One – English Lyrics

• By: Metallica
• Album: ...And Justice for All.

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music can be an incredibly immersive experience, and Metallica's "One" offers a powerful, albeit dark, narrative to explore. The song's clear, enunciated vocals in the verses allow for easier comprehension of its poignant story. The lyrics, rich with metaphorical and descriptive language, provide a unique opportunity to delve into themes of isolation, despair, and the human condition. What makes "One" special for language learners is its dynamic structure; the shift from a slow, melodic pace to an aggressive, fast-paced rhythm mirrors the escalating desperation in the lyrics, helping to connect vocabulary with intense emotion.

[English]

I can't remember anything

Can'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

Vocabulary	Meanings
remember /rɪˈmɛmbər/ B1	verb - to bring back to mind; to think of again
scream /skriːm/ B1	verb - to make a loud, high-pitched sound
silence /ˈsaɪləns/ B2	noun - the absence of sound
war /wɔːr/ A2	noun - a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - physical suffering or discomfort
breath /brɛθ/ A2	noun - the air taken into or expelled from the lungs
darkness /ˈdɑːrk.nəs/ B2	noun - the absence of light
horror /ˈhɔːr.ər/ B2	noun - an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter
cell /sɛl/ B1	noun - a small room in which a prisoner is locked up
sight /saɪt/ B1	noun - the ability to see
speech /spiːtʃ/ B1	noun - the expression of thoughts and feelings by articulate sounds
hearing /ˈhɪr.ɪŋ/ B1	noun - the faculty of perceiving sounds
soul /soʊl/ B2	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being
help /hɛlp/ A1	verb - to assist or aid
one /wʌn/ A1	noun - the number after zero

Key Grammar Structures

• I can't remember anything

  ➔ Negative form of the verb 'can'

  ➔ The phrase uses the negative form 'can't' to express inability.

• This terrible silence stops me

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The present simple tense is used to express a general truth or a habitual action.

• Oh please God, wake me

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The imperative mood is used to give commands or requests.

• I cannot live

  ➔ Negative form of the verb 'can'

  ➔ The phrase uses 'cannot' to express the inability to perform the action of living.

• Darkness imprisoning me

  ➔ Present participle used as an adjective

  ➔ The present participle 'imprisoning' describes the state of being trapped by darkness.

• Left me with life in hell

  ➔ Past participle used in passive voice

  ➔ The past participle 'left' indicates that the subject has been affected by an action.