kill me for always – English Lyrics

• By: Michael Clifford, Porter Robinson
• Album: SIDEQUEST

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the emotional depth of 'kill me for always' by Michael Clifford and Porter Robinson. This unique collaboration blends pop-rock with electronic textures, offering rich, poetic lyrics that vividly convey betrayal and enduring emotional scars. Exploring its poignant narrative and distinct sound can enhance your English listening and comprehension skills, making it a powerful and special song to learn from.

[English]

The castles are built just to fall

I thought I could hold up the wall

The soldiers are standing there tall

They let their guard down when you sang and you kissed them all

The castle is me

Be careful the lies you believe about me

Can't you see?

We broke the truce and now here come the enemies

You leave my tears on your face

'Til it's a little bit too late

Little bit too late

Decisions are having a face

Yeah they've been killing me to make

Killing me to make

The knife in my back is the least of my worries

The blood's on your hands

You left a scar in your place

And it's been written in your name so you can kill me for always

Always, always

So you can kill me for always

Always, always

So you can kill me for always

The comforting tale that you told

I thought it would never get old

But these poisonous hands that I hold

They tore up my gardens, burnt them

Every last rose in the garden is me

I colored my blood so you'd see what I want you to see

And I can't sleep

In the shadows of statues you've built out of me

You leave my tears on your face

'Til it's a little bit too late (little bit too late)

Little bit too late (little bit too late)

Decisions are having a face

Yeah they've been killing me to make (killing me to make)

Killing me to make (killing me to make)

The knife in my back is the least of my worries

The blood's on your hands (your hands)

You left a scar in your place

And it's been written in your name so you can kill me for always

Always, always

So you can kill me for always

Always, always

So you can kill me for always

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
castles /ˈkæsəlz/ A2	noun - large, fortified buildings or sets of buildings, typically of the medieval period.
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to move downwards, typically rapidly and freely, through the air or from a higher position.
wall /wɔːl/ A1	noun - a continuous upright structure that encloses, divides, or protects an area.
soldiers /ˈsoʊldʒərz/ A2	noun - people who serve in an army, typically for military service.
guard /ɡɑːrd/ A2	noun - a state of caution, vigilance, or protection, often used in phrases like 'let their guard down'. verb - to watch over something or someone in order to protect or control them.
truce /truːs/ B2	noun - an agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting or arguing for a certain time; a ceasefire.
enemies /ˈenəmiz/ A2	noun - people who are actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.
tears /tɪərz/ A2	noun - drops of clear salty liquid that come from the eyes, typically as a response to emotion or irritation.
decisions /dɪˈsɪʒənz/ A2	noun - choices or judgments that one makes after thinking carefully.
knife /naɪf/ A2	noun - a cutting tool or weapon consisting of a blade with a sharp edge, attached to a handle.
worries /ˈwɜːriz/ B1	noun - states of anxiety and concern about something.
blood /blʌd/ A2	noun - the red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins of humans and other vertebrate animals, carrying oxygen and nutrients.
hands /hændz/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm, including the palm, fingers, and thumb, used for grasping and holding.
scar /skɑːr/ B1	noun - a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not healed completely, often symbolizing lasting damage or trauma.
kill /kɪl/ A2	verb - to cause the death of a person, animal, or other living thing.
comforting /ˈkʌmfərtɪŋ/ B2	adjective - providing comfort or solace; reassuring.
poisonous /ˈpɔɪzənəs/ B2	adjective - (of a substance or organism) causing illness or death if taken into the body or produced by a living organism.
gardens /ˈɡɑːrdənz/ A1	noun - pieces of ground adjoining a house, used for growing flowers, fruit, or vegetables.
shadows /ˈʃædoʊz/ B1	noun - dark areas or shapes produced when light from a source is blocked by an opaque object.
statues /ˈstætʃuːz/ B1	noun - carved or cast figures of a person or animal, especially one that is life-size or larger.

Key Grammar Structures

• The castles are built just to fall

  ➔ Passive Voice + Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "are built" shows the passive voice (castles are the recipients of the action). "to fall" expresses the purpose or intended outcome.

• I thought I could hold up the wall

  ➔ Modal Verb (could) + Phrasal Verb (hold up)

  ➔ "could hold up" uses the modal verb "could" to express ability in the past, combined with the phrasal verb "hold up" meaning to support or prevent from falling.

• They let their guard down when you sang and you kissed them all

  ➔ Phrasal Verb (let down) + Temporal Clause (when...)

  ➔ "let their guard down" is a phrasal verb meaning to relax or become less cautious. The clause starting with "when" indicates the time or circumstance.

• We broke the truce and now here come the enemies

  ➔ Inversion with 'here'

  ➔ "here come the enemies" shows inversion; the verb "come" comes before the subject "the enemies" for emphasis or dramatic effect, following the adverb "here".

• Decisions are having a face

  ➔ Present Continuous with 'have' (unusual usage/personification)

  ➔ "are having" uses the present continuous form of "have", which is unusual for possession but is used here metaphorically to personify decisions as if they possess a physical 'face'.

• Yeah they've been killing me to make

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous (have been killing) + Infinitive of Purpose (to make)

  ➔ "they've been killing" (they have been killing) uses the present perfect continuous for an action started in the past and continuing, emphasizing duration or effect. "to make" expresses the purpose.

• And it's been written in your name

  ➔ Present Perfect Passive (has been written)

  ➔ "it's been written" (it has been written) uses the present perfect passive voice. It describes an action completed in the past (writing) that has a result or relevance in the present, where the subject "it" is passive.

• The comforting tale that you told

  ➔ Relative Clause (that you told)

  ➔ "that you told" is a relative clause modifying the noun "tale", providing more information about which specific tale is being referred to.

• I thought it would never get old

  ➔ 'would' expressing future from a past perspective + Phrasal Verb (get old)

  ➔ "would never get old" uses "would" to talk about a future event or state as seen from a point in the past (the moment of "thought"). "get old" is a phrasal verb meaning to become old or tiresome.

• In the shadows of statues you've built out of me

  ➔ Reduced Relative Clause + Present Perfect (you've built)

  ➔ "statues you've built" is a reduced relative clause (originally "statues that you've built"). The relative pronoun "that" is omitted. "you've built" uses the present perfect for an action completed with present relevance.