Lights Up – English Lyrics

• By: Harry Styles
• Album: Fine Line

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Harry Styles' "Lights Up," a captivating track that offers a window into themes of self-acceptance and identity. Its poignant lyrics, like "Do you know who you are?", encourage listeners to reflect on personal truth. Learning the language through this song allows you to explore modern English expressions of vulnerability and empowerment, set against a refreshing blend of pop and R&B that makes it uniquely Harry Styles.

[English]

(upbeat music)

♪ What do you mean ♪

♪ I'm sorry by the way ♪

♪ Never coming back down ♪

♪ Can't you see ♪

♪ I could, but wouldn't stay ♪

♪ Wouldn't put it like that ♪

♪ What do you mean ♪

♪ I'm sorry by the way ♪

♪ Never coming around ♪

♪ It'd be so sweet if things just stayed the same ♪

♪ La, da, da, da, da ♪

♪ All the lights couldn't put out the dark ♪

♪ Running through my heart ♪

♪ Lights up and they know who you are ♪

♪ Know who you are ♪

♪ Do you know who you are ♪

♪ Oh, shine ♪

♪ Step into the light ♪

♪ Shine ♪

♪ So bright sometimes ♪

♪ Shine ♪

♪ I'm not ever going back ♪

♪ Shine ♪

♪ Step into the light ♪

♪ Shine ♪

♪ So bright sometimes ♪

♪ Shine ♪

♪ I'm not ever going back ♪

♪ Shine ♪

♪ Step into the light ♪

♪ Shine ♪

♪ So bright sometimes ♪

♪ Shine ♪

♪ I'm not ever ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ What do you mean ♪

♪ I'm sorry by the way ♪

♪ Never going back now ♪

♪ It'd be so sweet if things just stayed the same ♪

♪ La, da, da, da, da ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ La, da, da, da, da ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ La, da, da, da, da ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ La, da, da, da, da ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ La, da, da, da, da ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ All the lights couldn't put out the dark ♪

♪ Running through my heart ♪

♪ Lights off and they know who you are ♪

♪ Know who you are ♪

♪ Do you know who you are ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
mean /miːn/ A1	verb - to intend to express or refer to something
sorry /ˈsɒri/ A1	adjective - feeling regret or penitence
back /bæk/ A1	adverb - to or toward the rear; in or to the past noun - the rear surface of the human body; the part of a chair, etc., that supports a person's back
see /siː/ A1	verb - perceive with the eyes; discern
stay /steɪ/ A1	verb - remain in the same place or condition
put /pʊt/ A1	verb - move to or place in a particular position
sweet /swiːt/ A2	adjective - having the pleasant taste characteristic of sugar or honey; (of a sound) pleasant and melodious
same /seɪm/ A1	adjective - identical; not different
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible adjective - having little weight; pale in colour
dark /dɑːk/ A1	adjective - with little or no light noun - the absence of light
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - move at a speed faster than walking verb - (of a liquid) flow, stream, or melt
heart /hɑːt/ A2	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system; the emotional or moral nature of a human being
know /nəʊ/ A1	verb - have information or an understanding of; be aware of
shine /ʃaɪn/ B1	verb - give out a bright light; be brilliant or excellent noun - a quality of brightness; a polish or gloss
step /step/ A2	verb - lift one's foot and put it down in a different place, as in walking noun - an act or movement of lifting the foot and putting it down in another position; a stage in a process
bright /braɪt/ A2	adjective - giving out or reflecting a lot of light; intelligent

Key Grammar Structures

• What do you mean

  ➔ Present Simple Question

  ➔ The phrase uses the auxiliary verb 'do' to form a question in the present simple tense, typical for general inquiries.

• I'm sorry by the way

  ➔ Present Continuous with Adverbial Phrase

  ➔ The sentence uses the present continuous tense ('m) with an adverbial phrase ('by the way') to add additional information.

• Never coming back down

  ➔ Present Continuous Negative

  ➔ The phrase uses 'never' to negate the present continuous action, indicating a strong refusal or impossibility.

• It'd be so sweet if things just stayed the same

  ➔ Past Simple Subjunctive

  ➔ The sentence uses the past simple subjunctive ('It'd be') to express a hypothetical or unreal situation.

• All the lights couldn't put out the dark

  ➔ Past Simple Negative

  ➔ The sentence uses 'couldn't' to negate the past action, emphasizing the inability of the lights to eliminate darkness.

• Do you know who you are

  ➔ Present Simple Question with Object Clause

  ➔ The sentence uses a present simple question with an object clause ('who you are') to inquire about identity.

• I'm not ever going back

  ➔ Present Continuous Negative with Emphasis

  ➔ The sentence uses 'not ever' to strongly emphasize the refusal to return to a previous state.

• Step into the light

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ The phrase uses the imperative mood to give a direct command or instruction.