Snowchild – English Lyrics

• By: The Weeknd
• Album: After Hours

Lyrics & Translation

“Snowchild” offers a profound journey through The Weeknd's career and personal evolution, making it an excellent song for language learners to explore. Its rich, metaphorical lyrics delve into themes of fame, identity, and departure, allowing learners to grasp nuanced vocabulary and expressions related to personal reflection and the music industry. The song's introspective nature and unique narrative, further elaborated in its animated music video which visually traces his career and struggles, make it a compelling piece to understand the artist's storytelling and connect with the English language on a deeper level.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
pray /preɪ/ A2	verb - to address a solemn request or expression of thanks to a deity or other object of worship
nightmare /ˈnaɪt.mer/ B1	noun - a very unpleasant dream
dream /driːm/ A1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep verb - to indulge in daydreams or fantasies.
snow /snoʊ/ A1	noun - atmospheric water vapor frozen into ice crystals and falling in light white flakes or lying on the ground as a white layer verb - to fall as snow.
dead /ded/ A1	adjective - no longer alive
mission /ˈmɪʃ.ən/ B1	noun - an important assignment, often involving travel
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours
spaceship /ˈspeɪs.ʃɪp/ B1	noun - a vehicle used for traveling in outer space
futuristic /ˌfjuː.tʃəˈrɪs.tɪk/ B2	adjective - having or appearing to have the style of the future; modern and innovative.
money /ˈmʌn.i/ A1	noun - a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to drop or descend under the force of gravity
business /ˈbɪz.nɪs/ A2	noun - a person's regular occupation, profession, or trade
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a wide way leading from one place to another, especially one with a specially prepared surface that vehicles can use
vacation /veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ A2	noun - an extended period of recreation, especially when spent away from home or in traveling
failing /ˈfeɪ.lɪŋ/ B2	noun - weaknesses; flaws.
patience /ˈpeɪ.ʃəns/ B1	noun - the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset

Key Grammar Structures

• I used to pray when I was 16

  ➔ "Used to" for past habits

  ➔ The structure "used to + verb" indicates a past habit or state that is no longer true. In this case, it shows that the singer prayed regularly when he was 16.

• If I didn't make it, then I'd probably make my wrist bleed

  ➔ Second conditional (If + past simple, would + infinitive)

  ➔ This sentence uses the second conditional to describe a hypothetical situation in the past and its likely consequence. "If I didn't make it" (past simple) describes the hypothetical situation, and "then I'd probably make my wrist bleed" (would + infinitive) describes the likely outcome.

• Cover girls jumping out the page like they pop ups

  ➔ Simile (like)

  ➔ The simile uses "like" to compare cover girls jumping out of the page to pop ups, emphasizing the sudden and surprising nature of their appearance.

• Now I'm in Tribeca like I'm Jay-Z

  ➔ Simile (like)

  ➔ The simile uses "like" to compare the speaker's presence in Tribeca to that of Jay-Z, implying wealth, status, and familiarity with the area.

• Got me movin' dirty like I'm Swayze

  ➔ Simile (like) with ellipsis

  ➔ This simile uses "like" to compare the speaker's "dirty" movement to that of Patrick Swayze (likely referencing his dance moves). The "Got me" implies a causative structure, something is causing the movement.

• Rockin' Louis à la mode, nigga

  ➔ French loanword/phrase

  ➔ "À la mode" is a French phrase meaning "fashionable" or "in style." The phrase adds a touch of sophistication or high fashion to the description.

• 20 mill' mansion, never lived in it

  ➔ Ellipsis

  ➔ The sentence is an example of ellipsis where the auxiliary verb 'have' is omitted: "(I've) never lived in it." This is common in informal speech and song lyrics.

• Only thing I'm phobic of is failing

  ➔ Subject complement (noun)

  ➔ "Failing" is a gerund (verb acting as a noun) that serves as the subject complement, describing what the subject (the only thing he's phobic of) is. It renames or describes the subject.