Model Rockets – English Lyrics

• By: Blondshell
• Album: If You Asked For A Picture

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the evocative world of Blondshell with 'Model Rockets.' This song is a perfect gateway for language learners to explore modern English idioms and emotional expression through its raw, poetic storytelling and indie-rock energy.

[English]

When it happened to you

I knew what to say

When it happened to me

I put on my oldest clothes

I watched TV shows

I got big and pigeonholed

I watched TV shows

I lost friends and my collar bones

It's been in the air

Olympic summer never rained

It made the city fake

So we went up and down the coast

While they all microdosed

They broke trust and traded clothes

While they all microdosed

I got bored in our family home

'Cause I'm a bad, bad girl

Bad, bad girl

The problem is I don't know what I want anymore

Glued a rose to the top of the door but it fell

Life may have been happening elsewhere

And I don't know what I want anymore

Broke your heart by asking the question

Life may have been happening elsewhere

I go back and forth

Love you in my truest way

When I'm with a man, I'm only gay

When I'm with a girl, I've been lying

Attention vying

'Cause I'm a bad, bad girl

Bad, bad girl

The problem is I don't know what I want anymore

Glued a rose to the top of the door but it fell

Life may have been happening elsewhere

And I don't know what I want anymore

Broke your heart by asking the question

Life may have been happening elsewhere

If someone's building model rockets

Set one off in my apartment

Dancing like a soda can

A building structure in Japan

That's swaying like a wire cord

It's a tragedy you can't afford

To be someone who complains

And still be someone who gets paid

And I don't know what I want anymore

Glued a rose to the top of the door but it fell

Life may have been happening elsewhere

And I don't know what I want anymore

Broke your heart by asking the question

Life may have been happening elsewhere

Life may have been happening elsewhere

Life may have been happening elsewhere

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
pigeonholed ˈpɪdʒənˌhoʊld B2	verb - to categorize someone or something in a way that limits or restricts their true nature or potential
microdosed ˈmaɪkroʊˌdoʊst C1	verb - to take a very small amount of a drug, especially for therapeutic purposes
vying ˈvaɪɪŋ B1	verb - to compete or strive for something
elsewhere ˈɛlsˌwɛr A2	adverb - in or to another place
rockets ˈrɒkɪts A1	noun - a missile, spacecraft, or other device that is propelled by a rocket engine
swaying ˈsweɪɪŋ A2	verb - to move or swing back and forth
tragedy ˈtrædʒədi A2	noun - a serious accident or event that causes great suffering or loss
complains kəmˈpleɪnz A1	verb - to express dissatisfaction or annoyance about something
bored bɔːrd A1	adjective - feeling tired and impatient because one is unoccupied or lacks interest
glued ɡluːd A1	verb - to join or attach something using glue
truest ˈtruːɪst A2	adjective - most true or genuine
lying ˈlaɪɪŋ A1	verb - to say something that is not true
attention əˈtenʃən A1	noun - notice or interest given to someone or something
coast koʊst A1	noun - the land next to the sea; the edge of the land
summer ˈsʌmər A1	noun - the warmest season of the year

Key Grammar Structures

• When it happened to you, I knew what to say

  ➔ Past Perfect

  ➔ The phrase "had happened" is implied, showing an action completed before another past action. Here, it emphasizes that the speaker knew what to say after the event had already occurred.

• I got big and pigeonholed

  ➔ Past Simple with Adjectives

  ➔ The past simple verb "got" is used with adjectives "big" and "pigeonholed" to describe a change in state or condition in the past.

• While they all microdosed

  ➔ Past Continuous

  ➔ The past continuous tense "were microdosing" describes an ongoing action in the past that was happening at the same time as another action.

• I don’t know what I want anymore

  ➔ Present Simple with Negative

  ➔ The present simple tense with the negative "don't" expresses a current state or habitual action. Here, it conveys the speaker's ongoing uncertainty.

• Life may have been happening elsewhere

  ➔ Modal Verb + Perfect Infinitive

  ➔ The modal verb "may" combined with the perfect infinitive "have been happening" expresses possibility or speculation about a past action.

• Set one off in my apartment

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ The imperative mood "Set one off" is used to give a direct command or instruction.

• Dancing like a soda can

  ➔ Simile

  ➔ The phrase "like a soda can" is a simile, comparing the subject's dancing to the movement of a soda can.

• It's a tragedy you can't afford

  ➔ Present Simple with Modal Verb

  ➔ The present simple tense with the modal verb "can't" expresses ability or possibility in the present. Here, it indicates the inability to afford something.