The Nights – English Lyrics

• By: Avicii
• Album: True

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Once upon a younger year

When all our shadows disappeared

The animals inside came out to play

Went face to face with all our fears

Learned our lessons through the tears

Made memories we knew would never fade

One day, my father, he told me, "Son, don't let it slip away"

He took me in his arms, I heard him say

"When you get older your wild heart will live for younger days

Think of me if ever you're afraid"

He said, "One day, you'll leave this world behind

So live a life you will remember"

My father told me when I was just a child

"These are the nights that never die"

My father told me

♪

"When thunderclouds start pouring down

Light a fire they can't put out

Carve your name into those shining stars"

He said, "Go venture far beyond the shores

Don't forsake this life of yours

I'll guide you home no matter where you are"

One day, my father, he told me, "Son, don't let it slip away"

When I was just a kid, I heard him say

"When you get older your wild heart will live for younger days

Think of me if ever you're afraid"

He said, "One day, you'll leave this world behind

So live a life you will remember"

My father told me when I was just a child

"These are the nights that never die"

My father told me

♪

"These are the nights that never die"

My father told me

♪

My father told me

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
fade /feɪd/ B1	verb - to gradually disappear or become less
wild /waɪld/ A2	adjective - untamed or uncontrolled
venture /ˈvɛntʃər/ B2	verb - to go somewhere or do something that is dangerous or unknown
shores /ʃɔːrz/ A2	noun - the edge of a sea, lake, or wide river
memories /ˈmɛməriz/ A2	noun - something remembered from the past
thunderclouds /ˈθʌndərklaʊdz/ B1	noun - dark clouds that produce thunder
pouring /ˈpɔːrɪŋ/ A2	verb - to flow rapidly in a large quantity
carve /kɑːrv/ B1	verb - to cut a design or pattern into a hard material
shining /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/ A2	adjective - giving out a bright light
stars /stɑːrz/ A1	noun - a large ball of gas in space that gives out light
forsake /fɔːrˈseɪk/ C1	verb - to give up or abandon something or someone
guide /ɡaɪd/ A2	verb - to show or lead someone somewhere
slip /slɪp/ A2	verb - to slide out of position or fall
fears /fɪrz/ A2	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by danger or threat
lessons /ˈlɛsənz/ A1	noun - something learned through experience

Key Grammar Structures

• When all our shadows disappeared

  ➔ When-clause for past time

  ➔ The word ""When"" introduces a clause describing the time when the shadows disappeared in the past.

• Made memories we knew would never fade

  ➔ Past simple and future in the past with 'would'

  ➔ ""Made"" is the past simple of 'make', indicating a completed action. ""Would"" refers to a future event from the past perspective (memories that would never fade).

• Son, don't let it slip away

  ➔ Imperative mood with negative contraction

  ➔ ""Don't"" is a contraction of 'do not', used in imperatives to give direct commands or advice, here advising not to let ""it"" slip away.

• When you get older your wild heart will live for younger days

  ➔ When-clause with future reference using 'will'

  ➔ ""When"" introduces a future condition. ""Will"" expresses a future action: when you get older, your heart ""will"" long for younger days.

• Think of me if ever you're afraid

  ➔ First conditional with 'if' for hypothetical situations

  ➔ ""If"" introduces a condition. In the first conditional, if the condition (you're afraid) happens, the result is to ""think"" of me.

• One day, you'll leave this world behind

  ➔ Future simple with 'will' for predictions

  ➔ ""You'll"" is a contraction of 'you will', used to predict a future event: one day you ""will"" leave this world.

• Live a life you will remember

  ➔ Future with 'will' in relative clauses

  ➔ In this imperative, 'you ""will"" remember' uses 'will' to indicate certainty about a future action within the relative clause describing the life.

• When thunderclouds start pouring down

  ➔ When-clause for general or hypothetical present

  ➔ ""When"" introduces a time expression for a general or future imagined scenario where thunderclouds ""start"" pouring down.

• Light a fire they can't put out

  ➔ Modal 'can't' for impossibility

  ➔ ""Can't"" expresses inability or impossibility: the fire is so intense that ""they"" ""can't"" extinguish it.