Smoke on the Water – English Lyrics

• By: Deep Purple
• Album: Come Hell or High Water

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 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.