Selfless – English Lyrics

• By: The Strokes
• Album: The New Abnormal

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and "Selfless" by The Strokes offers a beautiful entry point into poetic and emotive English. The song's clear vocal delivery and repetitive, heartfelt chorus make it accessible for learners to pick up key phrases about love, devotion, and vulnerability. What makes "Selfless" special is its blend of simple, direct emotional statements with more nuanced expressions of regret and patience, providing a rich lyrical landscape for language exploration.

[English]

Can the dark side light my way? Oh, yeah, yeah

Lay your hand across my face, yeah, yeah

Time we lost, that's all my fault

Please don't be long, 'cause I want your love

I don't have love without your arm

Life is too short, but I will live for you

...

How did this fit in your story? Yeah

Why'd you let them judge your body? Yeah

I'll be waitin' there outside, yeah

Please don't be long, 'cause I want your arm

I don't have fun without your love

Life is too short, but I will live for you

You're mucking off, but I will live for you, my selfless love

Bite my tongue and wait my turn

I waited for a century

Waste my breath, no lessons learned

I turn and face the enemy

I'm not scared, just don't care

I'm not listening, you hear?

He's never dead, but I don't care

I can't tell you what and where

Yeah

Yeah

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
dark /dɑrk/ A2	adjective - having little or no light
light /laɪt/ A2	noun - something that makes things visible
face /feɪs/ A2	noun - the front part of the head verb - to confront something
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - a measure in which events can be ordered from the past through the present into the future
wait /weɪt/ A1	verb - to stay in one place until something happens
century /ˈsɛnʧʊri/ B2	noun - a period of one hundred years
enemy /ˈɛnəmi/ B1	noun - a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something
care /kɛr/ A2	verb - to feel concern or interest
fault /fɔlt/ B2	noun - a mistake or error
selfless /ˈsɛlfləs/ C1	adjective - concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with one's own
breathe /briːð/ B2	verb - to take air into the lungs and expel it

Key Grammar Structures

• Can the dark side light my way?

  ➔ Modal Verb (Can) in Question Form

  ➔ The word "Can" is used to form a question, asking about possibility or ability.

• Lay your hand across my face, yeah, yeah

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ The phrase "Lay your hand" is in the imperative mood, giving a direct command.

• Time we lost, that's all my fault

  ➔ Present Simple with Past Meaning

  ➔ "Time we lost" uses the present simple to refer to a past action, emphasizing the result.

• Please don't be long, 'cause I want your love

  ➔ Contraction and Causative Conjunction

  ➔ "Don't" is a contraction of "do not", and "'cause" is a shortened form of "because".

• I don't have love without your arm

  ➔ Present Simple with Negative

  ➔ "I don't have" is the negative form of the present simple, indicating lack.

• Life is too short, but I will live for you

  ➔ Future Simple with Purpose

  ➔ "I will live" expresses a future action with a clear purpose.

• You're mucking off, but I will live for you, my selfless love

  ➔ Present Continuous and Apposition

  ➔ "You're mucking off" uses the present continuous, and "my selfless love" is an appositive renaming the subject.

• I waited for a century

  ➔ Past Simple with Duration

  ➔ "I waited" is in the past simple, and "for a century" indicates the duration of the action.