Perfume and Milk – English Lyrics

• By: Florence + The Machine
• Album: Everybody Scream

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the healing power of music with Florence + The Machine's "Perfume and Milk." This deeply personal song, sung in English, offers a beautiful opportunity to explore themes of nature, recovery, and resilience through its poetic lyrics. The song's gentle melody and profound message make it a special piece for anyone looking to connect with the emotional depth of the English language.

[English]

Perfume and milk, the body in bloom

The falling leaves, the fallen fruit

The rot and the ruin, the earth and the worms

The seasons change, the world turns

Trees turn grey and the land turns brown

In a house in the woods on the edge of town

Bury it deep, swallow it down

Taking the herbs, a laurel crown

Doing the work and sleeping alone

Downloading "Revelations of Divine Love" on my phone

Trying to read, but getting distracted

Trying to live, but feeling so damaged

And all shall be well

All shall be well

Miracles are often inconvenient

And a prayer is a spell

I packed my bags and I got in the car

A pilgrimage to wherever you are

April comes with its blossoms beaten by rain

Oh, the hope and the horror, singing daffodils again

The land, it thaws and the leaves turn green

And the blue stars of snow glories with the winter jasmine

Clothes of silk and satin, lace and leather

The one pink ribbon that holds me together

And all shall be well

All shall be well

Miracles are often inconvenient

And a prayer is a spell

And I am changing, becoming something else

A creature of longing, tending only to myself

Licking my wounds, burrowing down

In a house in the woods on the edge of town

Well, healing is slow, it comes and it goes

A glimpse of the sun then a flurry of snow

The first green shoots in a sudden frost

Oh, something's gained when something's lost

The rot and the ruin, the earth and the worms

The seasons change, the world turns

The world turns!

...

Perfume and milk, the body in bloom

The falling leaves, the fallen fruit

The rot and the ruin, the earth and the worms

The seasons change, the world turns

The world turns

The world turns

The world turns

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
perfume /ˈpɜːrfjuːm/ B1	noun - a fragrant liquid usually made from essential oils
milk /mɪlk/ A1	noun - a white liquid produced by mammals to feed their young
body /ˈbɒd.i/ A2	noun - the physical structure of a person or an animal
leaves /liːvz/ A2	noun - plural of leaf; the flat, typically green part of a plant
fruit /fruːt/ A2	noun - the edible part that contains seeds of a plant
rot /rɒt/ B2	noun - decay of organic matter
ruin /ˈruː.ɪn/ C1	noun - the destruction or collapse of something
seasons /ˈsiː.zənz/ A2	noun - divisions of the year marked by weather patterns and daylight hours
world /wɜːrld/ A2	noun - the planet or universe
turns /tɜːrnz/ A2	verb - to change position or direction
flowers /ˈflaʊ.ərz/ A2	noun - the colorful parts of plants used for decoration or reproduction
stars /stɑːrz/ A2	noun - celestial bodies visible in the night sky

Key Grammar Structures

• Perfume and milk, the body in bloom

  ➔ Noun phrases acting as appositives

  ➔ The phrase "the body in bloom" renames or further describes "Perfume and milk." This creates a vivid image.

• The rot and the ruin, the earth and the worms

  ➔ Parallelism (use of similar grammatical structures)

  ➔ The repetition of "the" followed by a noun creates a rhythmic and impactful list. Each element emphasizes decay and mortality.

• Bury it deep, swallow it down

  ➔ Imperative clauses with adverbs

  ➔ "Bury" and "swallow" are imperative verbs giving direct commands. "Deep" and "down" are adverbs modifying the verbs.

• Taking the herbs, a laurel crown

  ➔ Present participle clause acting as a gerund and an appositive phrase.

  ➔ "Taking the herbs" functions as a description of the action being done, while "a laurel crown" further describes what is taken or a result of the action.

• Trying to read, but getting distracted

  ➔ Parallel structure with contrasting conjunction (but)

  ➔ "Trying to read" and "getting distracted" are both gerund phrases connected by "but," highlighting the internal conflict.

• Miracles are often inconvenient

  ➔ Simple present tense with adverb of frequency

  ➔ The simple present "are" expresses a general truth. "Often" is an adverb of frequency indicating how often miracles are inconvenient.

• A pilgrimage to wherever you are

  ➔ Prepositional phrase with an adverb clause acting as a noun

  ➔ "To wherever you are" is a prepositional phrase where "wherever you are" functions as an adverb clause indicating location, acting as the object of the preposition 'to'.

• Oh, something's gained when something's lost

  ➔ Passive voice with a time clause (when)

  ➔ "Something's gained" uses the passive voice, implying an unspecified agent. The "when" clause indicates the condition under which something is gained.