Ophelia – English Lyrics

• By: The Lumineers
• Album: Ophelia

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the world of folk-rock with The Lumineers' "Ophelia," a song that uses Shakespearean allusions to explore the intoxicating yet isolating nature of fame. By understanding the lyrics and the story behind the song, you can gain insight into the band's journey and the emotional complexities of success. Discover how this hit song blends literary references with catchy melodies to create a thought-provoking listening experience.

[English]

Ah, ah, when I was younger

I, I should've known better

And I can't feel no remorse

And you don't feel nothing back

Ah, ah got a new girlfriend, he

Feels like he's on top

And I don't feel no remorse

And you can't see past my blindness

Oh, Ophelia

you've been on my mind, girl

since the flood

Oh, Ophelia

Heaven help the fool who falls in love

I, I got a little paycheck

You got big plans and you gotta move (woo!)

And I don't feel nothing at all

And you can't feel nothing small

Honey, I love you

That's all she wrote

pam

pam

Oh, Ophelia

you've been on my mind, girl

like a drug

Oh, Ophelia

Heaven help the fool who falls in love

Oh, Ophelia

you've been on my mind, girl

since the flood

Oh, Ophelia

Heaven help the fool who falls in love

Oh, Ophelia

you've been on my mind, girl

like a drug

Oh, Ophelia

Heaven help the fool who falls in love

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
younger /ˈjʌŋɡər/ A1	adjective - being at an early stage of life; not old
known /noʊn/ A2	verb - past participle of know: to be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
remorse /rɪˈmɔːrs/ B2	noun - deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed
girlfriend /ˈɡɜːrlfrend/ A2	noun - a female friend who is a romantic partner
top /tɒp/ A1	noun - the highest point or part of something adjective - highest in position, rank, or degree
blindness /ˈblaɪndnəs/ B2	noun - the state of being unable to see
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel
flood /flʌd/ B1	noun - an overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits verb - to cover or fill (a place or thing) with water
heaven /ˈhevən/ A2	noun - a place of supreme bliss; paradise.
fool /fuːl/ B1	noun - a person who acts unwisely or imprudently; a silly person
falls /fɔːlz/ A1	verb - to come down freely from an upright position
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to have a strong feeling of affection for (someone)
paycheck /ˈpeɪtʃek/ A2	noun - a check for salary or wages made out to an employee.
plans /plæns/ A1	noun - a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something. verb - decide on and arrange in advance
drug /drʌɡ/ B1	noun - a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body.

Key Grammar Structures

• I, I should've known better

  ➔ Modal verb "should have" + past participle

  ➔ Expresses regret about something that did not happen. "Should have known" means the speaker regrets not knowing something earlier.

• And I can't feel no remorse

  ➔ Double negative (non-standard English)

  ➔ Technically, a double negative would mean the speaker *does* feel remorse. However, in colloquial English and especially in music, it's often used for emphasis to mean the speaker *doesn't* feel remorse. "Can't feel no" should be "can't feel any".

• Feels like he's on top

  ➔ Present simple tense; "like" as a preposition

  ➔ "Feels like" means it gives the *impression* of being on top. It doesn't necessarily mean he *is* on top, but that's the feeling or appearance. 'Like' functions as a preposition linking 'feels' to the clause 'he's on top'.

• Heaven help the fool who falls in love

  ➔ Subjunctive mood (implied); relative clause with "who"

  ➔ This sentence implies a wish or a curse. "Heaven help the fool" is a shortened form of "May heaven help the fool." The "who falls in love" is a relative clause defining which fool is being referred to. The subjunctive is implied in "May heaven help..."

• You got big plans and you gotta move

  ➔ Informal contraction "gotta"; simple present tense

  ➔ "Gotta" is a colloquial contraction of "got to" or "have got to", indicating obligation. The simple present tense describes a general truth or current situation.

• That's all she wrote

  ➔ Idiomatic expression; past simple tense (implied)

  ➔ "That's all she wrote" is an idiom meaning that's the end of the story or that's all there is to say. It implies something is finished.

• you've been on my mind, girl

  ➔ Present perfect continuous tense

  ➔ The present perfect continuous "have been + -ing" indicates an action that started in the past and is continuing up to the present. "You've been on my mind" means the person has been thinking about Ophelia continuously for some time.

• since the flood

  ➔ Preposition "since" indicating a starting point in time; definite article 'the' referring to a specific event

  ➔ "Since the flood" means from the time of a specific flood event. The definite article "the" implies that the listener knows which flood is being referred to, perhaps a significant event in their shared history or experience. It establishes a period of time during which Ophelia has been on the speaker's mind.