Lost Cause – English Lyrics

• By: Beck

Lyrics & Translation

Beck's 'Lost Cause' offers a poignant entry point for language learners, with its clear, introspective lyrics and understated delivery providing an accessible way to engage with English expressions of sadness and acceptance. The song's emotional depth and acoustic simplicity make it a beautiful and relatable piece for understanding nuanced feelings in the language.

[English]

Your sorry eyes, they cut through bone

Make it hard to leave you alone

Leave you here wearing your wounds

Waving your guns at somebody new

Baby, you're lost

Baby, you're lost

Baby, you're a lost cause

There's too many people you used to know

They see you coming, they see you go

They know your secrets, and you know theirs

This town is crazy, but nobody cares

Baby, you're lost

Baby, you're lost

Baby, you're a lost cause

I'm tired of fightin'

I'm tired of fightin'

Fighting for a lost cause

There's a place where you are goin'

You ain't never been before

There's no one laughing at your back now

No one standing at your door

Is that what you thought love was for?

Baby, you're lost

Baby, you're lost

Baby, you're a lost cause

I'm tired of fightin'

I'm tired of fightin'

Fighting for a lost cause

...

Key Grammar Structures

• Your sorry eyes, they cut through bone

  ➔ Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) and Adjective placement

  ➔ The basic sentence structure (SVO) is followed. The adjective "sorry" modifies the noun "eyes".

• Make it hard to leave you alone

  ➔ Causative verb "make" + adjective + infinitive clause

  ➔ "Make" is used as a causative verb, influencing the state of "it". The infinitive clause "to leave you alone" expresses the action.

• Leave you here wearing your wounds

  ➔ Verb + Object + Present Participle

  ➔ The verb "leave" is followed by an object "you" and the present participle "wearing," indicating an ongoing action.

• Waving your guns at somebody new

  ➔ Present participle as an adjective modifying a noun

  ➔ "Waving" functions as a modifier describing how the "guns" are being used, or more accurately, modifies the action.

• Baby, you're lost

  ➔ Subject-Verb-Adjective (SVA) with a copula verb

  ➔ The sentence uses a copula verb ("are") to link the subject "you" to the adjective "lost".

• There's too many people you used to know

  ➔ Existential "there" + Verb (be) + quantifier + relative clause

  ➔ The sentence starts with "there" to indicate existence. "Too many" quantifies "people", and "you used to know" is a relative clause.

• They see you coming, they see you go

  ➔ Present continuous (coming/going) used to describe an action in progress or an event.

  ➔ The present continuous tense is used to describe the actions of coming and going, giving them a sense of being observed.

• Is that what you thought love was for?

  ➔ Inversion of subject-verb, Question words & Subject-Verb-Complement (SVC)

  ➔ A question is formed with inversion. The subject is "that", and "love" is the complement.

• I'm tired of fightin'

  ➔ Adjective "tired" + Prepositional phrase "of fighting". Gerund after the preposition.

  ➔ "Tired" describes the subject's state. The preposition "of" introduces the gerund "fighting" which acts as an object of the preposition.