Little Secrets – English Lyrics

• By: Passion Pit
• Album: Manners

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the culture, and Passion Pit's "Little Secrets" offers a unique opportunity to explore the nuances of English. The song's fast-paced, poetic lyrics challenge you to keep up, while its deeper meaning invites you to analyze metaphors and emotional expression. What makes this song special is its vibrant, joyful sound paired with surprisingly dark and introspective lyrics, a contrast that is a hallmark of the band's style.

[English]

When I came down, the dawn poured into me

I shook 'em up, the walls came crumbling

My fists kept trembling with these salty wounds

My stolen gold inside the emperor's tomb

Now painting rainbows on my ugly face

I built this cardboard neighborhood's disgrace

But I ascend and serve my feverish need

Within the confines of such chemistry

It's the way I see

Everything I need

It's no way to be

Let this be our little secret

No one needs to know we're feeling

(Higher and higher and higher)

(Higher and higher and higher)

But I feel alive and I feel it in me

Up and up we keep on climbing

(Higher and higher and higher)

(Higher and higher and higher)

(Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher)

...

My face blew up at such a casual sight

The smattered colors of ecstatic fright

The rush above me to oblivion

Outlining wet sidewalks in halogen

Oh, have you ever felt so goddamn strong?

How come it takes some people so damn long?

He tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain

The citrus drawing out the season's stains

Watch the basin drain

As your life lines wane

And you can't explain

As your friends complain

You've caused all this pain

And you proudly shame

Your whole familiy's name

Let this be our little secret

No one needs to know we're feeling

(Higher and higher and higher)

(Higher and higher and higher)

But I feel alive, oh, I feel it in me

Up and up we keep on climbing

(Higher and higher and higher)

(Higher and higher and higher)

Mother, I can tell what you've been thinking

Staring at the stars on your ceiling

Thinking once there was a power that you were wielding

And now I've hit the mark, staring at the dark

And I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars

Let this be our little secret

No one needs to know we're feeling

(Higher and higher and higher)

(Higher and higher and higher)

But I feel alive, oh, I feel it in me

Up and up we keep on climbing

(Higher and higher and higher)

(Higher and higher and higher)

Let this be our little secret

No one needs to know we're feeling

(Higher and higher and higher)

(Higher and higher and higher)

But I feel alive, oh, I feel it in me

Up and up we keep on climbing

(Higher and higher and higher)

(Higher and higher and higher)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
crumbling /ˈkrʌm.bəlɪŋ/ B2	verb (present participle) - breaking into small pieces or falling apart
disgrace /dɪsˈɡreɪs/ B2	noun - loss of reputation or respect
confines /kənˈfaɪn/ B2	noun (plural) - limits or boundaries
chemistry /ˈkɛm.ɪ.stri/ B2	noun - science of substances and reactions
rainbows /ˈreɪn.boʊz/ B1	noun (plural) - spectrums of colors appearing in the sky caused by light refraction
fears /fɪərz/ A2	noun (plural) - feelings of danger or anxiety
squeeze /skwiːz/ B2	verb - to press firmly
staring /ˈstɛərɪŋ/ B2	verb (present participle) - looking intently or fixedly
wielding /ˈwiːldɪŋ/ C1	verb (present participle) - exercising power or control
staircase /ˈstɛərkeɪs/ B2	noun - set of steps leading from one level to another
scars /skɑːrz/ B2	noun (plural) - marks left on the skin after injury or trauma
secret /ˈsiː.krɪt/ A2	noun - something kept hidden
climb /klaɪm/ A2	verb - to go up or ascend
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living, not dead

Key Grammar Structures

• When I came down, the dawn poured into me

  ➔ Past Simple Tense (came) and metaphorical use of 'poured into'

  ➔ The past simple describes a completed action in the past. 'Poured into' is a metaphor suggesting the dawn filled the speaker intensely.

• My fists kept trembling with these salty wounds

  ➔ Past Continuous Tense (kept trembling)

  ➔ "Kept trembling" indicates an action that continued for a period in the past. It implies a lingering effect of the "salty wounds".

• I built this cardboard neighborhood's disgrace

  ➔ Possessive case ('s) and metaphor ('cardboard neighborhood's disgrace')

  ➔ The "'s" indicates possession, showing the disgrace belongs to the neighborhood. 'Cardboard neighborhood' is a metaphor for something flimsy or artificial.

• Let this be our little secret

  ➔ Imperative mood (Let)

  ➔ "Let" here is used to make a suggestion or request. The structure is "Let + object + be..."

• No one needs to know we're feeling

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense (we're feeling) as a state.

  ➔ While present continuous often describes actions happening now, here it emphasizes the ongoing *state* of feeling something, not just the immediate act.

• Oh, have you ever felt so goddamn strong?

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense (have you ever felt) and Intensifier (goddamn)

  ➔ The present perfect asks about a past experience within the speaker's lifetime. 'Goddamn' intensifies the feeling of 'strong'.

• How come it takes some people so damn long?

  ➔ Informal Question Structure ('How come...') and Adverb of Degree ('so damn long')

  ➔ 'How come' is an informal way to ask 'why'. 'So damn long' emphasizes the speaker's exasperation.

• Thinking once there was a power that you were wielding

  ➔ Past Continuous Tense (were wielding) in a relative clause with 'that'

  ➔ This describes a past action that was in progress at a specific time. The relative clause 'that you were wielding' modifies 'power'.