Lyrics & Translation
Immerse yourself in "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple – a timeless hard rock anthem that doubles as a vivid narrative. Its iconic guitar riff is a perfect starting point for learning rock guitar, while its direct, storytelling lyrics offer a unique way to grasp English vocabulary and sentence structure. The song's clear, autobiographical account of a real-life fire makes it special, providing a memorable context for language acquisition through music.
[English]
(audience cheering)(electric guitar playing)
♪ We all came out to Montreux ♪
♪ On the Lake Geneva shoreline ♪
♪ To make records with a mobile ♪
♪ We didn't have much time ♪
♪ Frank Zappa and the Mothers ♪
♪ Were at the best place around ♪
♪ But some stupid with a flare gun ♪
♪ Burn the place to the ground ♪
♪ Smoke on the water ♪
♪ A fire in the sky ♪
♪ Smoke on the water ♪
(guitar playing)
♪ Oh, you know she burnin' down ♪
♪ Burning down ♪
♪ They burnt down the gamblin' house ♪
♪ It died with an awful sound ♪
♪ Funky Claude was running in and out ♪
♪ He was pulling kids out of the ground ♪
♪ When it all was over ♪
♪ Find another place ♪
♪ Swiss time was runnin' out ♪
♪ Seemed that we would lose the race ♪
♪ Smoke on the water ♪
♪ A fire in the sky ♪
♪ Smoke on the water ♪
(guitar playing)
♪ Oh, she burnin' down ♪
♪ Burnin' down ♪
♪ Whoa, all right now ♪
(rock band playing)
♪ We ended up at the Grand Hotel ♪
♪ It was empty cold and bare ♪
♪ The Rolling truck Stones thing just outside ♪
♪ Making our music there ♪
♪ A few red lights, a few old beds ♪
♪ We made a place to sweat ♪
♪ No matter what we get out of this ♪
♪ I know we'll never forget ♪
♪ Smoke on the water ♪
♪ A fire in the sky ♪
♪ Smoke on the water ♪
♪ A fire in the sky ♪
♪ Smoke on the water ♪
♪ A fire in the sky ♪
♪ Smoke on the water ♪
♪ A fire in the sky ♪
- I see you.
- [Audience] Smoke on the water.
A fire in the sky.
Smoke on the water.
A fire in the sky.
- I can't hear you.
- [Audience] Smoke on the water.
A fire in the sky.
- I still can't hear you.
- [Audience] Smoke on the water.
A fire in the sky
- Louder
- [Audience] Smoke on the water.
A fire in the sky.
- Yeah
- [Audience] Smoke on the water
A fire in the sky.
Smoke on the water.
A fire in the sky.
- Try it this way.
Come down please, shh.
- [Audience] Smoke on the water.
A fire in the sky.
- Shh, it's beautiful.
- [Audience] Smoke on the water.
A fire in the sky.
Smoke on the water.
A fire in the sky.
- That's enough of that, come on.
♪ Smoke on the water ♪
- I gotta tangle that, shh.
Carry on singing.
- [Audience] Smoke on the water.
A fire in the sky
- I'd like to say thank you.
Not only for tonight, but for all the years.
(audience applauding)
Fire in the sky.
♪ Smoke on the water ♪
♪ A fire in the sky. ♪
Thank you.
- [Audience] Smoke on the water.
- I still can't hear you.
- [Audience] A fire in the sky.
- Louder, come on now.
- [Audience] Smoke on the water.
- A fire in the sky.
Yeah, oh.
Whoa.
- [Audience] Smoke on the water.
(rock music playing)
(audience cheering)
Key Vocabulary
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Key Grammar Structures
-
We all came out to Montreux
➔ Past Simple
➔ The verb "came" is the past simple form of "come", used for a completed action in the past.
-
To make records with a mobile
➔ Infinitive of purpose (to + base verb)
➔ The phrase "to make" uses the infinitive "to" + base verb to express the purpose of going to Montreux.
-
We didn't have much time
➔ Negative past simple with auxiliary "did not"
➔ The auxiliary "didn't" (did not) creates a negative past simple; the main verb stays in its base form "have".
-
Find another place
➔ Imperative mood
➔ The base verb "Find" is used without a subject to give a command or suggestion.
-
Swiss time was runnin' out
➔ Past continuous (was + -ing)
➔ The verb phrase "was runnin'" (was running) shows an ongoing action in the past.
-
We ended up at the Grand Hotel
➔ Phrasal verb "ended up" + preposition
➔ The phrasal verb "ended up" means "finally arrived"; it is followed by the preposition "at".
-
I know we'll never forget
➔ Future simple with "will"
➔ The modal verb "will" forms the future simple "will never forget" to express a future certainty.
-
They burnt down the gambling house
➔ Past simple with phrasal verb "burnt down"
➔ The verb "burnt" (past of "burn") combined with "down" forms the phrasal verb "burnt down", meaning to destroy by fire.
-
When it all was over
➔ Temporal clause with "when"
➔ The conjunction "when" introduces a temporal clause "when it all was over", indicating the time at which something happened.
-
We made a place to sweat
➔ Past simple + infinitive of purpose
➔ The past simple verb "made" is followed by the infinitive phrase "to sweat" which expresses the purpose of making the place.
