The Promise – English Lyrics

• By: Arcadia
• Album: SO RED THE ROSE

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Arcadia's "The Promise," a song rich with lyrical depth and musical sophistication. Explore complex themes of human nature and global betrayal, enhanced by the combined talents of Simon Le Bon, Sting, and David Gilmour. This track offers a unique opportunity to expand your understanding of English through its poetic lyrics and layered production .

[English]

Whose tears on a gaping void

Who's stretching arms match

The hunger of mine

There lips will they never join

But always draw me closer

And further entwined

With a promise dealer understand

All freedoms fade away

To a point of view

Where many different pathways meet

And we're standing on this precipice

With nothing much to gain save

But the deep blue screams

Of falling dreams

With our next move

Heaven hide your eyes

Heaven's eyes will never dry

The shades of a thousand steel

Come flashing by my face

In the fury of war

In desolation and abandoned fields

The hungry make their stand

When they'll stand for no more

Hear the passion in their voices

See the heaven in their eyes

Their hopes and schemes are waiting

Dreams of less than paradise

And sometimes we make promises

We never mean to keep

For blackmail is the only deal

A promise dealer sees

Heaven hide your eyes

Heaven's eyes will never dry

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
tears /tɪrz/ A1	noun - drops of liquid from the eyes as a sign of emotion
hunger /ˈhʌŋɡər/ A1	noun - a strong desire or need for food
lips /lɪps/ A1	noun - the fleshy part surrounding the mouth
entwined /inˈtwaɪnd/ B2	verb - to twist or intertwine together
promise /ˈprɒmɪs/ A2	noun - a declaration assuring something will be done verb - to commit to do something
fade /feɪd/ B1	verb - to gradually grow faint and disappear
precipice /ˈprɛsəpɪs/ C1	noun - a very steep rock face or cliff
scream /skriːm/ A2	verb - to utter a loud, sharp cry noun - a loud, sharp cry
dreams /driːmz/ A1	noun - a series of thoughts or images experienced during sleep
heaven /ˈhɛvən/ A2	noun - the place thought to be inhabited by God and angels
shades /ʃeɪdz/ B1	noun - a slight or barely discernible amount
steel /stiːl/ A1	noun - a strong metal alloy
fury /ˈfjuːri/ B1	noun - extreme anger
desolation /ˌdɛsəˈleɪʃən/ C1	noun - a state of sadness and emptiness
passion /ˈpæʃən/ B1	noun - strong and barely controllable emotion
paradise /ˈpærədaɪs/ A2	noun - a place of great beauty and happiness
blackmail /ˈblækmeɪl/ B2	noun - the action of demanding payment or action in return for not revealing compromising information
dealer /ˈdiːlər/ B1	noun - a person who buys and sells illegally

Key Grammar Structures

• Whose tears on a gaping void

  ➔ Whose + noun (relative pronoun)

  ➔ "Whose" is a relative pronoun used to ask who owns or is associated with the tears. It introduces a descriptive clause about the tears.

• There lips will they never join

  ➔ Inversion (subject-verb inversion)

  ➔ The sentence uses subject-verb inversion for emphasis, placing "will they" before the subject "lips". This structure adds a dramatic effect.

• With a promise dealer understand

  ➔ Gerund (noun form of the verb)

  ➔ "Understand" here functions as a noun, referring to the act of understanding. This is an example of a gerund, which is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun.

• All freedoms fade away

  ➔ Present simple with 'fade away' (idiomatic expression)

  ➔ The present simple tense is used with the idiomatic expression "fade away" to describe a gradual process. It implies a continuous or habitual action.

• Where many different pathways meet

  ➔ Relative clause (descriptive clause)

  ➔ The phrase "where many different pathways meet" is a relative clause that describes the point of view. It provides additional information about the location.

• With nothing much to gain save

  ➔ Ellipsis (omission of words)

  ➔ The phrase uses ellipsis, omitting words like "but" or "except" after "to gain". This creates a concise and poetic effect.

• Heaven hide your eyes

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The phrase uses the imperative mood to give a direct command. It is a strong and urgent request for Heaven to hide its eyes.

• The shades of a thousand steel

  ➔ Metaphor (figurative language)

  ➔ The phrase uses metaphor to compare the shades to a thousand steel, creating a vivid and powerful image.