Damocles – English Lyrics

• By: Sleep Token

Lyrics & Translation

Unlock the emotional depth of English through Sleep Token's "Damocles." This song is a masterclass in vulnerable lyricism and intricate musical storytelling, offering a powerful way to engage with advanced vocabulary related to inner conflict, the pressures of success, and existential dread. Its poetic imagery and raw honesty make it an exceptional piece for language learners to explore nuanced English expression and cultural references.

[English]

Well, I've been waking up under blades, blue blossom days

If only Damocles would hit me back

No alabaster carvings or faces on a farthing

Would prevent my head from fading to black

...

And it feels like falling into the sea

From outer space in seconds to me

And I play discordant days on repeat

Until they look like harmony

...

When the river runs dry and the curtain is called

How will I know if I can't see the bottom?

Come up for air and choke on it all

No one else knows that I've got a problem

What if I can't get up and stand tall?

What if the diamond days are all gone

And who will I be when thе empire falls?

Wake up alonе and I'll be forgotten

...

Well, I know I should be touring, I know these chords are boring

But I can't always be killing the game

No golden grand pianos or voices from the shadows will do anythin' but feel the same

...

And it feels like falling into the deep

From somewhere way up over the peaks

And I play discordant days on repeat

Until the tape runs out on me

...

When the river runs dry and the curtain is called

How will I know if I can't see the bottom?

Come up for air and choke on it all

No one else knows that I've got a problem

What if I can't get up and stand tall?

What if the diamond days are all gone

And who will I be when the empire falls?

Wake up alone and I'll be forgotten

And nobody told me I'd be begging for relief

When what is silent to you feels like it's screaming to me

Well, nobody told me I'd get tired of myself

When it all looks like heaven, but it feels like hell

When the river runs dry and the curtain is called

How will I know if I can't see the bottom?

Come up for air and choke on it all

No one else knows that I've got a problem

What if I can't get up and stand tall?

What if the diamond days are all gone

And who will I be when the empire falls?

Wake up alone and I'll be forgotten

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
waking /ˈweɪkɪŋ/ A1	verb - to emerge from sleep; to become alert.
blades /bleɪdz/ A2	noun - the sharp, cutting part of a knife, sword, or machine.
blossom /ˈblɒsəm/ B1	noun - a flower or a mass of flowers, especially on a fruit tree. verb - to develop or come to fruition; to flourish.
hit /hɪt/ A1	verb - to strike forcefully; to come into contact with something with force.
alabaster /ˈæləˌbæstər/ B2	noun - a fine-grained, translucent form of gypsum, typically white, often carved into ornaments or objects.
carvings /ˈkɑːrvɪŋz/ B1	noun - an object or design cut from a hard material as a decorative item.
fading /ˈfeɪdɪŋ/ B1	verb - gradually growing fainter and disappearing.
falling /ˈfɔːlɪŋ/ A1	verb - to move downward, typically rapidly and freely, under the force of gravity.
outer /ˈaʊtər/ A2	adjective - situated on or toward the outside.
space /speɪs/ A1	noun - the physical universe beyond the earth's atmosphere.
discordant /dɪsˈkɔːrdənt/ C1	adjective - (of sounds) harsh and jarring because of a lack of harmony.
river /ˈrɪvər/ A1	noun - a large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another such stream.
curtain /ˈkɜːrtn/ A2	noun - a piece of material hung to block light or view, or as a decoration.
bottom /ˈbɒtəm/ A1	noun - the lowest point or part of something.
choke /tʃoʊk/ B1	verb - to have severe difficulty in breathing because something is blocking one's throat or windpipe.
problem /ˈprɒbləm/ A1	noun - a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome.
stand /stænd/ A1	verb - have or maintain an upright position, supported by one's feet.
diamond /ˈdaɪəmənd/ A2	noun - a precious stone consisting of a clear and colorless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest naturally occurring substance.
empire /ˈempaɪər/ B1	noun - an extensive group of states or countries ruled over by a single monarch, an oligarchy, or a sovereign state.
forgotten /fərˈɡɒtn/ B1	verb - no longer remembered.
boring /ˈbɔːrɪŋ/ A2	adjective - not interesting; tedious.
golden /ˈɡoʊldən/ B1	adjective - made of or resembling gold.
pianos /piˈænoʊz/ A1	noun - a large keyboard musical instrument with a wooden case enclosing a soundboard and metal strings, which are struck by hammers when the keys are depressed.
voices /ˈvɔɪsɪz/ A1	noun - the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song.
shadows /ˈʃædoʊz/ A2	noun - a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
peaks /piːks/ A2	noun - the pointed top of a mountain.
tape /teɪp/ A2	noun - a narrow strip of material, typically used to hold or fasten something.
silent /ˈsaɪlənt/ A2	adjective - making no sound.
heaven /ˈhevən/ A2	noun - a place regarded in various religions as the abode of God or the gods and of good people after death, often traditionally depicted as being in the sky.
hell /hel/ A2	noun - a place regarded in various religions as a spiritual realm of evil and suffering, often traditionally depicted as a place of perpetual fire beneath the earth.

Key Grammar Structures

• Well, I've been waking up under blades, blue blossom days

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ The use of "I've been waking up" indicates an action that started in the past and continues to the present. It emphasizes the duration or ongoing nature of waking up in this difficult situation.

• If only Damocles would hit me back

  ➔ Wish with 'would'

  ➔ The structure "If only + subject + would + verb" expresses a strong desire for something to happen (or to have happened) that is unlikely or impossible. Here, the speaker wishes Damocles would retaliate, perhaps to end the torment.

• No alabaster carvings or faces on a farthing would prevent my head from fading to black

  ➔ Conditional 'would' in a hypothetical situation

  ➔ This uses "would" to describe a hypothetical situation: even if there were beautiful carvings or faces on a coin, they *would not* prevent the speaker's head from fading to black. It expresses a certainty despite any possible interventions.

• And it feels like falling into the sea From outer space in seconds to me

  ➔ Simile using 'like'

  ➔ The line employs a simile, using "like" to draw a comparison. The feeling is being likened to "falling into the sea from outer space," emphasizing the overwhelming and rapid sensation.

• Until they look like harmony

  ➔ Subjunctive mood implied (how something might appear)

  ➔ While not explicitly in the subjunctive mood, the phrase implies a hypothetical situation where discordant days are repeated so often that they eventually give the impression of harmony. It's not that they *are* harmony, but they *look like* it.

• How will I know if I can't see the bottom?

  ➔ Future simple with conditional clause

  ➔ This sentence uses a future simple ("will I know") in the main clause and a conditional clause with "if" in the present simple ("if I can't see"). It explores a future consequence based on a present condition.

• No one else knows that I've got a problem

  ➔ Noun clause with 'that'

  ➔ The "that I've got a problem" part of the sentence is a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb "knows." The 'that' introduces the clause.

• What if I can't get up and stand tall?

  ➔ 'What if' conditional

  ➔ 'What if' introduces a hypothetical situation, expressing concern or anxiety about a potential negative outcome. It explores the possible consequences of not being able to overcome a current challenge.

• Wake up alone and I'll be forgotten

  ➔ Future simple in the result clause of a zero conditional

  ➔ This sentence expresses a consequence (I'll be forgotten) that is generally true if a condition is met (wake up alone). Although there is no explicit "if," the structure strongly implies a zero conditional relationship.