The Suburbs – English Lyrics

• By: Arcade Fire

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language is about more than just words; it's about understanding a culture and its stories. Arcade Fire's 'The Suburbs' offers a poetic and introspective look into the North American suburban experience, a theme that resonates universally. By exploring the song's lyrics, you can learn vocabulary related to youth, memory, and community, all while appreciating the beautiful and layered storytelling that makes this song a modern classic.

[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
suburbs /ˈsʌbɜːrbz/ B1	noun - an outlying district of a city, especially a residential one
drive /draɪv/ A1	verb - to operate and control the direction and speed of a motor vehicle
survive /sərˈvaɪv/ B1	verb - continue to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship
leaving /ˈliːvɪŋ/ A1	verb - to go away from
fighting /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/ A2	verb - take part in a violent struggle involving physical force or weapons
war /wɔːr/ A2	noun - a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country
town /taʊn/ A1	noun - an urban area that has a name, defined boundaries, and local government, and that is generally larger than a village and smaller than a city
shore /ʃɔːr/ B1	noun - the land along the edge of a sea, lake, or other large body of water
bombs /bɒmz/ B2	noun - a container filled with explosive, incendiary, or other destructive material, designed to explode on impact or when detonated by a timing mechanism, remote control, or other device
bored /bɔːrd/ A2	adjective - feeling weary because one is unoccupied or lacks interest in one's current activity
feeling /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ A2	noun - an emotional state or reaction
kids /kɪdz/ A1	noun - a child or young person
dreams /driːmz/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep
screaming /ˈskriːmɪŋ/ B1	verb - give a loud, piercing cry
yard /jɑːrd/ A2	noun - the area of ground around a house, typically covered with grass
walls /wɔːlz/ A1	noun - a continuous vertical brick or stone structure that encloses or divides an area of land
houses /ˈhaʊzɪz/ A1	noun - a building for human habitation
daughter /ˈdɔːtər/ A1	noun - a female child
beauty /ˈbjuːti/ A2	noun - the quality of being pleasing, especially to look at
damage /ˈdæmɪdʒ/ B1	noun - physical harm that impairs the value, usefulness, or normal function of something
son /sʌn/ A1	noun - a male child
waiting /ˈweɪtɪŋ/ A1	verb - stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens
hot /hɒt/ A1	adjective - having a high degree of heat or a high temperature
pavement /ˈpeɪvmənt/ A2	noun - a paved area for pedestrians; a sidewalk
grass /ɡræs/ A1	noun - vegetation consisting of typically short plants with long, narrow leaves, growing wild or cultivated on lawns and pasture, and as a fodder crop

Key Grammar Structures

• In the suburbs I, I learned to drive

  ➔ Simple past tense

  ➔ Used to describe completed actions in the past.

• And you told me we'd never survive

  ➔ Conditional mood with 'would' + base verb

  ➔ Expresses a hypothetical or future-in-the-puture scenario.

• Grab your mother's keys, we're leaving

  ➔ Present continuous tense to describe immediate plans

  ➔ 'We're leaving' indicates a plan in the near future.

• That one day we'd be fighting

  ➔ Future in the past (using 'would' + verb)

  ➔ Expresses a future event viewed from a past perspective.

• We were already bored

  ➔ Past perfect tense to emphasize completion

  ➔ Indicates that the state of boredom had already begun in the past.

• Sometimes I can't believe it

  ➔ Modal 'can' + base verb (contraction 'can't') for inability or disbelief

  ➔ Expresses inability to accept or believe something at the moment.

• And into the night

  ➔ Prepositional phrase indicating movement or direction

  ➔ Describes moving toward or entering the night as a metaphor for change or escape.

• Then send me a son

  ➔ Imperative form used as a suggestion or request

  ➔ Expresses a desire or request for the next generation, showing hope or a different wish.