Spanish Sahara – English Lyrics

• By: Foals
• Album: Total Life Forever

Lyrics & Translation

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
haze /heɪz/ B2	noun - a slight obscuration of the air caused by fine suspended particles
waves /weɪvz/ A2	noun - a long body of water curling into an arched form and breaking on the shore
black /blæk/ A1	adjective - the darkest color, the result of the absence of or complete absorption of light
shoreline /ˈʃɔːrlaɪn/ B2	noun - the line along which a large body of water meets the land
dust /dʌst/ A2	noun - fine, dry particles of matter
future /ˈfjuːtʃər/ A2	noun - the time yet to come
carry /ˈkæri/ B1	verb - to support and move someone or something from one place to another
ghost /ɡoʊst/ B1	noun - the spirit of a dead person, often believed to appear in a visible form
fury /ˈfjʊəri/ B2	noun - wild or violent anger
place /pleɪs/ A1	noun - a particular position or point in space
sand /sænd/ A1	noun - a loose granular substance resulting from the erosion of rocks
broken /ˈbroʊkən/ B1	adjective - having been fractured or damaged
leave /liːv/ A2	verb - to go away from a place
boiling /ˈbɔɪlɪŋ/ B2	adjective - in the state of bubbling or boiling
air /ɛr/ A1	noun - the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth

Key Grammar Structures

• Now, I see you lying there Like a lie low losing air, air

  ➔ Present Continuous/Participle Clause

  ➔ The phrase "lying there" uses the present participle to describe the subject 'you'. "Losing air" is also a participle phrase modifying 'lie low'.

• Black rocks and the shoreline sand Still dead summer I cannot bear

  ➔ Inversion (Emphasis)

  ➔ The line "Still dead summer I cannot bear" uses inversion for emphasis. The standard word order would be "I cannot bear still dead summer". Inverting the order places emphasis on "Still dead summer."

• The Spanish Sahara, the place that you'd wanna Leave the horror here

  ➔ Reduced Relative Clause / Modal Verb 'would'

  ➔ "That you'd wanna" is a reduced relative clause. The full clause would be "the place that you would want to." 'Would' expresses a conditional desire or inclination.

• It's future rust and it's future dust

  ➔ Ellipsis

  ➔ The structure implies "It is future rust and it is future dust", but the "is" is omitted in the second clause for stylistic effect.

• Now, the waves they drag you down

  ➔ Emphasis with Repetition (Topic Introduction)

  ➔ Repeating the subject "the waves" immediately after introducing it emphasizes its importance. While grammatically unusual, it's a common stylistic choice in songs and poetry.

• Wipe you clean with dirty hands

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase of Manner

  ➔ The phrase "with dirty hands" acts as an adverbial phrase, modifying the verb "wipe" and indicating how the action is performed.

• I'm the fury in your head I'm the fury in your bed I'm the ghost in the back of your head

  ➔ Metaphor and Repetition

  ➔ These lines use metaphor to describe the speaker's influence, comparing them to intense emotions and a haunting presence. Repetition emphasizes the pervasive nature of this influence.