Afterglow – English Lyrics

• By: Ed Sheeran
• Album: Subtract

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the soothing melodies of 'Afterglow' to master English through natural, romantic storytelling. This song is special for its gentle pacing and clear pronunciation, making it an ideal tool to learn emotive vocabulary and conversational idioms used to describe feelings and relationships.

[English]

Stop the clocks it’s amazing

You should see the way the light dances off your hair

A million colours of hazel, golden and red

Saturday morning is fading

The sun’s reflected by the coffee in your hand

My eyes are caught in your gaze all over again

We were love drunk waiting on a miracle

Trying to find ourselves in the winter snow

So alone in love like the world had disappeared

Oh I won’t be silent and I won’t let go

I will hold on tighter ‘til the afterglow

And we’ll burn so bright ‘til the darkness softly clears

Oh I will hold on to the afterglow

Oh I will hold on to the afterglow

The weather outside’s changing

The leaves are buried under six inches of white

The radio is playing, Iron & Wine

This is a new dimension

This is a level where we’re losing track of time

I’m holding nothing against it, except you and I

We were love drunk waiting on a miracle

Trying to find ourselves in the winter snow

So alone in love like the world had disappeared

Oh I won’t be silent and I won’t let go

I will hold on tighter ‘til the afterglow

And we’ll burn so bright ‘til the darkness softly clears

Oh I will hold on to the afterglow

Oh I will hold on to the afterglow

Oh I will hold on to the afterglow

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
amazing /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/ A2	adjective - causing great surprise or wonder; astonishing.
dances /ˈdɑːnsɪz/ A1	verb - to move rhythmically to music, or to move in a light, quick way.
hazel /ˈheɪzəl/ C1	adjective - a greenish-brown color, often used to describe eyes.
fading /ˈfeɪdɪŋ/ B1	verb - to gradually disappear or lose brightness.
reflected /rɪˈflektɪd/ B2	verb - thrown back from a surface.
gaze /ɡeɪz/ C1	noun - a steady intent look.
miracle /ˈmɪrəkəl/ B2	noun - an extraordinary event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws.
tighter /ˈtaɪtər/ B1	adjective - fixed, fastened, or closed firmly.
afterglow /ˈɑːftərɡləʊ/ C2	noun - light remaining in the sky after the sun has set.
darkness /ˈdɑːrk.nəs/ A2	noun - the partial or total absence of light.
clears /klɪərz/ A2	verb - to become free of clouds or darkness.
buried /ˈberid/ B1	verb - covered up or hidden.
dimension /daɪˈmenʃən/ B2	noun - an aspect or feature of a situation.
losing /ˈluːzɪŋ/ A1	verb - failing to keep or maintain something.
silent /ˈsaɪlənt/ A2	adjective - not making or accompanied by any sound.

Key Grammar Structures

• The sun’s reflected by the coffee in your hand

  ➔ Passive Voice (Present Simple)

  ➔ The structure "is reflected" emphasizes the action being done to the subject "The sun" rather than the subject performing it.

• My eyes are caught in your gaze all over again

  ➔ State Passive / Stative Verb

  ➔ Here, "are caught" describes the resulting state of being fixed or held by someone's gaze, rather than the action itself.

• We were love drunk waiting on a miracle

  ➔ Past Continuous (Reduced Relative Clause)

  ➔ The phrase represents "We were love drunk [while we were] waiting on a miracle," showing simultaneous past actions.

• So alone in love like the world had disappeared

  ➔ Past Perfect (Hypothetical/Imagined condition)

  ➔ The use of "had disappeared" after "like" expresses an imagined scenario that occurred before the moment of being in love.

• I won’t be silent and I won’t let go

  ➔ Future Simple (Volition/Promise)

  ➔ The use of "will" (won't) here expresses the singer's firm intention and promise to hold onto the relationship.

• I will hold on tighter ‘til the afterglow

  ➔ Comparative Adverb / Subordinating Conjunction ('til)

  ➔ "Tighter" modifies "hold on," and "'til" acts as a conjunction connecting the action to a future time limit.

• The leaves are buried under six inches of white

  ➔ Adjective as Noun (Substantive adjective)

  ➔ "White" is used as a noun here to represent "white snow," a stylistic choice often found in poetry and songs.

• I’m holding nothing against it, except you and I

  ➔ Phrasal Verb / Idiomatic expression

  ➔ To "hold something against" someone is an idiom meaning to feel resentment. Here, he feels no resentment, only appreciation for the moment.