Gave Up – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Nine Inch Nails
• Album: Broken - EP

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw, uncompromising language of Industrial Metal with Nine Inch Nails' "Gave Up." This aggressive track is a vocabulary lesson in emotional destruction, featuring powerful, visceral lyrics about self-loathing, anger, and psychological breakdown. Its fast-tempo, guitar-heavy style and unvarnished emotional honesty make it a unique and forceful entry point into the more intense side of alternative rock, perfect for understanding expressions of internal conflict in English.

[English]

A perfect little dream, the kind that hurts the most

I forgot how it feels—well, almost

No one to blame, it's always the same

I open my eyes and wake up in flames

It took you to make me realize

I gave up

I smashed my sanity to pieces

I smashed my integrity to pieces

I smashed everything I believed in

I smashed whatever was left of me

I smashed my entire world

Covered in hope and vaseline

I still cannot fix this broken machine

Watching the hole that used to be mine

Just watching it burn in my steady, systematic decline

Of the trust I will betray

And the damage I will preserve

I gave up

[Spanish]

Perfect little dream, the kind that hurts the most

Forgot how it feels, well almost

No one to blame, always the same

Open my eyes, wake up in flames

It took you to make me realize

I gave up

Smashed up my sanity

Smashed up my integrity

Smashed up what I believed in

Smashed up what's left of me

Smashed up my everything

Covered in hope and vaseline

Still cannot fix this broken machine

Watching the hole it used to be mine

Just watching it burn in my steady systematic decline

Of the trust I will betray

And the damage I will save

I gave up

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
smashed smæʃt B1	verb - to break something into pieces, typically with a loud noise
sanity ˈsænɪti B2	noun - the ability to think and behave in a reasonable and healthy way
integrity ɪnˈtɛɡrɪti C1	noun - the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles
believed bɪˈliːvd A2	verb - to accept that something is true, especially without proof
hope hoʊp A1	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen
vaseline ˈvæzəliːn B1	noun - a petroleum jelly used as a lubricant or moisturizer
broken ˈbroʊkən A2	adjective - having been fractured or damaged and no longer in one piece or in working order
machine məˈʃiːn A1	noun - a piece of equipment with moving parts that performs a particular task
watching ˈwɑːtʃɪŋ A1	verb - to look at or observe something over a period of time
burn bɜːrn A2	verb - to be on fire; to destroy with fire
steady ˈstɛdi A2	adjective - firmly fixed or supported; not shaking or moving
systematic ˌsɪstəˈmætɪk B2	adjective - characterized by a methodical and detailed approach
decline dɪˈklaɪn B1	verb - to become smaller, fewer, or less; to deteriorate
trust trʌst A2	noun - firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something
betray bɪˈtreɪ B1	verb - to expose someone to danger or harm, especially by violating their trust

Key Grammar Structures

• Perfect little dream, the kind that hurts the most

  ➔ Relative Clause

  ➔ The phrase 'the kind that hurts the most' is a relative clause modifying 'dream', providing more information about it.

• Forgot how it feels, well almost

  ➔ Adverb Placement

  ➔ The adverb 'almost' is placed at the end of the sentence to modify the verb 'forgot', indicating a degree of incompleteness.

• No one to blame, always the same

  ➔ Parallel Structure

  ➔ The phrases 'No one to blame' and 'always the same' are parallel in structure, creating a balanced and emphatic effect.

• Open my eyes, wake up in flames

  ➔ Comma Splice

  ➔ The two independent clauses 'Open my eyes' and 'wake up in flames' are joined by a comma, which is a comma splice.

• Smashed up my sanity

  ➔ Phrasal Verb

  ➔ 'Smashed up' is a phrasal verb meaning to destroy or ruin something completely.

• Covered in hope and vaseline

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ The phrase 'in hope and vaseline' is a prepositional phrase acting as an adjective, describing the state of being covered.

• Watching the hole it used to be mine

  ➔ Past Used to

  ➔ 'Used to be mine' indicates a past habit or state that is no longer true, using the structure 'used to'.

• Of the trust I will betray

  ➔ Future Tense

  ➔ 'I will betray' is in the future tense, indicating an action that will occur in the future.