Kings & Queens – English Lyrics

• By: Ava Max

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the danceable, empowering message of Ava Max's "Kings & Queens." This global hit uses clever analogies, like chess metaphors, to discuss independence and equality. Learning the lyrics offers a fun way to explore modern American English idioms related to strength and royalty, such as "no damsel in distress" and owning your own "throne."

[English]

If all of the kings had their queens on the throne

We would pop champagne and raise a toast

To all of the queens who are fighting alone

...

Can't live without me, you wanna, but you can't, nah-nah-nah

Think it's funny, but honey, can't run this show on your own

I can feel my body shake, there's only so much I can take

I'll show you how a real queen behaves, oh

...

No damsel in distress, don't need to save me

Once I start breathing fire, you can't tame me

And you might think I'm weak without a sword

But if I had one, it'd be bigger than yours, oh

...

If all of the kings had their queens on the throne

We would pop champagne and raise a toast

To all of the queens who are fighting alone

Baby, you're not dancing on your own

...

So breathe it in to feel the life

...

Breathe it in to feel the life

...

So breathe it in to feel the life

...

Breathe it in to feel the life

...

Disobey me, then baby, it's off with your head

Gonna change it and make it a world you won't forget, oh

No damsel in distress, don't need to save me

Once I start breathing fire, you can't tame me

And you might think I'm weak without a sword

But I'm stronger than I ever was before

...

If all of the kings had their queens on the throne

We would pop champagne and raise a toast

To all of the queens who are fighting alone

Baby, you're not dancing on your own

...

In chess, the king can move one space at a time

But queens are free to go wherever they like

You get too close, you'll get a royalty high, oh

So breathe it, so breathe it

So breathe it in to feel the life

...

So breathe it in to feel the life

...

So breathe it in to feel the life

...

Breathe it in to feel the life

...

If all of the kings had their queens on the throne

We would pop champagne and raise a toast

To all of the queens who are fighting alone

Baby, you're not dancing on your own

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
king /kɪŋ/ B1	noun - a male monarch; ruler of a kingdom
queen /kwiːn/ B1	noun - a female monarch; ruler of a kingdom
throne /θroʊn/ B2	noun - the ceremonial chair occupied by a monarch
champagne /ʃæmˈpeɪn/ B2	noun - a sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France
raise /reɪz/ B1	verb - to lift or move something to a higher position
toast /toʊst/ B1	noun - a slice of bread that has been browned by heat verb - to raise a glass and drink in honor of someone or something
fight /faɪt/ B1	verb - to engage in a struggle or combat
alone /əˈloʊn/ A2	adjective - by oneself; without other people
breathe /briːð/ A2	verb - to take air into the lungs and then expel it
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the existence of an individual living being
fire /faɪər/ A1	noun - a rapid oxidation producing heat, light and flame verb - to dismiss someone from a job
sword /sɔːrd/ B1	noun - a weapon with a long metal blade used for cutting or thrusting
weak /wiːk/ A2	adjective - lacking physical strength or power
damsel /ˈdæmzəl/ C1	noun - a young unmarried woman (archaic or literary)
distress /dɪˈstres/ B2	noun - extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain verb - to cause someone to feel extreme anxiety or sorrow
chess /tʃɛs/ B1	noun - a strategic board game for two players played on an 8×8 grid
royalty /ˈrɔɪəlti/ B2	noun - the status of being a king or queen; members of a royal family
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries and peoples
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A2	verb - to make or become different noun - coins or small amounts of money given in return for a larger bill

Key Grammar Structures

• If all of the kings had their queens on the throne

  ➔ Second Conditional

  ➔ The structure 'If + past simple, would + infinitive' is used to talk about hypothetical situations in the present or future. Here, it imagines a scenario where kings have their queens on the throne.

• Can't live without me, you wanna, but you can't, nah-nah-nah

  ➔ Contractions

  ➔ The use of 'Can't' (cannot) and 'wanna' (want to) are common contractions in informal English, making the lyrics more conversational and rhythmic.

• I can feel my body shake, there's only so much I can take

  ➔ Present Simple with 'can' for ability

  ➔ The verb 'can' is used to express ability. Here, it indicates the speaker's capacity to endure a certain amount of pressure or stress.

• No damsel in distress, don't need to save me

  ➔ Present Simple with negation

  ➔ The negation 'don't' (do not) is used to emphasize that the speaker does not need rescuing, reinforcing the theme of independence.

• If all of the kings had their queens on the throne

  ➔ Past Perfect in a hypothetical context

  ➔ The repetition of this line reinforces the hypothetical nature of the scenario, using the past perfect to imagine a completed action in the past that affects the present.

• So breathe it in to feel the life

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ The imperative mood is used to give commands or instructions. Here, it encourages the listener to take action ('breathe it in') to experience life fully.

• Disobey me, then baby, it's off with your head

  ➔ Future with 'will' for threat

  ➔ The use of 'will' here indicates a future action that is certain to happen if a condition is met, in this case, a threat of consequence for disobedience.

• In chess, the king can move one space at a time

  ➔ Present Simple for general truths

  ➔ The present simple is used to state general truths or facts. Here, it describes a rule in chess about the king's movement.