Nightcall – English Lyrics

• By: Kavinsky

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the atmospheric synthwave world of Kavinsky's 'Nightcall,' a track that transcends a simple song to become a nocturnal journey. Its evocative 80s-inspired sounds and compelling, mysterious narrative offer a unique entry point into the nuances of French electronic music and storytelling. Through its distinct vocoder vocals and rich sonic textures, you can explore themes of mystery, nostalgia, and emotional depth, making it a powerful piece to enhance your language learning experience.

[English]

I'm giving you a night call to tell you how I feel

I want to drive you through the night, down the hills

I'm gonna tell you something you don't want to hear

I'm gonna show you where it's dark, but has no fear

There's something inside you

It's hard to explain

They're talking about you boy

But you're still the same

I'm giving you a night call to tell you how I feel

I want to drive you through the night, down the hills

I'm gonna tell you something you don't want to hear

I'm gonna show you where it's dark, but has no fear

There's something inside you

It's hard to explain

They're talking about you boy

But you're still the same

There's something inside you

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
call /kɔːl/ A1	noun - a telephone conversation verb - to speak to someone on the telephone
drive /draɪv/ A1	verb - to operate a vehicle
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the dark hours between sunset and sunrise
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
dark /dɑːk/ A1	adjective - with little or no light
show /ʃoʊ/ A1	verb - to allow something to be seen
fear /fɪr/ A1	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by danger
inside /ɪnˈsaɪd/ A2	adjective - in the inner part of something
explain /ɪkˈspleɪn/ A2	verb - to make something clear or understandable
talking /ˈtɔːkɪŋ/ A1	verb - to speak to someone
same /seɪm/ A1	adjective - identical; not different
tell /tɛl/ A1	verb - to communicate information
want /wɒnt/ A1	verb - to desire or wish for something
something /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/ A1	noun - a thing not specified or named
still /stɪl/ A1	adjective - not moving or not changing
hill /hɪl/ A1	noun - a roundish raised area of land

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm giving you a night call to tell you how I feel

  ➔ Present Continuous for Future Arrangements

  ➔ "I'm giving" expresses a planned future action (the night call), common with verbs like go/come.

• I want to drive you through the night

  ➔ Verb + Infinitive (Want + to drive)

  ➔ "Want" is followed directly by the infinitive "to drive" to express desire.

• something you don't want to hear

  ➔ Reduced Relative Clause

  ➔ Omits relative pronoun "that" ("something [that] you don't want to hear"). Common in informal English.

• where it's dark, but has no fear

  ➔ Contrasting Clauses with 'but'

  ➔ "but" contrasts the expected emotion (fear) with the actual situation (no fear) in the dark place.

• There's something inside you

  ➔ Existential 'There' + Indefinite Pronoun

  ➔ "There's" introduces existence of "something" (indefinite) within a person.

• It's hard to explain

  ➔ Dummy 'It' + Adjective + Infinitive

  ➔ "It" acts as a placeholder subject. The true subject is the infinitive phrase "to explain".

• They're talking about you boy

  ➔ Present Continuous for Current Actions

  ➔ "They're talking" describes an ongoing action (gossip/rumors) happening now.

• But you're still the same

  ➔ Adverb 'still' for Continuation

  ➔ "still" emphasizes that the person remains unchanged despite external opinions.