Miss You Nights – English Lyrics

• By: Westlife

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the tender emotions of Westlife's "Miss You Nights," a classic pop ballad that beautifully expresses the universal feeling of longing for someone far away. Through its simple yet profound lyrics and melodic composition, this song offers a wonderful opportunity to grasp conversational English centered around feelings, relationships, and reflection. The clear vocals and emotive delivery make it an accessible and engaging piece for language learners, revealing how music can articulate the most intimate human experiences.

[English]

(gentle music)

♪ I've had many times I can tell you ♪

♪ Times when innocence I'd trade for company ♪

♪ And children saw me crying ♪

♪ I thought I'd had my share of that ♪

♪ But these miss you nights are the longest ♪

♪ Midnight diamonds stud my heaven ♪

♪ Southward burning like the jewels that are your face ♪

♪ And the warm winds that embrace me ♪

♪ Just as surely kissed your face ♪

♪ Yet these miss you nights, they're the longest ♪

♪ Lay down all thoughts of your surrender ♪

♪ It's only me who's killing time ♪

♪ Lay down all dreams and feelings once remembered ♪

♪ It's just the same, this miss you game ♪

♪ Thinking of my going ♪

♪ How to cut the thread and leave it all behind ♪

♪ Looking windward for my comfort ♪

♪ I take each day as it arrives ♪

♪ But these miss you nights are the longest ♪

♪ But these miss you nights are the longest ♪

(gentle music)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
miss /mɪs/ B1	verb - to feel longing for someone or something that is absent noun - a failure to hit, catch, or reach something
nights /naɪts/ A1	noun - the period of darkness in each twenty‑four hour cycle
longest /ˈlɔːŋɡɪst/ B1	adjective - having the greatest length; most extended in time
diamonds /ˈdaɪəməndz/ B2	noun - a precious stone consisting of a clear, highly refractive form of carbon
heaven /ˈhɛvən/ B1	noun - the sky or firmament; a place regarded as the dwelling of God or the after‑life
burning /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ B1	verb - to be on fire; to cause to catch fire adjective - producing heat or fire; intense
jewels /ˈdʒuːəlz/ B2	noun - precious stones such as gems, often set in ornaments
face /feɪs/ A1	noun - the front part of a person's head
warm /wɔːrm/ A1	adjective - having a moderately high temperature; friendly or affectionate
winds /wɪndz/ A2	noun - moving air, especially a natural current of air
embrace /ɪmˈbreɪs/ B2	verb - to hold someone closely in one's arms, especially as a sign of affection
surrender /sərˈdɛn.dɚ/ B2	verb - to give up or hand over something, often as a result of defeat noun - the act of giving up control or possession
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future
dreams /driːmz/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep; a cherished aspiration
feelings /ˈfiːlɪŋz/ A2	noun - emotions or sensations experienced by a person
game /ɡeɪm/ A1	noun - an activity that one engages in for amusement or competition
thinking /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/ B1	verb - the act of using one's mind to consider or reason about something
cut /kʌt/ A1	verb - to divide or make an opening with a sharp instrument
thread /θred/ B1	noun - a thin strand of fiber used in sewing or as a metaphor for a line of thought
comfort /ˈkʌmfərt/ B1	noun - a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or distress verb - to soothe or ease the distress of someone

Key Grammar Structures

• I've had many times I can tell you

  ➔ Present perfect + modal verb + infinitive

  ➔ The phrase "I've" (= I have) shows the present perfect, indicating an experience up to now. "can" is a modal verb that expresses ability, followed by the infinitive ""tell"".

• Times when innocence I'd trade for company

  ➔ Second conditional (would + infinitive) for unreal present/future

  ➔ "I'd" is the contraction of "I would". The structure "would + infinitive" (""trade"") expresses an imagined or unlikely action in the present or future.

• And children saw me crying

  ➔ Verb of perception + object + gerund (present participle)

  ➔ "saw" is a perception verb. After it, the object "me" is followed by the gerund ""crying"" which describes the action being observed.

• I thought I'd had my share of that

  ➔ Past simple + past perfect (had had)

  ➔ "I thought" is past simple. Inside the reported clause, "I'd had" (= I had had) uses the past perfect to show that the possession occurred before the past‑time of "thought".

• Midnight diamonds stud my heaven

  ➔ Simple present + transitive verb (stud) as metaphorical action

  ➔ "stud" is a transitive verb meaning "to decorate or set with studs". Here it is used metaphorically: "Midnight diamonds" (the stars) "stud" (cover) "my heaven" (the sky).

• Southward burning like the jewels that are your face

  ➔ Present participle clause + relative clause (that are)

  ➔ "burning" is a present participle forming a descriptive clause "Southward burning". The relative clause "that are your face" modifies "jewels", using "that are" to link the noun to its description.

• Lay down all thoughts of your surrender

  ➔ Imperative mood + infinitive complement

  ➔ "Lay down" is an imperative verb phrase, giving a command. It is followed directly by the object "all thoughts of your surrender"; the infinitive is not present because the verb itself is a phrasal verb.

• It's only me who's killing time

  ➔ Relative clause with present participle (who's killing)

  ➔ "who's" = "who is" introduces a relative clause. The present participle "killing" follows the verb "is", describing the ongoing action of the subject "me".

• I take each day as it arrives

  ➔ Simple present + time clause with present simple (as it arrives)

  ➔ "I take" is simple present, indicating a habitual action. The subordinate clause "as it arrives" also uses the present simple because it refers to a regular, repeated future event.