Ophelia – English Lyrics

• By: The Lumineers

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into "Ophelia" by The Lumineers, a song rich with allegorical depth, where the band uses the character of Ophelia to personify fame itself. Learning the lyrics can offer insight into the complexities of sudden celebrity and its emotional toll, drawing intriguing parallels to Shakespeare's tragic figure and the disillusionment that can follow a brush with the spotlight.

[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

...

I, I got a new girlfriend here

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

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
remorse /rɪˈmɔːrs/ B2	noun - a deep feeling of regret or guilt for a wrong committed
girlfriend /ˈɡɜːrlˌfrɛnd/ A2	noun - a female friend or a female partner in a romantic relationship
mind /maɪnd/ A1	noun - the part of a person that thinks, feels, and remembers
fool /fuːl/ B1	noun - a person who acts unwisely or imprudently
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
drug /drʌɡ/ B2	noun - a substance used for medical treatment or to alter mental state
flood /flʌd/ B1	noun - an overflow of water that submerges land
plans /plænz/ A2	noun - detailed proposals for doing or achieving something
top /tɒp/ A1	noun - the highest or uppermost point
small /smɔːl/ A1	adjective - of a size that is less than normal
new /njuː/ A1	adjective - not existing before; made, introduced, or discovered recently
move /muːv/ A1	verb - to change position or location
help /hɛlp/ A1	verb - to assist or aid someone

Key Grammar Structures

• when I was younger

  ➔ Past Tense (simple past)

  ➔ Using the simple past tense "was" to describe a state of being in the past. The clause implies a comparison with the present.

• I should've known better

  ➔ Modal verb + Perfect Infinitive

  ➔ "should've known" (should have known) expresses regret about something that didn't happen in the past. It means the speaker feels they should have acted differently.

• I can't feel no remorse

  ➔ Double Negative (Non-standard)

  ➔ The sentence uses a double negative ("can't feel no"), which is grammatically incorrect in standard English. The intended meaning is "I can't feel any remorse" or "I feel no remorse."

• Feels like he's on top

  ➔ Present Simple (describing a feeling/impression)

  ➔ "Feels" here indicates a subjective impression or feeling in the present. It is not a physical sensation.

• Oh, Ophelia, you've been on my mind, girl, since the flood

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ "You've been on my mind" uses the present perfect continuous to indicate an action that started in the past (since the flood) and is still continuing in the present. It emphasizes the duration of the thought.

• Heaven help the fool who falls in love

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (implied)

  ➔ The phrase "Heaven help the fool" is an abbreviated way of saying "May Heaven help the fool." It implies a wish or a prayer, carrying a sense of warning or pity. The full sentence would be something like 'May heaven help the fool who falls in love.'

• you gotta move

  ➔ Contraction and Modal Verb Omission (Informal)

  ➔ "gotta" is a contraction of "got to," which functions similarly to "have to" or "must." The sentence is an informal way of saying "You have to move" or "You must move."