Lyrics & Translation
Dive into Metallica's iconic "One" to explore the raw power of English in heavy metal. This song's profound lyrics, detailing a soldier's unimaginable suffering and isolation, offer a unique opportunity to grasp evocative vocabulary and emotional expression. Its dynamic structure, from melodic introspection to thrashing intensity, not only showcases musical mastery but also helps learners connect words to evolving moods, making complex narratives in English accessible and deeply impactful.
[English]
I can't remember anythingCan't tell if this is true or dream
Deep down inside I feel to scream
This terrible silence stops me
Now that the war is through with me
I'm waking up, I cannot see
That there is not much left of me
Nothing is real but pain now
Hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please God, wake me
Back in the womb it's much too real
In pumps life that I must feel
But can't look forward to reveal
Look to the time when I'll live
Fed through the tube that sticks in me
Just like a wartime novelty
Tied to machines that make me be
Cut this life off from me
Hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please God, wake me
Now the world is gone, I'm just one
Oh God help me
Hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please God, help me
Darkness imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Body my holding cell
Landmine has taken my sight
Taken my speech
Taken my hearing
Taken my arms
Taken my legs
Taken my soul
Left me with life in hell.
Key Vocabulary
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Key Grammar Structures
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I can't remember anything
➔ Modal verb + negation + verb (can't remember)
➔ The modal verb "can" expresses ability here in the negative form "can't", followed by the base form of the verb "remember".
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Can't tell if this is true or dream
➔ Modal verb + negation + verb + if-clause (can't tell if)
➔ Again, "can't" is used, followed by "tell" and a conditional clause introduced by "if". This structure expresses uncertainty.
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Deep down inside I feel to scream
➔ Adverbial phrase (deep down inside) + Simple present tense (feel)
➔ The adverbial phrase modifies the verb "feel", indicating where the feeling originates from. The main verb is in the simple present tense.
-
Now that the war is through with me
➔ Time clause (Now that) + Passive voice (is through with)
➔ The clause "Now that" introduces a time relationship, and the verb phrase "is through with" indicates the war's completion in relation to the speaker using the passive voice.
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I'm waking up, I cannot see
➔ Present continuous (I'm waking up) + Modal verb + Negation + Verb (cannot see)
➔ "I'm waking up" is in the present continuous tense to describe an ongoing action. "Cannot see" is similar to previous examples, modal verb + negation.
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Nothing is real but pain now
➔ Subject + Verb (is) + Adjective + Prepositional phrase (but pain now)
➔ This sentence uses a simple structure with "is" as the linking verb. The phrase "but pain now" functions as an exception.
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Hold my breath as I wish for death
➔ Imperative sentence + Conjunction (as) + Verb + Object
➔ The first part is an imperative, the second part shows an action happening at the same time with the help of 'as'.
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Now the world is gone, I'm just one
➔ Simple present tense, subject + verb + complement, subject + verb + object
➔ Simple statements in the present tense. The second part uses "just" as an adverb of degree.
-
Darkness imprisoning me
➔ Gerund as subject + Present continuous tense (passive meaning)
➔ Here the gerund "imprisoning" acts as a subject, while the sentence implies a passive action. It is *being* imprisoned by the darkness.
-
Landmine has taken my sight
➔ Present perfect tense (has taken)
➔ The present perfect tense is used here to describe an action with a result in the present (loss of sight).
