Helena – English Lyrics

• By: My Chemical Romance
• Album: Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic way to connect with culture, and 'Helena' by My Chemical Romance offers a powerful entry point into the emotional depth of English rock. The song's raw and honest lyrics about loss and love allow you to explore a rich vocabulary for expressing deep feelings. The dramatic shifts in the music, from quiet verses to a soaring chorus, make the language memorable and impactful. What makes 'Helena' special is its universal message of remembrance, making it a song that will not only help you learn English but also resonate with you on a personal level.

[English]

Long ago

Just like the hearse you die to get in again

We are so far from you

Burning on

Just like the match you strike to incinerate

The lives of everyone you know

And what's the worst you take (Worst you take)

From every heart you break (Heart you break)

And like the blade you stain (Blade you stain)

Well, I've been holding on tonight

What's the worst that I can say?

Things are better if I stay

So long and goodnight

So long and goodnight

Came a time

When every star fall

Brought you to tears again

We are the very hurt you sold

And what's the worst you take (Worst you take)

From every heart you break (Heart you break)

And like the blade you stain (Blade you stain)

Well, I've been holding on tonight

What's the worst that I can say?

Things are better if I stay

So long and goodnight

So long and goodnight

Well, if you carry on this way

Things are better if I stay

So long and goodnight

So long and goodnight

Can you hear me?

Are you near me?

Can we pretend to leave and then

We'll meet again

When both our cars collide

What's the worst that I can say?

Things are better if I stay

So long and goodnight

So long and goodnight

Well, if you carry on this way

Things are better if I stay

So long and goodnight

So long and goodnight

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hearse /hɜːrs/ B2	noun - a vehicle for conveying a coffin to a church or cemetery
die /daɪ/ A1	verb - to stop living
burning /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ A2	verb - producing flames and heat; on fire adjective - very strong or intense
match /mætʃ/ A2	noun - a short, thin piece of wood or cardboard covered with a special chemical at one end that makes fire when rubbed against a rough surface verb - to be equal to
incinerate /ɪnˈsɪnəreɪt/ C1	verb - to destroy (something) by burning
lives /laɪvz/ A1	noun - plural of life: the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
worst /wɜːrst/ A2	adjective - bad, to the most severe or intense degree
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.
break /breɪk/ A1	verb - to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain
blade /bleɪd/ B1	noun - the flat cutting edge of a knife, sword, or other tool or weapon.
stain /steɪn/ B2	verb - to mark (something) with spots or patches of discolouration.
holding /ˈhoʊldɪŋ/ A2	verb - to have or keep in one's hand or arms
tonight /təˈnaɪt/ A1	noun - the night that is coming or is here
star /stɑːr/ A1	noun - a fixed luminous point in the night sky which is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun.
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to move downwards, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a lower level.
tears /tɪrz/ A1	noun - drops of clear salty liquid secreted from glands in the eye as a result of strong emotion, pain, or a physical irritation.
hurt /hɜːrt/ A2	verb - cause physical pain or injury to noun - emotional pain or distress
sold /soʊld/ A1	verb - past tense of sell: give (something) to someone else in return for payment.
collide /kəˈlaɪd/ B2	verb - strike violently with another or one another; crash.