The Future Is A Foreign Land – English Lyrics

• By: Ghost
• Album: Skeletá

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the retro-tinged sounds of Ghost's "The Future Is A Foreign Land," a song presented as a newly unearthed 1969 track from their lore. This melodic and reflective piece offers a unique blend of vintage rock and Ghost's signature style, making it an excellent gateway to understanding the band's narrative depth and their unique approach to music, bridging historical reflection with a hopeful outlook for the future. You can learn about historical references embedded in the lyrics, expanding your English vocabulary related to history and human nature, and appreciate how Ghost masterfully weaves storytelling into their songs.

[English]

15 years from now, I know it feels remote

But picture it somehow in your head

It's 1984

And knocking on your door is the Brownshirt Stasi guard

Boom, you're gone

And in the blood of the Kennedys

The good ones get shot

And in the absence of sympathies

Won't you hear me out?

When it all burns down

When it all burns down

I will hold you close for the minute

Yeah, I'll hold you for the minute it takes

55 years from now, I know it sounds insane

The dark fascist regime might be gone (might be gone)

Oh, if you by then have forgiven me

When push comes to shove

We don't have to be enemies

Won't you hear me out?

When it all burns down

When it all burns down

I will hold you close for the minute

For the minute

When it all burns down

And the flames devour everything that we are

I will hold you for the minute

I will hold you for the minute it takes

With these words at hand

The future is a foreign land

So let us pray for more in 2024

(2024) we could grow old together

(2024) we could love one another

(2024) and there will from then be peace forevermore (forever)

Peace forevermore (and forever)

But if it all burns down

If it all burns down

I will hold you close for the minute

For the minute

If it all burns down

And the flames devour everything that we are

I will hold you for the minute

I will hold you for the minute it takes

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
future /ˈfjuːtʃər/ B1	noun - the time that will come after the present
burn /bɜrn/ B1	verb - to be on fire or to produce flames
hold /hoʊld/ A2	verb - to have or keep in one's hands
peace /piːs/ A2	noun - a state of tranquility or quiet
dark /dɑrk/ A2	adjective - having little or no light
regime /reɪˈʒiːm/ B2	noun - a government, especially an authoritarian one
flame /fleɪm/ B1	noun - a hot glowing body of ignited gas that is generated by a chemical reaction
enemy /ˈɛnəmi/ B1	noun - a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something
forgive /fərˈɡɪv/ B2	verb - to stop feeling angry or resentful towards someone for an offense, flaw, or mistake
sympathy /ˈsɪmpəθi/ B2	noun - feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune
blood /blʌd/ A2	noun - the red liquid that circulates in the bodies of humans and animals
door /dɔr/ A1	noun - a movable barrier used to close off an entrance
minute /ˈmɪnɪt/ A1	noun - a period of time equal to sixty seconds
together /təˈɡɛðər/ A2	adverb - with each other; in a group

Key Grammar Structures

• 15 years from now, I know it feels remote

  ➔ Future Simple Tense

  ➔ The phrase "15 years from now" indicates a future time reference.

• When it all burns down

  ➔ Present Simple Tense

  ➔ The phrase "when it all burns down" uses the present simple to express a general truth or future event.

• I will hold you close for the minute

  ➔ Future Simple Tense

  ➔ The phrase "I will hold you close" indicates a promise or intention in the future.

• The future is a foreign land

  ➔ Metaphor

  ➔ The phrase "the future is a foreign land" uses metaphor to compare the future to an unknown place.

• we could grow old together

  ➔ Modal Verb (could)

  ➔ The use of "could" expresses possibility or potential in the future.

• But if it all burns down

  ➔ Conditional Clause

  ➔ The phrase "if it all burns down" introduces a condition that affects the outcome.

• there will from then be peace forevermore

  ➔ Future Simple Tense

  ➔ The phrase "there will be peace" indicates a future event or state.