WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER – English Lyrics

• By: Tokio Hotel
• Album: 2001

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the story of a lasting friendship through Tokio Hotel's "WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER." This song offers a chance to learn vocabulary related to memory, time, and relationships in a mix of English and the band's native German context. Its blend of nostalgic lyrics and modern synth-pop makes it a special and engaging way to connect with the language and the band's personal history.

[English]

We had the same dreams

No one saw what we could see

We were younger

We were younger

Life in black and white

Became colorful and bright

We were younger

When we were younger

I've been living like that

I've been loving like that

All I ever wanted was something real and honest

I've been tripping like that

Sometimes I lost my head

Nothing that I wanted, but it had to happen

'Cause some things never change

We're feeling out of place

Our hearts still beat the same

From Berlin to LA

The same stars we are under

Like when we were younger

Like when we were younger

Moving on and looking back

Holding on to what we have

And the ocean is between us

I'm looking at the sky

As the years are passing by

Like the colors of the leaves

Are changing the streets, and

I've been tripping like that

Sometimes I lost my head

Nothing that I wanted, but it had to happen

'Cause some things never change

We're feeling out of place

Our hearts still beat the same

From Berlin to LA

The same stars we are under

Like when we were younger

Like when we were younger

I'm looking at the sky

As the years are passing by

I'm looking at the sky

Like when we were younger

'Cause some things never change

We're feeling out of place

Our hearts still beat the same

From Berlin to LA

The same stars we are under

Like when we were younger

I'm looking at the sky

Like when we were younger

As the years are passing by

Like when we were younger

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
dream /driːm/ A1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep
younger /ˈjʌŋɡər/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for a shorter time; not old
colorful /ˈkʌlərfl/ A2	adjective - full of color; bright and vivid
bright /braɪt/ A2	adjective - giving out a lot of light; intelligent
real /riːl/ A1	adjective - actually existing as a thing; true
honest /ˈɑːnɪst/ A2	adjective - free of deceit; truthful and sincere
trip /trɪp/ A1	verb - to stumble or fall noun - a journey or excursion
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A1	verb - to make or become different noun - the act or process of becoming different
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to perceive by touch or emotion
beat /biːt/ A1	verb - to strike repeatedly noun - a single stroke or pulsation
star /stɑːr/ A1	noun - a massive luminous ball of plasma held together by its own gravity
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the region of the atmosphere above the earth
pass /pɑːs/ A1	verb - to move or go past something
color /ˈkʌlər/ A1	noun - the property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye
street /striːt/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town

Key Grammar Structures

• We had the same dreams

  ➔ Simple Past Tense

  ➔ The verb 'had' is in the simple past tense, indicating a completed action in the past.

• We were younger

  ➔ Past Continuous Tense

  ➔ The phrase 'were younger' uses the past continuous tense to describe a past state or condition.

• I've been living like that

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous Tense

  ➔ The phrase 'I've been living' uses the present perfect continuous tense to emphasize the duration of an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

• Nothing that I wanted, but it had to happen

  ➔ Past Simple vs. Past Modal

  ➔ 'Had to happen' uses a past modal to express necessity in the past, contrasting with the simple past 'wanted'.

• Our hearts still beat the same

  ➔ Present Simple Tense with Adverb

  ➔ The adverb 'still' modifies the present simple verb 'beat' to indicate continuity.

• As the years are passing by

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense with Time Clause

  ➔ The phrase 'are passing by' is in the present continuous tense, used in a time clause to describe an action happening now with a focus on its duration.