Subside – English Lyrics

• By: Alessia Cara
• Album: Love & Hyperbole

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Alessia Cara's deeply personal and emotional songwriting with "Subside." This powerful track is perfect for learning English vocabulary related to existentialism, time, and inner turmoil. You'll encounter thoughtful, high-level vocabulary, and sophisticated metaphors wrapped in a Pop-Rock melody, making it a rich text for advanced listening comprehension and emotional language study.

[English]

That's what they say time's just pocket change

That I'm wasting away

Grieving while still alive

And fighting with them won't make them subside

Nothing good ever lasts

Girl, I was never came back

Staying up, falling off track

So much I wish I knew

Flew too close to the sun

Who I was, she was made of

Threw a punch, had to take one

It's what they say

Time's just pocket change (ooh)

That I'm wasting away

Grieving while still alive

And fighting with them won't make them subside

Is it already over?

Sidewalk scraping my knees

Go and have some tangerine

Wanna know why everything worth holding

Turns to a blur in a distance

That's why I'm clenching my fist

I know all this is you, it is you

Don't get the same day twice, still every night

There's something that won't heal, don't feel right

Nothing good ever lasts

Girl I was never came back

Staying up, falling off track

So much I wish I knew

Flew too close to the sun

Who I was, she was made of

Threw a punch, had to take one

It's what they say

Time's just pocket change (ooh)

That I'm wasting away

Grieving while still alive

And fighting with them won't make them subside

Oh

Oh, oh

All of this is what it is you

Don't get the same day twice

Still every night

There's something that won't heal

Don't feel right

Nothing good ever lasts (don't last)

Girl I was never came back (came back)

Staying up, falling off track (ooh)

So much I wish I knew

Flew too close to the sun (yeah, yeah)

Who I was, she was made of (made of)

Threw a punch, had to take one

It's what they say (they say)

Time's just pocket change (change, ooh)

That I'm wasting away

Grieving while still alive (ooh)

And fighting with them won't make them subside

Oh

Na-na-na-na

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A2	noun - the act or result of making something different verb - to make or become different
waste /weɪst/ B1	verb - to use or expend carelessly or to no purpose noun - material that is discarded as useless
grief /ɡriːf/ B2	noun - deep sorrow, especially caused by someone's death
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living; not dead
fight /faɪt/ A2	verb - to engage in a physical or verbal struggle noun - a violent confrontation
subside /səbˈsaɪd/ C1	verb - to become less intense, to diminish
last /læst/ A2	verb - to continue for a period of time
track /træk/ A2	noun - a path or route; a recorded line of music verb - to follow the movements or progress of something
wish /wɪʃ/ A2	verb - to desire or hope for something noun - a desire or hope
know /noʊ/ A1	verb - to be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star at the centre of the Solar System
punch /pʌntʃ/ B1	noun - a forceful strike with a clenched fist verb - to strike with a closed hand
sidewalk /ˈsaɪdwɔːk/ B2	noun - a paved path for pedestrians at the side of a road
tangerine /ˌtændʒəˈriːn/ B2	noun - a small, orange‑coloured citrus fruit
blur /blɜːr/ B2	noun - something that is not clear or distinct verb - to make or become unclear
distance /ˈdɪstəns/ B1	noun - the amount of space between two points
clench /klɛn(t)ʃ/ C1	verb - to close tightly, especially the hand or jaw
heal /hiːl/ B2	verb - to become sound or healthy again; to restore
right /raɪt/ A1	adjective - correct or true; appropriate

Key Grammar Structures

• That's what they say, time's just pocket change.

  ➔ Noun clause after 'what' (reported speech) + contraction of 'is'

  ➔ The phrase ""what they say"" is a noun clause that functions as the complement of "that's". The contraction ""time's"" stands for "time is".

• I'm wasting away.

  ➔ Present continuous (be + verb‑ing) for an ongoing state

  ➔ The contraction ""I'm"" = "I am" followed by the verb ending in "-ing" shows a process that is happening right now.

• Grieving while still alive.

  ➔ Present participle phrase (verb‑ing) used as a reduced clause

  ➔ The word ""Grieving"" is a present participle that functions as a modifier meaning "while I am grieving".

• And fighting with them won't make them subside.

  ➔ Future simple negative with modal verb "won't" + causative verb "make" + infinitive

  ➔ The modal "won't" = "will not" expresses a future negative prediction. After "make" we use the base form "subside".

• Flew too close to the sun.

  ➔ Simple past tense (irregular verb "fly" → "flew") with idiomatic expression

  ➔ "Flew" is the past form of "fly". The phrase "too close to the sun" alludes to the Icarus myth, meaning taking a risky, over‑ambitious action.

• Don't get the same day twice, still every night.

  ➔ Imperative negative sentence; omission of the subject (you) is typical

  ➔ The verb ""Don't get"" is a negative command. The understood subject is "you"; English often drops it in imperatives.

• There's something that won't heal.

  ➔ Existential "there is/are" + relative clause introduced by "that"

  ➔ The contraction ""There's"" = "there is" introduces existence. The relative clause "that won't heal" describes "something".

• Nothing good ever lasts.

  ➔ Simple present tense with adverb "ever" for universal truth

  ➔ "Ever" emphasizes that the statement "nothing good lasts" is always true, not limited to a specific time.

• I threw a punch, had to take one.

  ➔ Past simple + modal "had to" + infinitive (obligation in the past)

  ➔ "Had to" is the past form of "have to" meaning "was obliged to". It is followed by the base verb "take".