In My Secret Life – English Lyrics

• By: Leonard Cohen
• Album: Ten New Songs

Lyrics & Translation

Leonard Cohen's 'In My Secret Life' is a perfect song for learners interested in deeply poetic and philosophical English. The lyrics offer a profound vocabulary to articulate complex human duality and internal conflict, with straightforward syntax carrying weighty existential concepts. Listen for the juxtaposition between the speaker's public actions and private morality to appreciate Cohen's nuanced storytelling.

[English]

♪ In my secret life ♪

♪ In my secret life ♪

♪ In my secret life ♪

♪ In my secret life ♪

♪ I saw you this morning ♪

♪ You were moving so fast ♪

♪ Can't seem to loosen my grip ♪

♪ On the past ♪

♪ And I miss you so much ♪

♪ There's no one in sight ♪

♪ And we're still making love ♪

♪ In my secret life ♪

♪ In my secret life ♪

♪ I smile when I'm angry ♪

♪ I cheat and I lie ♪

♪ I do what I have to do ♪

♪ To get by ♪

♪ But I know what is wrong ♪

♪ And I know what is right ♪

♪ And I'd die for the truth ♪

♪ In my secret life ♪

♪ In my secret life ♪

♪ Hold on, hold on, my brother ♪

♪ My sister, hold on tight ♪

♪ I finally got my orders ♪

♪ I'll be marching through the morning ♪

♪ Marching through the night ♪

♪ Moving cross the borders ♪

♪ Of my secret life ♪

♪ I bite my lip ♪

♪ I buy what I'm told: ♪

♪ From the latest hit ♪

♪ To the wisdom of old ♪

♪ But I'm always alone ♪

♪ And my heart is like ice ♪

♪ And it's crowded and cold ♪

♪ In my secret life ♪

♪ In my secret life ♪

♪ In my secret life ♪

♪ In my secret life ♪

♪ In my secret life ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
secret /ˈsiːkrɪt/ A2	adjective - kept hidden or confidential
moving /ˈmuːvɪŋ/ A1	verb - to change position or place adjective - causing emotional impact
loosen /ˈluːsən/ B1	verb - to make less tight
grip /ɡrɪp/ A2	noun - a firm hold or grasp
past /pæst/ A1	noun - the time before the present
miss /mɪs/ A1	verb - to feel sadness for someone's absence
sight /saɪt/ A1	noun - the ability to see
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - deep affection verb - to have deep affection for
smile /smaɪl/ A1	verb - to have a happy expression on the face
angry /ˈæŋɡri/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing anger
cheat /tʃiːt/ A2	verb - to act dishonestly or unfairly
lie /laɪ/ A1	verb - to say something untrue
truth /truːθ/ A1	noun - the quality of being true
march /mɑːrtʃ/ A2	verb - to walk with a regular rhythm
border /ˈbɔːrdər/ A2	noun - the line that divides two areas
bite /baɪt/ A1	verb - to use the teeth to cut or chew
wisdom /ˈwɪzdəm/ B1	noun - the ability to make good judgments
crowded /ˈkraʊdɪd/ A2	adjective - filled to capacity with people
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - low in temperature

Key Grammar Structures

• I saw you this morning

  ➔ Simple Past Tense

  ➔ The verb 'saw' is in the simple past tense, indicating a completed action in the past.

• Can't seem to loosen my grip

  ➔ Modal Verb (can't) + Infinitive

  ➔ 'Can't' is a modal verb expressing inability, followed by the infinitive 'loosen'.

• I smile when I'm angry

  ➔ Present Simple + Present Continuous

  ➔ 'Smile' is in the present simple, and 'I'm angry' uses the present continuous to describe a temporary state.

• I'd die for the truth

  ➔ Conditional Structure (Would + Infinitive)

  ➔ 'I'd die' is a conditional structure using 'would' to express a hypothetical situation.

• Hold on, hold on, my brother

  ➔ Imperative Mood (Repeated Command)

  ➔ The repeated 'hold on' is in the imperative mood, giving a direct command.

• Moving cross the borders

  ➔ Present Participle as Adjective

  ➔ 'Moving' is a present participle used as an adjective to describe 'borders'.

• I bite my lip

  ➔ Pronoun Object (my lip)

  ➔ 'My lip' is a pronoun object receiving the action of the verb 'bite'.