Rewrite The Stars – English Lyrics

• By: Anne-Marie, James Arthur
• Album: The Greatest Showman: Reimagined

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the emotionally charged duet 'Rewrite The Stars' by Anne-Marie and James Arthur, a captivating song that explores the universal themes of forbidden love and the struggle against destiny. Its poignant lyrics and expressive vocals make it an excellent choice for English language learners to grasp heartfelt expressions and conversational dynamics within a dramatic narrative.

[English]

You know I want you

It's not a secret I try to hide

You know you want me

So don't keep saying our hands are tied

You claim it's not in the cards

And fate is pulling you miles away

And out of a reach from me

But you're hearing my heart

So who can stop me if I decide it's on my destiny?

What if we rewrite the stars?

Say you were made to be mine

Nothing could keep us apart

You'll be the one I was meant to find

It's up to you, and it's up to me

No one could say what we get to be

So why don't we rewrite the stars?

And maybe the world could be ours, tonight

...

You think it's easy

You think I don't wanna run to you, yeah

But there are mountains (But there are mountains)

And there are doors that we can't walk through

I know you're wondering why

Because we're able to be just you and me within these walls

But when we go outside

You're gonna wake up and see that it was hopeless after all

No one can rewrite the stars

How can you say you'll be mine?

Everything keeps us apart

And I'm not the one you were meant to find

It's not up to you, it's not up to me, yeah

When everyone tells us what we can be

And how can we rewrite the stars?

Say that the world can be ours, tonight

All I want is to fly with you

All I want is to fall with you

So just give me all of you

It feels impossible (It's not impossible)

Is it impossible?

Say that it's possible

And how do we rewrite the stars?

Say you were made to be mine

And nothing can keep us apart

'Cause you are the one I was meant to find

It's up to you, and it's up to me

No one could say what we get to be

And why don't we rewrite the stars?

Changing the world to be ours

You know I want you

It's not a secret I try to hide

But I can't have you

We're bound to break and my hands are tied

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
rewrite /ˌriːˈraɪt/ B2	verb - to write something again so as to alter or improve it
stars /stɑːrz/ A1	noun - celestial bodies appearing as fixed luminous points in the night sky
secret /ˈsiːkrət/ A2	noun - something kept hidden or unexplained adjective - not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others
hide /haɪd/ A2	verb - to put something out of sight
hands /hændz/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist, including the fingers and thumb
fate /feɪt/ B2	noun - the development of events beyond a person's control, regarded as determined by a supernatural power.
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation
destiny /ˈdestəni/ B2	noun - the events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future.
apart /əˈpɑːrt/ B1	adverb - separated by a specified distance
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth together with all of its countries, people, and natural features
easy /ˈiːzi/ A1	adjective - achieved without great effort; presenting no difficulties.
mountains /ˈmaʊntənz/ A2	noun - large natural elevations of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level
doors /dɔːrz/ A1	noun - a hinged, sliding, or revolving barrier at the entrance to a building, room, or vehicle, or in the framework of a cupboard
walls /wɔːlz/ A2	noun - a continuous vertical brick or stone structure that encloses or divides an area of land
hopeless /ˈhoʊpləs/ B2	adjective - feeling or causing despair about the possibility of finding a solution or remedy
fly /flaɪ/ A1	verb - to move through the air using wings
fall /fɔːl/ A2	verb - move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a lower level.
possible /ˈpɒsɪbl/ A2	adjective - able to be done or achieved.
break /breɪk/ A1	verb - to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain.

Key Grammar Structures

• So don't keep saying our hands are tied

  ➔ Present Continuous for annoying habits

  ➔ The phrase "keep saying" uses the present continuous to express annoyance at the repeated action. It emphasizes that the person is *repeatedly* making the claim about their hands being tied.

• Say you were made to be mine

  ➔ Past Simple Passive (Hypothetical)

  ➔ "were made to be mine" uses the past simple passive to express a hypothetical situation, a wish, or a statement about destiny. The subject ("you") is acted upon, emphasizing an external force deciding their fate. The "were" indicates subjunctive mood.

• Nothing could keep us apart

  ➔ Modal Verb "could" (Possibility/Ability in the Past)

  ➔ "could" expresses a potential ability or possibility in a hypothetical scenario. Here, it implies that if the stars were rewritten, *no force* would possess the *ability* to separate them.

• You'll be the one I was meant to find

  ➔ Future Simple + Past Participle in a Relative Clause (Passive Voice, Destiny)

  ➔ "was meant to find" is a passive construction within a relative clause modifying "one". "Meant to" expresses destiny or predetermination. The future simple "You'll be" indicates certainty regarding this destiny. The full construction emphasizes that finding this person is not accidental but destined.

• When everyone tells us what we can be

  ➔ Indirect Question (Embedded Question)

  ➔ The phrase "what we can be" acts as the object of the verb "tells us". It's an indirect question because it's embedded within the larger sentence and doesn't require the inverted subject-verb order of a direct question.

• But I can't have you / We're bound to break and my hands are tied

  ➔ Modal verb of ability (can't) and 'be bound to' (future inevitability)

  ➔ "can't have" indicates inability, not a prohibition. "bound to break" indicates a strong likelihood or near certainty of something negative happening in the future. This emphasizes the speaker's helplessness and acceptance of an unavoidable fate.