The Suburbs – English Lyrics

• By: Arcade Fire

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the nuances of suburban life through Arcade Fire's “The Suburbs,” a song that encapsulates the bittersweet realities of growing up in suburbia. Explore themes of nostalgia, social commentary, and the transition to adulthood, while improving your English vocabulary and comprehension. Immerse yourself in the band's poetic lyrics and discover the deeper meanings behind their observations on modern society and personal identity.

[English]

In the suburbs I, I learned to drive

And you told me we'd never survive

Grab your mother's keys, we're leaving

...

You always seemed so sure

That one day we'd be fighting

In a suburban war

Your part of town against mine

I saw you standing on the opposite shore

But by the time the first bombs fell

We were already bored

We were already, already bored

Sometimes I can't believe it

I'm moving past the feeling

Sometimes I can't believe it

I'm moving past the feeling again

...

The kids want to be so hard

But in my dreams we're still screaming

And running through the yard

When all of the walls that they built

In the seventies finally fall

And all of the houses they built

In the seventies finally fall

Meant nothing at all?

Meant nothing at all

It meant nothing

Sometimes I can't believe it

I'm moving past the feeling

Sometimes I can't believe it

I'm moving past the feeling

And into the night

...

So can you understand

Why I want a daughter while I'm still young?

I want to hold her hand

And show her some beauty

Before this damage is done

But if it's too much to ask

If it's too much to ask

Then send me a son

...

Under the overpass

In the parking lot, we're still waiting

It's already passed

So move your feet from hot pavement

And into the grass

'Cause it's already passed

It's already, already passed

Sometimes I can't believe it

I'm moving past the feeling

Sometimes I can't believe it

I'm moving past the feeling again

...

I'm moving past the feeling

...

I'm moving past the feeling

...

In my dreams we're still screaming

...

We're still screaming

We're still screaming

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
survive /sərˈvaɪv/ B1	verb - to continue to live or exist
drive /draɪv/ B1	verb - to operate a vehicle
keys /kiz/ A2	noun - objects used to lock or unlock doors
war /wɔːr/ B2	noun - a state of armed conflict
shore /ʃɔːr/ B2	noun - the land along the edge of a sea, lake, or other large body of water
bombs /bɒmz/ B2	noun - weapons designed to explode
bored /bɔːrd/ B2	adjective - feeling weary or uninterested
feeling /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ B1	noun - an emotional state or perception
dreams /driːmz/ B1	noun - sequences of images or thoughts during sleep or aspirations
screaming /ˈskriːmɪŋ/ B2	verb - to utter a loud, high-pitched cry
yard /jɑːrd/ A2	noun - a unit of measurement or an open area
houses /ˈhaʊzɪz/ A2	noun - buildings for people to live in
night /naɪt/ A2	noun - the period of darkness in each 24-hour cycle
daughter /ˈdɔːtər/ A2	noun - a female child
hands /hændz/ A2	noun - the body parts at the end of the arms

Key Grammar Structures

• You always seemed so sure That one day we'd be fighting

  ➔ Modal verb 'would' for future in the past.

  ➔ 'We'd be fighting' is a shortened form of 'we would be fighting.' It indicates a future action as it was perceived from a past point in time. It shows an expectation or prediction that existed in the past.

• When all of the walls that they built In the seventies finally fall

  ➔ Relative clause using 'that' to define the noun 'walls'.

  ➔ The clause "that they built in the seventies" modifies "walls." It specifies which walls are being referred to.

• So can you understand Why I want a daughter while I'm still young?

  ➔ Indirect Question using 'Why' + Subject + Verb order.

  ➔ The phrase "Why I want a daughter..." functions as the object of the verb "understand." It follows the subject-verb order typical of statements, not the verb-subject order of direct questions.

• I want to hold her hand And show her some beauty Before this damage is done

  ➔ Passive voice: "damage is done".

  ➔ "Damage is done" means that the action of damaging has been completed by an unspecified agent. The focus is on the state of the damage, not who caused it.

• But if it's too much to ask If it's too much to ask Then send me a son

  ➔ Conditional sentence type 1 (possible condition).

  ➔ This sentence uses 'if' to present a possible condition ("if it's too much to ask"). The result of that condition is expressed with 'then' and a simple future action ("send me a son"). It indicates a real possibility in the present or future.

• Under the overpass In the parking lot, we're still waiting It's already passed So move your feet from hot pavement And into the grass 'Cause it's already passed

  ➔ Use of 'already' with the present perfect to indicate a completed action with relevance to the present ('It's already passed').

  ➔ "It's already passed" means that something has finished happening and is no longer relevant. The word "already" emphasises the completeness of the action.

• Sometimes I can't believe it I'm moving past the feeling

  ➔ Present continuous tense to describe an ongoing action ('I'm moving').

  ➔ "I'm moving past the feeling" indicates that the speaker is in the process of overcoming or distancing themself from a particular emotion.