In Your Eyes – English Lyrics

• By: Peter Gabriel
• Album: So

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful and immersive experience, and Peter Gabriel's 'In Your Eyes' offers a unique opportunity with its inclusion of Wolof, a language of Senegal. The emotive lyrics and the blend of Western pop with African rhythms make this a special song for any language learner, offering a glimpse into a different culture while exploring universal themes of love and connection.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to feel affection for
lost /lɒst/ A2	adjective - unable to find one's way; no longer possessed verb - past tense of lose
emptiness /ˈemptinəs/ B2	noun - the state of containing nothing; a feeling of hollowness
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - an organ that pumps blood; the center of emotion
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
place /pleɪs/ A1	noun - a particular position or location
instincts /ˈɪnstɪŋkts/ B2	noun - an innate, typically fixed pattern of behavior in animals in response to certain stimuli.
facade /fəˈsɑːd/ C1	noun - a deceptive outward appearance
burn /bɜːrn/ A2	verb - to be damaged or destroyed by fire
pride /praɪd/ B1	noun - a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight
heat /hiːt/ A2	noun - the quality of being hot; high temperature
complete /kəmˈpliːt/ B1	adjective - having all the necessary or appropriate parts
doorway /ˈdɔːrweɪ/ B1	noun - an opening in a wall or doorway
churches /ˈtʃɜːrtʃɪz/ A2	noun - buildings used for public Christian worship.
resolution /ˌrezəˈluːʃn/ C1	noun - a firm decision to do or not to do something; the solving of a problem
fruitless /ˈfruːtləs/ B2	adjective - failing to achieve the desired results; unproductive or useless.
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - physical suffering or discomfort
wasted /ˈweɪstɪd/ B1	adjective - used or expended carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose. verb - past tense of waste
survival /sərˈvaɪvl/ B2	noun - the state or fact of continuing to live or exist
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living; not dead

Key Grammar Structures

• Love I get so lost sometimes

  ➔ Subject-Verb Inversion (informal)

  ➔ Normally, it would be "I get so lost." The sentence structure is changed to emphasize the feeling of being "lost". This is a stylistic choice common in poetry and song lyrics, though less common in formal writing.

• Days pass and this emptiness fills my heart

  ➔ Simple Present Tense (general truth/habit) and Conjunction 'and'

  ➔ "Days pass" describes a general truth. "Fills" is also in the simple present. "And" connects two independent clauses.

• But whichever way I go, I come back to the place you are

  ➔ Adverbial Clause with 'whichever', Simple Present Tense.

  ➔ "Whichever way I go" is an adverbial clause modifying the main clause. "whichever" implies any and all options. The use of the Simple Present shows a habitual action.

• The grand facade, so soon will burn

  ➔ Inversion for emphasis, Future Simple (will)

  ➔ The normal word order would be "The grand facade will so soon burn." Inverting the subject and auxiliary verb puts emphasis on the burning of the facade. 'So soon' modifies 'will burn'.

• I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose ('to keep'), Complex Object

  ➔ "to keep me awake and alive" shows the purpose of looking forward to the time. 'me' is the object and 'awake and alive' are object complements, describing the state of 'me'.

• So much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away

  ➔ Present Continuous (emphasizing ongoing action/annoyance)

  ➔ "keeps slipping away" uses the present continuous to emphasize that the moment is continually disappearing, and the implied annoyance or frustration about it. It's not just that it slips away, but that it *keeps* slipping.

• I wanna be that complete

  ➔ Informal contraction "wanna", adjective as complement

  ➔ "Wanna" is an informal contraction of "want to". "Complete" is an adjective describing the state the speaker wants to be in, acting as a subject complement.