Daylight – English Lyrics

• By: David Kushner

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the poignant lyrics of David Kushner's "Daylight" to explore the English language through themes of duality and inner conflict. The song's rich vocabulary and metaphorical expressions, such as 'drinking poison from the same vine,' offer a unique opportunity to learn how to convey complex emotions. What makes "Daylight" special for language learners is its raw honesty and universal message of struggling between light and dark, making it a deeply relatable and memorable learning experience.

[English]

Telling myself, "I won't go there"

Oh, but I know that I won't care

Tryna wash away all the blood I've spilt

This lust is a burden that we both share

Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer

Souls tied, intertwined by our pride and guilt

(Ooh)

There's darkness in the distance

From the way that I've been livin' (ooh)

But I know I can't resist it

...

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time

You and I drink the poison from the same vine

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time

Hidin' all of our sins from the daylight

From the daylight, runnin' from the daylight

From the daylight, runnin' from the daylight

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time

...

Tellin' myself it's the last time

Can you spare any mercy that you might find

If I'm down on my knees again

Deep down, way down, Lord, I try

Try to follow your light, but it's nighttime

Please, don't leave me in the end

(Ooh)

There's darkness in the distance

I'm begging for forgiveness (ooh)

But I know I might resist it, oh

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time

You and I drink the poison from the same vine

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time

Hidin' all of our sins from the daylight

From the daylight, runnin' from the daylight

From the daylight, runnin' from the daylight

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time

You and I drink the poison from the same vine

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time

Hidin' all of our sins from the daylight

From the daylight, runnin' from the daylight

From the daylight, runnin' from the daylight

Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
blood /blʌd/ A1	noun - the red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins of humans and animals
lust /lʌst/ B2	noun - intense or uncontrolled desire, especially sexual
burden /ˈbɜːrdən/ B2	noun - a heavy load; a heavy responsibility or problem
sinner /ˈsɪnər/ B2	noun - a person who commits sins
atone /əˈtoʊn/ C1	verb - to make amends or reparations for wrongdoing
prayer /prɛər/ B1	noun - a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to a deity
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being
pride /praɪd/ B1	noun - a feeling of deep satisfaction derived from one's own achievements
guilt /ɡɪlt/ B2	noun - responsibility for wrongdoing; feeling of remorse
darkness /ˈdɑːrknəs/ B2	noun - the partial or total absence of light; a state of gloom
resist /rɪˈzɪst/ B2	verb - to withstand the force or effect of something; to oppose
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - deep affection verb - to feel deep affection for
hate /heɪt/ A2	noun - intense dislike verb - to dislike strongly
poison /ˈpɔɪzən/ B2	noun - a substance that causes illness or death when introduced
vine /vaɪn/ B2	noun - a plant with a long, flexible stem that climbs
daylight /ˈdaɪlˌdaɪt/ B2	noun - the natural light of the day
sin /sɪn/ B1	noun - an immoral act considered a transgression against divine law
hide /haɪd/ B1	verb - to conceal noun - the skin of an animal

Key Grammar Structures

• Telling myself, "I won't go there"

  ➔ Gerund as an introductory clause / Present Participle

  ➔ The "-ing" form "Telling" acts as a present participle, introducing a continuous action or a state that accompanies the main action (even if the main clause is implied or follows later). It can be understood as "While I am telling myself..." or "I am telling myself, and then...".

• Tryna wash away all the blood I've spilt

  ➔ Colloquial Contraction "Tryna" + Phrasal Verb "wash away" + Present Perfect "I've spilt"

  ➔ "Tryna" is a common informal contraction of "trying to", followed by a base verb. "Wash away" is a phrasal verb meaning to remove or eliminate completely. "I've spilt" (I have spilt) is the present perfect tense, indicating an action completed in the past with relevance to the present.

• This lust is a burden that we both share

  ➔ Defining Relative Clause

  ➔ "That we both share" is a defining relative clause. It provides essential information about the noun "burden", specifying which burden is being discussed. The pronoun "that" refers back to "burden" and acts as the object of the verb "share" within the clause.

• Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer

  ➔ Modal Verb "can't" for inability/impossibility

  ➔ "Can't" is the contraction of "cannot", a modal verb used to express inability, lack of permission, or in this context, the impossibility of an action (atoning) under certain conditions (from a lone prayer).

• Souls tied, intertwined by our pride and guilt

  ➔ Past Participles as Adjectives / Reduced Passive Construction

  ➔ "Tied" and "intertwined" are past participles used here to describe the state of "Souls". This is a reduced passive construction, implying "Souls that are tied and intertwined...". The participles act like adjectives modifying the noun.

• From the way that I've been livin'

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ "I've been livin'" (I have been living) is the present perfect continuous tense. It indicates an action that started in the past, continued up to the present, and often implies that it is still ongoing or has recently stopped, with emphasis on the duration or the continuous nature of the activity.

• Oh, I love it and I hate it at the same time

  ➔ Parallel Structure + Adverbial Phrase "at the same time"

  ➔ The repetition of the subject-verb-object structure ("I love it" and "I hate it") creates a parallel construction, emphasizing conflicting emotions. "At the same time" is an adverbial phrase indicating that two actions or states occur simultaneously.

• If I'm down on my knees again

  ➔ Conditional Clause (Type 1 or Zero)

  ➔ The "if" clause introduces a condition. While the main clause (consequence) is not explicitly stated in this line, it implies a future or general consequence if the condition ("I'm down on my knees again") is met. This structure is typical of Type 1 (real and possible future) or Type 0 (general truths/habits) conditionals.

• Try to follow your light, but it's nighttime

  ➔ Verb + Infinitive ("try to do something")

  ➔ The verb "try" is followed by an infinitive verb ("to follow") to express an attempt or effort to do something. This construction is common for verbs that indicate an intention or a struggle to perform an action.

• Please, don't leave me in the end

  ➔ Imperative Negation

  ➔ "Don't leave" is an imperative verb form used to give a negative command or make a strong negative request. It's formed with "Do not" (or "Don't") followed by the base form of the verb.

• Hidin' all of our sins from the daylight

  ➔ Present Participle (colloquial) + Prepositional Phrase "from the daylight"

  ➔ "Hidin'" is a colloquial shortening of "hiding", a present participle. Here, it functions as part of a continuous action or a descriptive element. "From the daylight" is a prepositional phrase indicating separation or concealment from a specific source.