on

Do you understand the things that you've been seeing?

Come on, come on, come on

Do you understand the things that you've been dreaming?

Come a little closer, then you'll see

Heartbreaks, the heavy world's upon your shoulders

Will we burn or we just smolder?

Somehow I know I'll find you there

Oooh, I wanna see if you can change it, change it

Still I know I'll see you there

Come a little closer, then you'll see

Come on, come on, come on

Things aren't always what they seem to be

Do you understand the things that you've been seeing?

Come on, come on, come on

Do you understand the things that you've been dreaming?

Come a little closer, then you'll see

Come a little closer, then you'll see

...

Ten thousand people stand alone now

And in the evening the sun sets

Tomorrow it will rise

Time flies by, they all sang along

Time flies by, they all sang along

Time flies by, they all sang along

Time flies by by

Come a little closer, then you'll see

Come on, come on, come on

Come a little closer, then you'll see

...

Come a little closer, then you'll see

Come a little closer, then you'll see

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
shake /ʃeɪk/ A2	verb - to move back and forth or up and down quickly
water /ˈwɔːtər/ A1	noun - the clear liquid that falls as rain
dust /dʌst/ A2	noun - fine particles of matter
world /wɜːld/ A2	noun - the earth and all life on it
see /siː/ A1	verb - to perceive with the eyes
thing /θɪŋ/ A1	noun - an object or matter
understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/ B1	verb - to perceive the intended meaning
dream /driːm/ B1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations verb - to experience images, thoughts, and sensations during sleep
heartbreak /ˈhɑːrtbreɪk/ B2	noun - sorrow or pain caused by the ending of a love affair
burn /bɜːrn/ A2	verb - to produce flames
smolder /ˈsməʊldər/ B2	verb - to burn slowly with smoke but no flame
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A2	verb - to make or become different
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - humans
evening /ˈiːvnɪŋ/ A2	noun - the period of time at the end of the day
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that provides light and warmth to Earth
rise /raɪz/ A2	verb - to get up from bed
fly /flaɪ/ A2	verb - to move through the air using wings
sing /sɪŋ/ A2	verb - to produce musical sounds with the voice

Key Grammar Structures

• Time shakes, found you at the water

  ➔ Simple Present and Past Tense

  ➔ Uses both **'shakes'** (Simple Present) and **'found'** (Simple Past) to establish the passage of time.

• At first you were my father, now I love you like a brother

  ➔ Contrast with 'at first' and 'now', using the verb 'to be' and the verb 'to love'

  ➔ Shows a shift in perspective. The use of **'were'** (past tense of 'to be') in the first part and **'love'** (present tense) in the second, highlighting a change in relationship.

• Earthquakes shake the dust behind you

  ➔ Simple Present tense, preposition 'behind'

  ➔ Another use of the Simple Present tense (**'shake'**) describing a general truth or an ongoing situation. The preposition **'behind'** indicates location.

• This world at times will blind you

  ➔ Modal verb 'will' + infinitive, temporal adverbial 'at times'

  ➔ Uses the modal verb **'will'** to express future possibility. **'At times'** functions as an adverbial phrase, indicating frequency.

• Still I know I'll see you there

  ➔ Adverb 'Still', contraction 'I'll' (I will)

  ➔ The adverb **'Still'** emphasizes the continued feeling or belief. The contraction **'I'll'** (I will) is a common future tense construction.

• Come a little closer, then you'll see

  ➔ Imperative mood, modal verb 'will' in contraction form

  ➔ Uses the **imperative** mood (Come) to give a direct instruction or request. Also uses the modal verb 'will' in its contracted form (you'll), to express a consequence.

• Things aren't always what they seem to be

  ➔ Present simple with the negative adverb of frequency 'always', the expression 'what they seem to be'

  ➔ Uses Present Simple with the negative adverb **'always'** and a complex phrase, expressing a general truth. The phrase **'what they seem to be'** acts as a noun clause.

• Do you understand the things that you've been seeing?

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous (Present Perfect Progressive) 'have been seeing'

  ➔ Uses the Present Perfect Continuous (**'have been seeing'**) to emphasize the duration of an action or experience that has relevance to the present.

• Heartbreaks, the heavy world's upon your shoulders

  ➔ Noun, possessive form 'world's', prepositional phrase 'upon your shoulders'

  ➔ Uses a plural noun (**'Heartbreaks'**) to indicate the subject, the possessive form **'world's'** and a prepositional phrase (**'upon your shoulders'**) to describe burden.