The Subway – English Lyrics

• By: Chappell Roan

Lyrics & Translation

“The Subway” by Chappell Roan offers a rich emotional landscape for language learners, exploring themes of love, loss, and the bittersweet memories tied to a specific place. The song's narrative, centered around a chance encounter on the subway, provides a relatable context to learn vocabulary related to city life and personal feelings. Its clever wordplay, like the dual meaning of “she’s got a way” and “she got away,” offers a unique opportunity to understand the subtleties of English. The track's blend of heartfelt lyrics and a touch of humor makes it an engaging and memorable song for anyone looking to connect with the language on a deeper level.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hair /heər/ A1	noun - the strands that grow from the skin of the head
beauty /ˈbjuːti/ A2	noun - a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.
breakdown /ˈbreɪkdaʊn/ B1	noun - a failure to function normally verb - to stop functioning
perfume /pərˈfjuːm/ B1	noun - a fragrant liquid typically made from essential oils
kill /kɪl/ B1	verb - to cause the death of
promise /ˈprɒmɪs/ B1	noun - a declaration assuring that one will do something or that a particular thing will happen. verb - to assure someone that one will definitely do something or that something will happen.
shadow /ˈʃædoʊ/ B1	noun - a dark area produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
evil /ˈiːvɪl/ B2	adjective - profoundly immoral and wicked.
routine /ruːˈtiːn/ B2	noun - a sequence of actions regularly followed.
trust /trʌst/ B2	verb - to have confidence in noun - firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
soulmates /ˈsoʊlmeɪts/ C1	noun - a person ideally suited to another.
villain /ˈvɪlən/ C1	noun - a character or force in opposition to the protagonist.
routine /ruːˈtiːn/ B2	noun - a sequence of actions regularly followed.
foreplay /ˈfɔːrpleɪ/ C1	noun - preliminary sexual activity
moving /ˈmuːvɪŋ/ A2	verb - changing position or location
lights /laɪts/ A1	noun - the source of illumination

Key Grammar Structures

• I SAW YOUR GREEN HAIR BEAUTY MARK NEXT TO YOUR MOUTH THERE ON THE SUBWAY

  ➔ Past Simple

  ➔ Describes a completed action in the past: 'saw'.

• I NEARLY HAD A BREAKDOWN

  ➔ Modal Verb + Past Simple

  ➔ 'Nearly' modifies 'had a breakdown', indicating a very close miss of a past event. 'Had' is the past simple of 'have'.

• IT'S JUST ANOTHER DAY AND IT'S NOT OVER 'TIL IT'S OVER

  ➔ Present Simple + Present Perfect

  ➔ 'It's just another day' uses present simple for a general statement. 'It's not over 'til it's over' uses present simple for a condition and a future implication.

• TIL I DON'T LOOK FOR YOU ON THE STAIRCASE

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (implied)

  ➔ The phrase 'til I don't look' implies a desired future state, often expressed with the subjunctive or a modal verb like 'can' or 'will', though omitted here for poetic effect.

• OR WISH YOU THOUGHT THAT WE WERE STILL SOULMATES

  ➔ Past Subjunctive

  ➔ 'Were' is used here to express a hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situation in the past: the wish that the other person believed they were still soulmates.

• BUT I'M STILL COUNTING DOWN ALL OF THE DAYS 'TIL YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE SUBWAY

  ➔ Present Continuous + Future Implication

  ➔ 'I'm still counting down' indicates an ongoing action in the present, but it's directed towards a future event (when the person becomes 'just another girl on the subway').

• MADE YOU THE VILLAIN EVIL FOR JUST MOVING ON

  ➔ Past Simple (implied subject 'I')

  ➔ The implied subject 'I' performed the action of making the other person the 'villain'. This is a past simple construction.

• IF IN FOUR MONTHS THIS FEELING AIN'T GONE WELL, FUCK THIS CITY I'M MOVING TO SASKATCHEWAN

  ➔ Conditional (Type 1) + Future Intent

  ➔ 'If... ain't gone' sets up a conditional scenario. 'I'm moving' expresses a firm intention or plan for the future.

• BUT I'M STILL COUNTING DOWN ALL OF THE DAYS 'TIL YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE SUBWAY

  ➔ Present Continuous for Future Arrangement/Plan

  ➔ While 'counting down' is an ongoing action, the context 'til you're just another girl on the subway' clearly indicates a future state being anticipated, using the present continuous to express this future plan/hope.