Separate Lives – English Lyrics

• By: Phil Collins, Marilyn Martin

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the evocative lyrics and haunting melody of "Separate Lives," a duet by Phil Collins and Marilyn Martin that captures the ache of separation. This song offers a powerful lesson in understanding the language of heartbreak, exploring themes of regret, emotional boundaries, and the challenge of building new lives apart.

[English]

We're living like this.

Like rats in a cage, until they took you away.

Doesn't matter.

It doesn't matter.

We can't live like this, Natasha.

It wasn't for me.

Oh, listen, if it wasn't for you, it was going to be one of them.

You called me from the room in your hotel

All full of romance for someone that you'd met

And telling me how sorry you were, leaving so soon

And that you'll miss me sometimes when you're alone

Do I feel lonely too?

You have no right to ask me how I feel

You have no right to speak to me so kind

I can't go on, just holding on to ties

Now that we're living separate lives (living separate lives)

Well, I'd held up to let you go

And if you lost your love for me, you never let it show

There was no way to compromise

So now we're living separate lives (living separate lives)

Ooh, it's so typical, love leads to isolation

So you build that wall (you build that wall)

Yes, you build that wall (build that wall)

And you make it stronger

Well, you have no right to ask me how I feel

You have no right to speak to me so kind

Someday I might (I might) find myself looking in your eyes

But for now, we'll go on living separate lives

Yes, for now, we'll go on living separate lives

I'm going.

Whether you help me or not.

Then we're going with you.

Separate lives

Key Grammar Structures

• We're living like this.

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase "We're living" uses the present continuous tense to describe an action happening now or over a period of time.

• Doesn't matter.

  ➔ Contraction with negation

  ➔ The phrase "Doesn't matter" is a contraction of "does not matter," emphasizing a strong negation.

• You called me from the room in your hotel

  ➔ Simple past tense

  ➔ The phrase "You called" uses the simple past tense to describe a completed action in the past.

• Do I feel lonely too?

  ➔ Interrogative sentence with auxiliary verb

  ➔ The phrase "Do I feel" uses the auxiliary verb "do" to form an interrogative sentence.

• You have no right to ask me how I feel

  ➔ Present simple with 'have' for obligation/right

  ➔ The phrase "You have no right" uses 'have' to express the absence of obligation or right.

• Now that we're living separate lives

  ➔ Present continuous tense with 'now that'

  ➔ The phrase "we're living" uses the present continuous tense, and "now that" introduces a reason or condition.

• Yes, for now, we'll go on living separate lives

  ➔ Future tense with 'will'

  ➔ The phrase "we'll go on living" uses 'will' to express a future action.

• I'm going. Whether you help me or not.

  ➔ Present continuous for future action, conditional clause

  ➔ The phrase "I'm going" uses the present continuous to express a future action, and "whether...or not" introduces a conditional clause.