Forever ... (is a long time) – English Lyrics

• By: Halsey
• Album: If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music can be an incredibly immersive experience, and Halsey's 'Forever ... (is a long time)' offers a unique opportunity for English learners. The song's lyrical depth and emotional transparency allow you to explore complex themes of love, self-doubt, and introspection. What makes this song special is its narrative structure, which takes you on a journey through different emotional states, mirrored by a distinct change in the music itself. By engaging with these lyrics, you can learn vocabulary related to emotions and relationships in a powerful and memorable way.

[English]

I spent a long time

Watering a plant made out of plastic

And I curse the ground for growing green

I spent a long time

Substituting honest with sarcastic

And I curse my tongue for being mean

Weightless, breathless restitute

Motionless and absolute

He cut me open

Sucked the poison from an aging wound

Now fifty thousand war cadets

Would cower at this small brunette

To my surprise, not six feet high

Would reach and grab the moon if I should ask

Or just imply that I wanted a bit more light

So I could look inside his eyes

And get the colors just right

Just right, just right

Just

...

But love built, God built provinces

Build calluses, break promises

'Cause I could never hold a perfect thing

And not demolish it

What am I thinking? What does this mean?

How could somebody ever love me?

Talk to your man, tell him he's got bad news comin'

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
poison /ˈpɔɪzən/ B2	noun - a harmful or deadly substance verb - to poison; to make something toxic
wound /wuːnd/ B2	noun - an injury to the body, typically involving broken skin verb - to cause an injury; to hurt
cadet /kəˈdɛt/ B2	noun - a young trainee in the military or police
brunette /brʊˈnɛt/ B2	noun - a person, especially a woman, with dark brown hair
moon /muːn/ A2	noun - the Earth’s natural satellite that shines at night
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - visible electromagnetic radiation that makes things visible
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - deep affection or strong emotional attachment verb - to feel deep affection for someone or something
promise /ˈprɒmɪs/ B1	noun - a declaration that one will do something or that a particular thing will happen
perfect /ˈpɜːrfɪkt/ B2	adjective - without any flaws or defects; completely correct
demolish /dɪˈmɒlɪʃ/ C1	verb - to completely destroy or ruin a building or structure
weightless /ˈweɪt.ləs/ C1	adjective - having no weight; feeling as if floating
breathless /ˈbrɛθ.ləs/ C1	adjective - having difficulty breathing; out of breath
motionless /ˈmoʊʃən.ləs/ C1	adjective - not moving; still
absolute /ˈæb.sə.luːt/ B2	adjective - complete; not limited by any condition
curse /kɜːrs/ B2	verb - to invoke a curse or swear
cut /kʌt/ A1	verb - to divide something with a sharp tool
grow /ɡroʊ/ A2	verb - to increase in size or develop
substitute /ˈsʌb.stɪ.tjuːt/ B2	verb - to replace one thing with another
sarcastic /sɑːrˈkæs.tɪk/ B2	adjective - using irony to mock or convey contempt
honest /ˈɒn.ɪst/ B1	adjective - truthful and sincere

Key Grammar Structures

• I spent a long time

  ➔ Simple past tense

  ➔ The verb "spent" is in the simple past, showing a completed action in the past.

• Watering a plant made out of plastic

  ➔ Gerund phrase functioning as a noun

  ➔ The word "Watering" is a gerund; the whole phrase acts as a noun (the subject of the sentence).

• And I curse the ground for growing green

  ➔ Gerund after a preposition (for + gerund)

  ➔ "for" is followed by the gerund "growing" to express the reason for cursing.

• He cut me open, sucked the poison from an aging wound

  ➔ Parallel simple past verbs (compound predicate)

  ➔ "cut" and "sucked" are two simple past verbs joined by a comma, forming a compound predicate.

• Now fifty thousand war cadets would cower at this small brunette

  ➔ Modal verb "would" for hypothetical future in the past

  ➔ "would cower" shows a hypothetical action that was expected to happen in a past context.

• If I should ask, would you reach and grab the moon?

  ➔ Conditional clause with modal "should" + inversion

  ➔ "If I should ask" uses the modal "should" to express a polite or uncertain condition; note the inversion "should I" is avoided for lyrical flow.

• Talk to your man, tell him he's got bad news comin'

  ➔ Imperative sentences + reported speech with contraction

  ➔ "Talk" and "tell" are imperatives directing the listener; "he's got" is a contracted form of "he has got" used in informal reported speech.

• What am I thinking? What does this mean?

  ➔ Present simple interrogative with auxiliary verbs "am"/"does"

  ➔ "What am I thinking?" uses the auxiliary "am" with the subject after the wh‑word; "What does this mean?" uses "does" for third‑person singular.