Steven – English Lyrics

• By: Alice Cooper
• Album: Trashes The World

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the chilling narrative of Alice Cooper's "Steven," a song that masterfully blends hard rock with theatrical storytelling. As a key piece of the "Welcome to My Nightmare" concept album, this track offers a unique opportunity to explore English through its evocative and often unsettling lyrics, which vividly portray a descent into a psychological nightmare. The song's dramatic shifts in tone and Alice Cooper's distinct vocal delivery make it a compelling way to understand emotional expression in English music, revealing how language can build suspense and convey deep psychological states.

[English]

(audience cheering) - Hey.

Alice, what are you doing here?

Alice, admit that you're sick. (laughs)

Alice, tell me how it started.

Think back.

Way back.

(audience cheering)

(slow rock music) (audience cheering)

♪ I don't want to see you go ♪

♪ I don't even want to be there ♪

♪ I will cover up my eyes ♪

♪ And it will go away ♪

♪ You've only lived a minute ♪

♪ Of your life ♪

♪ I must be dreaming ♪

♪ Please stop screaming ♪

♪ I don't want to feel you die ♪

♪ You just don't know ♪

♪ How deep that cuts me ♪

♪ I'll put pennies on your eyes ♪

♪ And it will go away ♪

♪ See ♪

♪ You've only lived ♪

♪ A minute of your life ♪

♪ I must be dreaming ♪

♪ Please stop screaming ♪

(audience cheering)

♪ Steven ♪

♪ Steven ♪

♪ I hear my name ♪

♪ Steven ♪

♪ Is someone calling me ♪

♪ I hear my name ♪

♪ Steven ♪

(rock music)

(rock music)

♪ Steven ♪

♪ Steven ♪

♪ Steven ♪

♪ Steven ♪

(rock music)

♪ Steven ♪

♪ Steven ♪

♪ Steven ♪

♪ Steven ♪

(rock music)

(rock music continues)

(audience cheering)

Key Grammar Structures

• I don't want to see you go

  ➔ negative present simple with infinitive (want + infinitive) and bare infinitive after perception verb

  ➔ The sentence uses the negative form "don't" with the verb "want" followed by the infinitive "to see"; after the perception verb "see" the second verb appears as a bare infinitive "go".

• I don't even want to be there

  ➔ negative present simple with adverb "even" and infinitive "to be"

  ➔ The adverb "even" intensifies the negation; the structure "don't want to be" uses the infinitive "to be" after the verb "want".

• I will cover up my eyes

  ➔ future simple with modal verb "will" + base verb

  ➔ The modal "will" expresses a future intention; it is followed directly by the base verb "cover".

• You've only lived a minute of your life

  ➔ present perfect with adverb "only" and duration phrase

  ➔ The contraction "You've" = "you have" forms the present perfect; "only" limits the amount of time, and "a minute of your life" is a duration complement.

• I must be dreaming

  ➔ modal verb "must" + be + gerund (present progressive after modal)

  ➔ "must" expresses strong certainty; it is followed by "be" and the gerund "dreaming" to form a present progressive meaning.

• Please stop screaming

  ➔ imperative with polite "please" + verb "stop" + gerund

  ➔ "Please" softens the command; "stop" is the main verb, and it is followed by the gerund "screaming" to indicate the action to cease.

• Is someone calling me?

  ➔ present continuous interrogative (auxiliary "is" + subject + verb‑ing)

  ➔ The auxiliary "is" marks the present continuous; placing it before the subject forms a yes/no question, and "calling" is the present participle.