Desire – English Lyrics

• By: Years & Years, Tove Lo
• Album: Communion

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the vibrant soundscape of Years & Years' "Desire" featuring Tove Lo, a synth-pop track that dissects the complexities of love and lust. By examining the nuances of the English language through its introspective lyrics, the listener can explore the differences between 'desire' and 'love' within the context of relationships, while appreciating the song's contribution to LGBTQ+ representation in music.

[English]

♪ I must be tough ♪

♪ I must behave ♪

♪ I must keep fighting ♪

♪ Don't give it up ♪

♪ I want to keep us compromising ♪

♪ Open your arms and pray ♪

♪ To the truth that you're denying ♪

♪ Give into the game ♪

♪ To the sense that you've been hiding ♪

♪ Where are you taking me ♪

♪ I can't be blamed ♪

♪ I want you to want me again ♪

♪ Is it desire ♪

♪ Or is it love that I'm feeling for you ♪

♪ I want desire ♪

♪ 'Cause your love only gets me abused ♪

♪ Chasing that rush ♪

♪ I need to show you what you've been missing ♪

♪ And give me your touch ♪

♪ All of your love is not forbidden ♪

♪ Where are you taking me ♪

♪ I can't be blamed ♪

♪ I want you to want me again ♪

♪ Is it desire ♪

♪ Or is it love that I'm feeling for you ♪

♪ I want desire ♪

♪ 'Cause your love only gets me abused ♪

♪ Is it desire ♪

♪ Or is it love that I'm feeling for you ♪

♪ I want desire ♪

♪ I wanna see what you're willing to lose ♪

♪ Taking, pretending ♪

♪ You're nothing but giving ♪

♪ Making me lose my cool ♪

♪ Faking my love game ♪

♪ Baby, we're the same ♪

♪ Heart turned from good to cruel ♪

♪ You know that you've got me ♪

♪ You've locked me down ♪

♪ You tell me you want me now ♪

♪ Is it desire ♪

♪ Or is it love that I'm feeling for you ♪

♪ I want desire ♪

♪ 'Cause your love only gets me abused ♪

♪ Is it desire ♪

♪ Or is it love that I'm feeling for you ♪

♪ I want desire ♪

♪ I wanna see what you're willing to lose ♪

♪ Oh, what you're willing to lose ♪

♪ What you're willing to lose ♪

♪ What you're willing ♪

♪ Is it desire ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
desire /dɪˈzaɪər/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
fight /faɪt/ B1	verb - to take part in a violent struggle involving the exchange of physical blows or the use of weapons
keep /kiːp/ A2	verb - to have or retain possession of something
show /ʃoʊ/ A2	verb - to cause or allow something to be seen
touch /tʌtʃ/ A2	noun - the act of touching something verb - to come into contact with something
game /ɡeɪm/ B1	noun - a structured form of play or competitive activity
blame /bleɪm/ B1	verb - to assign responsibility for a fault or wrong
willing /ˈwɪlɪŋ/ B2	adjective - ready, eager, or prepared to do something
cruel /ˈkruːəl/ B2	adjective - willfully causing pain or suffering to others
rush /rʌʃ/ B1	noun - a sudden quick movement or feeling of excitement
abuse /əˈbjuːz/ B2	verb - to use something to bad effect or for a bad purpose

Key Grammar Structures

• I want to keep us compromising

  ➔ Use of 'want to' + base verb to express desire or intention.

  ➔ 'Want to' + base verb expresses a desire or goal the subject has.

• Is it desire or is it love that I'm feeling for you?

  ➔ Use of inversion in questions with 'is it' + noun phrase to ask for clarification.

  ➔ Inversion of auxiliary verb 'is' and subject for forming yes/no questions or clarifications.

• Your love only gets me abused

  ➔ Use of 'only' to emphasize exclusivity or limitation.

  ➔ 'Only' modifies the noun 'love' to specify that the love is the sole cause or factor.

• Taking, pretending you're nothing but giving

  ➔ Use of present participles 'taking' and 'pretending' as gerunds to describe ongoing actions.

  ➔ Gerunds ('taking', 'pretending') function as nouns to describe continuous or ongoing actions.

• Making me lose my cool

  ➔ Use of causative 'making' + object + base verb to indicate causing someone to do something.

  ➔ 'Making' is a causative verb indicating that one person causes another to perform an action.

• You tell me you want me now

  ➔ Use of present simple 'you tell' + indirect speech to report speech or expression.

  ➔ Present simple 'you tell' introduces reported speech or direct speech involving the subject.