Turn the Lights Back On – English Lyrics

• By: Billy Joel

Lyrics & Translation

Explore Billy Joel's return with "Turn the Lights Back On," a heartfelt ballad rich in emotion and meaning. This song offers a chance to delve into themes of reconnection and personal reflection, showcasing Joel's signature piano style and lyrical depth. Discover the story behind his musical revival and what makes this song a special addition to his legendary catalog.

[English]

♪ Please open the door ♪

♪ Nothing is different we've been here before ♪

♪ Pacing these halls ♪

♪ Trying to talk over the silence ♪

♪ And pride sticks out its tongue ♪

♪ Laughs at the portrait that we’ve become ♪

♪ Stuck in a frame, unable to change. I was wrong ♪

♪ I’m late ♪

♪ But I’m here right now ♪

♪ Though I used to be romantic ♪

♪ I forgot somehow ♪

♪ Time can make you blind ♪

♪ But I see you now ♪

♪ As we’re layin’ in the darkness ♪

♪ Did I wait too long ♪

♪ To turn the lights back on ♪

♪ Here, stuck on a hill ♪

♪ Outsiders inside the home that we built ♪

♪ The cold settles in ♪

♪ It's been a long winter of indifference ♪

♪ And maybe you love me ♪

♪ Maybe you don’t ♪

♪ Maybe you’ll learn to ♪

♪ And maybe you won’t ♪

♪ You've had enough ♪

♪ But I won't give up on you ♪

♪ I’m late ♪

♪ But I’m here right now ♪

♪ And I'm tryin' to find the magic ♪

♪ That we lost somehow ♪

♪ Maybe I was blind ♪

♪ But I see you now ♪

♪ As we’re layin’ in the darkness ♪

♪ Did I wait too long ♪

♪ To turn the lights back on ♪

♪ I'm late but I'm here right now ♪

♪ Is there still time for forgiveness ♪

♪ Won't you tell me how ♪

♪ I can't read your mind ♪

♪ But I see you now ♪

♪ As we're laying in the darkness ♪

♪ Did I wait too long ♪

♪ To turn the lights back on ♪

♪ I'm here right now ♪

♪ Yes, I'm here right now ♪

♪ Looking for forgivness ♪

♪ I can see ♪

♪ As we're laying in the darkness ♪

♪ Yes we're laying in the darkness ♪

♪ Did I wait too long ♪

♪ To turn the lights back on ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
pace /peɪs/ B1	verb - to walk with regular steps, especially in a small area because you are worried or excited.
silence /ˈsaɪləns/ B1	noun - a complete lack of sound or noise.
pride /praɪd/ B1	noun - a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction that you get when you or people you are connected with have done something good or important; a feeling of too much self-esteem.
portrait /ˈpɔːrtrɪt/ B2	noun - a painting, drawing, or photograph of a person or, less commonly, a group of people.
stuck /stʌk/ B1	adjective - unable to move, or fixed in a particular position or place; unable to progress.
frame /freɪm/ B1	noun - a strong border or structure that surrounds a picture, door, or window; a particular way of thinking or seeing something.
romantic /roʊˈmæntɪk/ B1	adjective - relating to love or a loving relationship; showing strong feelings of love.
blind /blaɪnd/ B1	adjective - unable to see; unable to notice or understand something.
darkness /ˈdɑːrknəs/ B1	noun - the state of being without light; a state of gloom, despair, or ignorance.
turn /tɜːrn/ A2	verb - to move around a central point; to change direction; to cause to operate, often by rotating a control.
outsider /ˈaʊtˌsaɪdər/ B2	noun - a person who is not accepted as a member of a group, organization, or society.
settle /ˈsetl/ B1	verb - to make a place your permanent home; to calm down; to establish or become fixed in a position.
indifference /ɪnˈdɪfrəns/ B2	noun - lack of interest, concern, or sympathy.
magic /ˈmædʒɪk/ B1	noun - the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces; a special, exciting, or unexpected quality or skill.
forgiveness /fərˈɡɪvnəs/ B2	noun - the act of forgiving or being forgiven.
wrong /rɒŋ/ A1	adjective - incorrect or mistaken; not morally right or acceptable.
late /leɪt/ A1	adjective - happening or arriving after the planned, expected, or usual time.
tongue /tʌŋ/ A2	noun - the soft, movable part inside your mouth that you use for eating, tasting, and speaking; a language.

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm late

  ➔ Present simple

  ➔ The contraction "I'm" = "I am" uses the present simple to describe a current state.

• But I'm here right now

  ➔ Present simple (with adverbial phrase)

  ➔ The verb "I'm" is in the present simple, and the phrase "right now" emphasizes that the situation is happening at this moment.

• I forgot somehow

  ➔ Past simple

  ➔ The verb "forgot" is the past simple form of "forget", indicating a completed action in the past.

• Time can make you blind

  ➔ Modal verb "can" + infinitive

  ➔ The modal "can" expresses ability or possibility, and it is followed by the base verb "make".

• Did I wait too long

  ➔ Question formation with auxiliary "did"

  ➔ The auxiliary "Did" is placed before the subject to turn the past simple statement into a question.

• Maybe you'll learn to

  ➔ Future simple with "will" (contraction "you'll")

  ➔ The contraction "you'll" = "you will" expresses a future intention or prediction.

• I can't read your mind

  ➔ Negative modal "can"

  ➔ The contraction "can't" = "cannot" is the negative form of the modal "can".

• I'm trying to find the magic that we lost somehow

  ➔ Present continuous + relative clause

  ➔ The verb phrase "I'm trying" is in the present continuous to show an ongoing action, and "that we lost" is a relative clause modifying "magic".

• Is there still time for forgiveness

  ➔ Existential there (inversion)

  ➔ The sentence uses the inversion of "there is" to form a question about existence; "there" is the dummy subject.