Lyrics & Translation
Dive into the melancholic beauty of Hooverphonic's "Ether," a song that masterfully uses evocative English lyrics to paint a picture of vanished love and emotional resilience. Its rich, atmospheric soundscape and poetic verses offer a unique opportunity to explore nuanced English vocabulary related to feelings, loss, and coping. The song's introspective nature and beautiful vocal delivery make it a compelling piece for language learners to connect with deeply while appreciating its artistic depth.
[English]
I can't talkI was blinded by your beauty
I am choked
By the things you never said
In silence lies no beauty when the words you said not truly made their point
And so I choke
How can I understand
How you disappeared like a thief in the night
How can I understand
How you vaporised like ether my love
And so I smile
To hide all my sorrow
In a while
You'll just be one more scar
A scar that will remind me of your cold and painful beauty
But I will
I will survive
How can I understand
How you disappeared like a thief in the night
How can I understand
How you vaporised like ether my love
How on earth are you able
To put me with the trash
Treating me like a stranger
Amputating all we had
You told me you do love me
Is this the way to show
Why did you give me that final blow
And so I smile
To hide all my sorrow
In a while
You'll just be one more scar
How can I understand
How you disappeared like a thief in the night
How can I understand
How you vaporised like ether my love
Key Vocabulary
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Key Grammar Structures
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I can't talk
➔ Modal verb 'can' + negation 'not' + base form of verb
➔ The modal verb "can" expresses ability, and "can't" (can + not) expresses the lack of ability.
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I was blinded by your beauty
➔ Passive voice (was + past participle)
➔ The subject ("I") is receiving the action (being blinded). "By" introduces the agent.
-
How can I understand
➔ Modal verb "can" + base form of verb in an interrogative sentence.
➔ This uses "can" to express ability or possibility, in question form.
-
How you disappeared like a thief in the night
➔ Simile (using "like")
➔ Compares the manner of disappearance to that of a thief, using "like".
-
How you vaporised like ether my love
➔ Simile (using "like")
➔ Compares the act of vaporizing to ether using "like".
-
In silence lies no beauty
➔ Inversion (subject-verb order reversed for emphasis)
➔ The prepositional phrase "In silence" comes before the verb, placing emphasis on the silence.
-
How on earth are you able
➔ Interrogative phrase (How + on earth) for emphasis and surprise, using the structure "How + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb"
➔ "How on earth" adds emphasis to the question, expressing strong surprise or disbelief.
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Treating me like a stranger
➔ Present participle phrase functioning as an adverbial phrase of manner.
➔ Describes *how* the subject is being treated, functioning like "as if you were treating me like a stranger".
