Heading Home – English Lyrics

• By: Alan Walker, Ruben

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into "Heading Home" by Alan Walker and Ruben, a track that resonated deeply with fans even before its official release. Its emotive lyrics, sung in English by Ruben, offer a beautiful narrative about nostalgia and the search for belonging, providing an excellent opportunity to learn and appreciate English vocabulary related to emotions, memories, and personal reflection. The song's clear vocals and evocative storytelling make it a special and accessible piece for language learners.

[English]

I was so insatiable

'Til the lights came on

And the stories got old

Now there's no one here I know

And the city outside's

Not the same anymore

And I

I remember when we were young

We'd write our names in the sand, so carelessly

Then the rain came and yours was gone

And now mine, it stands alone

Nobody sees me

Now I'm a one man show

I'll do this on my own

We knew it all then

Now this is all I know

Guess I'm heading home now

Ooh-ooh (Yeah), ooh-ooh

Ooh-ooh, guess I'm heading home now

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh

Ooh-ooh, guess I'm heading home now

And the music always played

With the sound of our lives

And the sweetest escape

And the neighbours would complain

We would turn it up louder

Who cares anyway?

'Cause we-

We remember that we were young

Our lives were grains in the sand

Had we made our castles and kingdoms up?

Now the waves have torn them down

Nobody sees me

Now I'm a one man show

Ooh-ooh (Yeah), ooh-ooh

Ooh-ooh, guess I'm heading home now

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh

Ooh-ooh, guess I'm heading home now

You'll find me

I'll be here, oh

I can't see

I can't breathe anymore

But how could we have stayed?

You were high on love

I was drunk

Drunk on the pain

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh (Ooh)

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh (Guess I'm heading, I'm heading, I'm heading)

I'm heading home

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh (Mmh-hm)

Ooh-ooh

Guess, I'm heading home now

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
insatiable /ɪnˈseɪʃəbl/ C1	adjective - impossible to satisfy
remember /rɪˈmembər/ A2	verb - to recall something from the past
carelessly /ˈkerləsli/ B1	adverb - without much care or attention
alone /əˈloun/ A1	adjective - without anyone else present
show /ʃoʊ/ A2	noun - a performance or entertainment verb - to display or exhibit
escape /ɪˈskeɪp/ B1	noun - the act of escaping
complain /kəmˈpleɪn/ B1	verb - to express dissatisfaction or annoyance
lives /laɪvz/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter
kingdoms /ˈkɪŋdəmz/ B2	noun - a country or territory ruled by a king or queen
torn /tɔːrn/ B1	verb - to rip or tear
breathe /briːθ/ A1	verb - to inhale and exhale
anymore /ˈeniˌmɔːr/ A2	adverb - any longer
drunk /drʌŋk/ B1	adjective - affected by alcohol
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - physical suffering or discomfort
heading /ˈhedɪŋ/ B1	verb - to move in a particular direction

Key Grammar Structures

• I was so insatiable 'til the lights came on

  ➔ Past Continuous/Simple Past Contrast, Contraction

  ➔ The sentence uses the Past Continuous ("was insatiable") to describe a state that continued until a specific point in the past, marked by the Simple Past ("came on"). 'Til is a contraction of 'until'. The phrase highlights a change in state.

• Then the rain came and yours was gone

  ➔ Simple Past, Possessive Pronoun, Past Copula

  ➔ This sentence demonstrates a sequence of events in the past. "Yours" functions as a possessive pronoun referring to a previously mentioned name written in the sand. "was gone" uses the past copula 'was' to indicate a state of no longer existing.

• We'd write our names in the sand, so carelessly

  ➔ Past Habitual (Conditional Perfect), Possessive Pronoun, Adverb of Manner

  ➔ "We'd write" is a contraction of "We would write", indicating a repeated action in the past. "Our" is a possessive pronoun. "Carelessly" is an adverb modifying the verb 'write', describing *how* they wrote.

• Guess I'm heading home now

  ➔ Present Continuous for Future Arrangement, Modal Verb (Implied), Interjection

  ➔ The Present Continuous ("I'm heading") is used to express a planned future action. "Guess" functions as an interjection, softening the statement and implying a degree of certainty. The implied modal verb is 'will'.