Dark Times – English Lyrics

• By: The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran
• Album: Beauty Behind The Madness

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw honesty of "Dark Times" by The Weeknd and Ed Sheeran, a powerful duet that offers a glimpse into the challenging aspects of fame, addiction, and relationships. This song is rich with contemporary English slang and expressions related to nightlife and personal struggles, making it an excellent track for learners to grasp modern colloquialisms and emotional vocabulary. Its collaborative nature, featuring two distinct vocal styles, also provides a dynamic listening experience, allowing for exposure to different accents and singing techniques. Explore how the artists use vivid imagery to convey their 'dark times' and understand the nuances of expressing vulnerability in English.

[English]

Waking up, half past five

Blood on pillow and one bruised eye

Drunk too much, you know what I'm like

But you should've seen the other guy

This ain't the right time for you to fall in love with me

Well, baby, I'm just being honest

And I know my lies could not make you believe

We're running in circles, that's why

In my dark times, I'll be going back to the street

Promising everything I do not mean

In my dark time, baby, this is all I could be

And only my mother can love me for me

In my dark time

In my dark time

Light one up, let me bum a smoke, uh

Still coming down, dripping throat, uh

I got another man's blood on my clothes

But it ain't his fault, it's the life I chose

This ain't the right time for you to fall in love with me

My baby, I'm just being honest, uh

And I know my lies can never make you believe

Running in circles, that's why

In my dark times, I'll be going back to these streets

Promising everything I do not mean

In my dark times, maybe this is all I could be

Only my mother could love me for me

In my dark times

In my dark times

In my dark times, I've still got some problems, I know

Driving too fast but just moving too slow

And I've got something I've been trying to let go

Pulling me back every time

In my dark times, taking it back to the street

Making those promises that I could not keep

In my dark times, baby, this is all I could be

Only my mother could love me for me

In my dark time, taking it down to the street

Making those promises that I would never keep

In my dark time this is all I could be

Only my mother could love me for me

In my dark times

In my dark time

In my dark times

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
waking ˈweɪkɪŋ A1	verb - to stop sleeping and become conscious
bruised bruːzd A2	adjective - injured with a purple or black mark on the skin
drunk drʌŋk A1	adjective - intoxicated from alcohol verb - to consume alcohol to the point of intoxication
honest ˈɒnɪst A2	adjective - truthful and sincere
running ˈrʌnɪŋ A1	verb - to move swiftly on foot
circles ˈsɜːrkəlz A1	noun - a round shape or path
dark dɑːrk A1	adjective - with little or no light
times taɪmz A1	noun - a period or occasion
promising ˈprɒmɪsɪŋ B1	verb - to commit to do something adjective - showing potential for success
streets striːts A1	noun - a public road in a city or town
mother ˈmʌðər A1	noun - a female parent
light laɪt A1	verb - to ignite or set on fire adjective - not heavy or dark
smoke sməʊk A1	noun - the visible vapor from burning material verb - to inhale and exhale the smoke of tobacco
fault fɔːlt A2	noun - responsibility for an error or mistake
driving ˈdraɪvɪŋ A1	verb - to operate a vehicle
pulling ˈpʊlɪŋ A1	verb - to apply force to move something toward oneself
keep kiːp A1	verb - to retain possession of

Key Grammar Structures

• Waking up, half past five

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase 'Waking up' is an example of the present continuous tense, used to describe an action happening at the moment of speaking or around it.

• But you should've seen the other guy

  ➔ Past perfect contraction

  ➔ 'Should've' is a contraction of 'should have', which is used in the past perfect tense to describe an action that was necessary or expected in the past.

• This ain't the right time for you to fall in love with me

  ➔ Present simple with modal verb

  ➔ 'Ain't' is a colloquial contraction of 'am not', and 'to fall in love' is an infinitive used after the modal verb 'should' to express advice or recommendation.

• And I know my lies could not make you believe

  ➔ Modal verb for possibility

  ➔ 'Could' is used to express possibility or ability in the past, indicating that the lies were not capable of making the listener believe.

• In my dark times, I'll be going back to the street

  ➔ Future continuous tense

  ➔ 'I'll be going' is an example of the future continuous tense, used to describe an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.

• Only my mother can love me for me

  ➔ Modal verb for ability

  ➔ 'Can' is used to express ability, indicating that only the speaker's mother has the ability to love them unconditionally.

• Light one up, let me bum a smoke, uh

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ 'Light one up' and 'let me bum a smoke' are examples of the imperative mood, used to give commands or make requests.

• Driving too fast but just moving too slow

  ➔ Contrast using 'but'

  ➔ The conjunction 'but' is used to contrast two ideas: 'driving too fast' and 'moving too slow', showing a contradiction between speed and progress.