In Between Days – English Lyrics

• By: The Cure
• Album: Songs Of A Lost World

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the enduring appeal of The Cure's "In Between Days," a quintessential 80s track that perfectly blends catchy jangle-pop with poignant lyrical introspection. This song offers a rich vocabulary for expressing complex emotions like longing, regret, and the bittersweet nature of transition, making it an excellent choice for English language learners. Its clear, articulate vocals and evocative imagery provide a compelling way to connect with the nuances of emotional expression in English, while its unique blend of upbeat music and melancholic themes showcases the diverse power of English songwriting.

[English]

(upbeat music)

♪ Yesterday I got so old ♪

♪ I felt like I could die ♪

♪ Yesterday I got so old ♪

♪ It made me want to cry ♪

♪ Go on, go on, just walk away ♪

♪ Go on, go on, your choice is made ♪

♪ Go on, go on, and disappear ♪

♪ Go on, go on away from here ♪

♪ And I know I was wrong ♪

♪ When I said it was true ♪

♪ That it couldn't be me and be her ♪

♪ In between without you ♪

♪ Without you ♪

♪ Yesterday I got so scared ♪

♪ I shivered like a child ♪

♪ Yesterday away from you ♪

♪ It froze me deep inside ♪

♪ Come back, come back ♪

♪ Don't walk away ♪

♪ Come back, come back ♪

♪ Come back today ♪

♪ Come back, come back ♪

♪ What can't you see ♪

♪ Come back, come back ♪

♪ Come back to me ♪

♪ And I know I was wrong ♪

♪ When I said it was true ♪

♪ That it couldn't be me and be her ♪

♪ In between without you ♪

♪ Without you ♪

♪ Without you ♪

♪ Without you ♪

♪ Without you, without you ♪

♪ Without you, without you ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
yesterday /ˈjɛs.tə.deɪ/ A2	noun - the day before today
old /oʊld/ A1	adjective - having lived for a long time; not young
die /daɪ/ B1	verb - to stop living
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to produce tears; to weep
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move on foot
choice /tʃɔɪs/ B1	noun - the act of selecting among alternatives
disappear /ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/ B2	verb - to cease to be seen
wrong /rɒŋ/ A2	adjective - not correct; mistaken
true /truː/ A2	adjective - in accordance with fact; real
scared /skɛrd/ B1	adjective - frightened; feeling fear
shiver /ˈʃɪvər/ B1	verb - to shake slightly because of cold or fear
child /tʃaɪld/ A1	noun - a young human being
freeze /friːz/ B1	verb - to become solid due to cold; to become still
deep /diːp/ B1	adjective - extending far down; profound
inside /ˈɪnˌsaɪd/ B1	noun - the inner part or interior
come /kʌm/ A1	verb - to move toward or reach a place
see /siː/ A1	verb - to perceive with the eyes
know /noʊ/ A1	verb - to be aware of; to have information about
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
want /wɒnt/ A1	verb - to desire or wish for

Key Grammar Structures

• Yesterday I got so old

  ➔ Simple Past Tense

  ➔ The verb "got" is the simple past form of "get", indicating a completed action in the past.

• I felt like I could die

  ➔ Modal verb "could" for past possibility

  ➔ The modal "could" expresses a possible action in the past: "could die" = was able to die.

• It made me want to cry

  ➔ Causative construction: make + object + base verb

  ➔ "made" is the past form of "make" used to cause someone to do something: "made me want".

• Go on, go on, just walk away

  ➔ Imperative mood (command)

  ➔ "Go" and "walk" are used in the imperative form to give a direct command: "Go on" = continue, "walk away" = leave.

• And I know I was wrong

  ➔ Present simple for mental state + past simple for past fact

  ➔ "know" is in the present simple because it describes a current belief; "was" is past simple indicating a past condition.

• When I said it was true

  ➔ Past simple in a temporal clause introduced by "when"

  ➔ "said" is the past simple of "say"; the clause "it was true" also uses past simple, both referring to a completed past event.

• That it couldn't be me and be her

  ➔ Negative modal "couldn't" expressing impossibility

  ➔ "couldn't" is the contracted form of "could not"; it shows that something was impossible: "couldn't be me" = was not possible to be me.

• What can't you see

  ➔ Inverted yes‑no question with modal "can't"

  ➔ "can't" (cannot) is placed before the subject "you" to form a question: "What can't you see?" = "What is it that you cannot see?"

• Come back, come back

  ➔ Imperative mood (repeated command)

  ➔ "Come" is the base form used as an imperative, urging the listener to return.