The End Has No End – English Lyrics

• By: The Strokes
• Album: Room on Fire

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the cyclical themes and garage-rock sound of The Strokes' "The End Has No End." This song, rich with cultural references and introspective lyrics, offers a unique opportunity to delve into early 2000s alternative music while contemplating the recurring patterns of life and society .

[English]

♪ One by one, ticking time bombs won ♪

♪ It's not the secrets of the government ♪

♪ That's keeping you dumb ♪

♪ Oh, it's the other way around, wait ♪

♪ What's that sound ♪

♪ One by one, baby, here they come ♪

♪ He wants it easy, he want it relaxed ♪

♪ Said, "I can do a lot of things, but I can't do that" ♪

♪ Two steps forward, then three steps back, alright ♪

♪ Won't you take a walk outside ♪

♪ Oh, no ♪

♪ Can't you find some other guy ♪

♪ Oh, no ♪

♪ One-nine-six-nine, what's that sound ♪

♪ Oh, no ♪

♪ Keeping down the underground, oh, no ♪

♪ The end has no end, the end has no end ♪

♪ The end has no end, the end has no end ♪

♪ He wanted easy, he wanted relaxed ♪

♪ Said, "I can do a lot of things, but I can't do that" ♪

♪ Two steps forward then three steps back, it won't be easy ♪

♪ Won't you take a walk outside ♪

♪ Oh, no ♪

♪ Can't you find another guy ♪

♪ Oh, no ♪

♪ One-nine-six-three, what's that sound ♪

♪ Oh, no ♪

♪ Keeping down the underground, oh, no ♪

♪ The end has no end, the end has no end ♪

♪ The end has no end, the end has no end ♪

♪ The end has no end, the end has no end ♪

♪ The end has no end, the end has no end ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
ticking /ˈtɪkɪŋ/ B2	verb - to make a regular clicking or tapping sound
bomb /bɒm/ B1	noun - an explosive device designed to cause destruction
secret /ˈsiːkrət/ B1	noun - something kept hidden or unknown
government /ˈɡʌvənmənt/ B2	noun - the group of people with authority to govern a country or state
dumb /dʌm/ B1	adjective - lacking intelligence or good judgment
sound /saʊnd/ A1	noun - vibrations that travel through the air and can be heard
baby /ˈbeɪbi/ A1	noun - a very young child
easy /ˈiːzi/ A1	adjective - not difficult
relaxed /rɪˈlækst/ B2	adjective - free from tension or anxiety
step /step/ A1	noun - a movement made by lifting and setting down a foot
forward /ˈfɔːrwəd/ B1	adverb - toward the front or a position ahead
back /bæk/ A1	adverb - toward the rear
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn
underground /ˈʌndərɡraʊnd/ B2	noun - a place or system beneath the surface of the earth
end /ɛnd/ A1	noun - the final part of something
keep /kiːp/ A2	verb - to retain or continue to have something
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - a measurable period during which events occur
find /faɪnd/ A1	verb - to discover or locate something

Key Grammar Structures

• One by one, ticking time bombs won

  ➔ Present participle (as adjective)

  ➔ The word "ticking" is a present participle functioning as an adjective to describe "time bombs".

• It's not the secrets of the government

  ➔ Contraction + Negative sentence (present simple)

  ➔ The contraction "It's" = "it is"; the word "not" makes the clause negative.

• He wants it easy, he want it relaxed

  ➔ Subject‑verb agreement (3rd person singular)

  ➔ In the first clause "wants" agrees with the singular subject "He"; the second clause mistakenly uses "want".

• Said, "I can do a lot of things, but I can't do that"

  ➔ Modal verbs (can, can't)

  ➔ The modal "can" expresses ability, while "can't" (cannot) expresses inability.

• Won't you take a walk outside

  ➔ Modal question for invitation (won't you)

  ➔ The modal "won't" (will not) forms a polite invitation: "Won't you take a walk?"

• Can't you find some other guy

  ➔ Negative question (can't you)

  ➔ The negative modal "can't" is used to ask for confirmation or a request: "Can't you find…?"

• One‑nine‑six‑nine, what's that sound

  ➔ Wh‑question (what's)

  ➔ The interrogative "what's" (what is) asks for identification of the sound.

• The end has no end

  ➔ Present simple (third person singular)

  ➔ The verb "has" is the third‑person singular form of the present simple, indicating a permanent state.