Still Sane – English Lyrics

• By: Lorde
• Album: Pure Heroine

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the lyrical depth of 'Still Sane' to master nuanced English vocabulary regarding emotions and mental states. Lorde's poetic and rhythmic phrasing makes this song a perfect tool for learners to understand how to express complex feelings of stability and introspection through beautiful, modern storytelling.

[English]

Today is my birthday and I'm riding high

Hair is dripping, hiding that I'm terrified

But this is summer, playing dumber than in fall

Everything I say falls right back into everything

I'm not in the swing of things

But what I really mean is

Not in the swing of things yet

Riding around on the bikes, we're still sane

I won't be her, tripping over onstage

Hey, it's all cool

I still like hotels, but I think that'll change

Still like hotels and my newfound fame

Hey, promise I can stay good

(Everything feels right)

I'm little, but I'm coming for the crown

I'm little, but I'm coming for you

(Chase paper, get by)

I'm little, but I'm coming for the title held by everyone who's up

...

All work and no play

Never made me lose it

All business, all day

Keeps me up a level

All work and no play

Keeps me on the new shit, yeah

...

All work and no play

Let me count the bruises

All business, all day

Keeps me up a level

All work and no play

Lonely on that new shit, yeah, yeah

Only bad people live to see

Their likeness set in stone

Only bad people live to see

Their likeness set in stone

What does that make me?

I'm not in the swing of things

But what I really mean is

Not in the swing of things yet

I'm not in the swing of things

But what I really mean is

Not in the swing of things yet

All work and no play

Never made me lose it

All business, all day

Keeps me up a level

All work and no play

Keeps me on the new shit, yeah

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
birthday /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/ A1	noun - the anniversary of the day on which a person was born
dripping /ˈdrɪpɪŋ/ B2	adjective - very wet
terrified /ˈterɪfaɪd/ B2	adjective - feeling extreme fear
sane /seɪn/ C1	adjective - having a healthy mind; not mentally ill
fame /feɪm/ B2	noun - the state of being known or talked about by many people
crown /kraʊn/ B1	noun - a circular ornamental headdress worn by a monarch
title /ˈtaɪtl/ A2	noun - the position of being the champion of a competition
business /ˈbɪznəs/ A2	noun - serious work or a matter to be dealt with
bruises /ˈbruːzɪz/ B2	noun - injuries appearing as purple discolorations on the skin
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ A2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
likeness /ˈlaɪknəs/ C1	noun - the fact or quality of being alike; a portrait or representation
tripping /ˈtrɪpɪŋ/ B1	verb - to catch one's foot on something and stumble
chase /tʃeɪs/ B1	verb - to pursue in order to catch or attain
stone /stoʊn/ A1	noun - hard, solid, non-metallic mineral matter
swing /swɪŋ/ B1	noun - a rhythmic movement or a change in a situation

Key Grammar Structures

• Hair is dripping, hiding that I'm terrified

  ➔ Participle phrase (Present participle)

  ➔ Using "hiding" to describe the subject's concurrent state or action.

• I'm not in the swing of things yet

  ➔ Idiomatic expression with adverb of time

  ➔ The adverb "yet" is used in a negative sentence to indicate something hasn't started.

• I think that'll change

  ➔ Future Simple (Contraction)

  ➔ The contraction "that'll" stands for "that will", indicating a prediction.

• I'm coming for the title held by everyone

  ➔ Reduced relative clause (Passive voice)

  ➔ "held by everyone" is a reduced form of "which is held by everyone".

• All work and no play never made me lose it

  ➔ Gerund phrase as subject

  ➔ The phrase "All work and no play" acts as a noun phrase functioning as the subject.

• Only bad people live to see their likeness set in stone

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose / Result

  ➔ The "to see" indicates the outcome of "living" in this context.

• Keeps me up a level

  ➔ Causative structure with object and preposition

  ➔ "Keeps" takes "me" as an object, followed by the adverbial "up a level".

• What does that make me?

  ➔ WH-Question with auxiliary verb

  ➔ "does" is used as the auxiliary verb to form the question for the third person singular.