Palace – English Lyrics

• By: Sam Smith
• Album: The Thrill Of It All Live

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the emotive world of Sam Smith's 'Palace,' a poignant ballad that transforms the imagery of a crumbling palace into a powerful metaphor for lost love. By exploring themes of nostalgia and acceptance, this song offers listeners a chance to expand their vocabulary related to emotions and relationships while appreciating Smith's soulful delivery.

[English]

My head is filled with ruins

Most of them, I built with you

Now the dust no longer moves

Don't disturb the ghost of you, mmh

They are empty, they are worn

Tell me what we built this for

On my way to somethin' more

You're that one I can't ignore, mmh

I'm gonna miss you

I'm still there

Sometimes I wish we never built this palace

But real love is never a waste of time, mmh

Yeah, I know just what you're sayin'

And I regret ever complainin'

'Bout this heart and all it's breakin'

It was beauty we were makin', mmh

And I know we'll both move on

You'll forgive what I did wrong

They will love the better you

But I still own the ghost of you, mmh

I'm gonna miss you

I'm still there

Sometimes

I wish we never built this palace.

But real love is never a waste of time, oh

I'm gonna miss you

I'm still there

Sometimes I wish we never built this palace

But real love is never a waste of time

But real love is never a waste of time

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ruins /ˈruːɪnz/ B1	noun - the remains of a building destroyed or in disrepair
build /bɪld/ A2	verb - to construct by putting parts together
dust /dʌst/ A2	noun - fine particles of dirt or powder verb - to wipe away dirt or particles from a surface
ghost /ɡoʊst/ B2	noun - a spirit of a dead person that appears to the living
empty /ˈɛmpti/ A2	adjective - containing nothing; not filled verb - to cause something to become empty
worn /wɔːrn/ B1	adjective - damaged or no longer in good condition because of use
regret /rɪˈɡrɛt/ B2	noun - a feeling of sadness about something you did or didn't do
beauty /ˈbjuːti/ A2	noun - the quality of being pleasing or attractive
making /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/ B1	noun - the act of creating or producing something
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a strong feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
waste /weɪst/ B2	noun - something used or available but not put to good use verb - to use something carelessly or unwisely
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the ongoing sequence of events

Key Grammar Structures

• My head is filled with ruins

  ➔ Present simple tense with the verb 'to be'

  ➔ This sentence describes the current state using 'is' (present tense of 'to be')

• Now the dust no longer moves

  ➔ Negative adverb 'no longer' indicating cessation

  ➔ 'No longer' expresses that the action of moving has stopped

• Don't disturb the ghost of you

  ➔ Imperative form with 'don't' (do not) + verb

  ➔ 'Don't' is used to give a negative command or request

• They are empty, they are worn

  ➔ Simple present tense with 'are' indicating states of being

  ➔ 'Are' is used to describe the current condition of the subjects

• And I regret ever complainin'

  ➔ Present simple tense with 'regret' followed by 'ever' and verb in base or -ing form

  ➔ 'Regret' expresses feeling sorry about something in the past or present

• But real love is never a waste of time

  ➔ Adjective + noun + 'is' + adverb 'never' + noun phrase

  ➔ 'Never' is used to emphasize that the statement is always true