Alien Days – English Lyrics

• By: MGMT

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in MGMT's "Alien Days," a captivating psychedelic journey. This song is an excellent way to explore complex English vocabulary and abstract concepts, offering insights into themes of consciousness and self-discovery through its unique lyrical style and dream-like atmosphere. Its rich, layered production and thought-provoking lyrics make it a special and rewarding listening experience for language learners.

[English]

Sometimes, the windows combine with the seams in a way

That twitches on a peak at the place where the spirit was slain

Hey, one foot leads to another

Night's for sleep, blue curtains, covers, sequins in the eyes

That's a fine time to dine

Divine who's circling, feeding the cards to the midwives

Who love those alien days

The nonstop alien days

Ooh, the alien days

Must've skipped the ship and joined the team for a ride

A couple hours to learn the controls

And commandeer both my eyes

(Hey!) Be quick, dear, times are uncertain

One month crawling, next year blurring

Decades in the drain

Monograms on the brain

Decide what's working and what's moved on to the last phase

The floodgate alien days

I love those alien days

Mmm, the alien days

When the peels are down it feels like traveling in style

You don't need wings to hover forty ton stones for a mile

And in the summer, virgin visions, mindless humming

Numbers can't decide if the day's supposed to smile

...

Today find infinite ways it could be plenty worse

It's a blessing, but it's also a curse

...

Those days taught me everything I know

How to catch a feeling, and when to let it go

How all the scheming, soulless creatures

Can't find dreamer's honey in the hive

If it's right beneath the nose

And when the light is new, the sky shows trembling cartoons

You don't need smoke to cover most of the world in a gloom

But here comes racer number 7

Watch my fingers ripping out the lines

If it looks like we could lose

If it looks like we could lose

If it looks like we could lose

If it looks like we could lose

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
combine /kəmˈbaɪn/ B1	verb - to bring together two or more things
seams /siːmz/ B1	noun - the line where two pieces of cloth or material are sewn together
twitches /twɪtʃɪz/ B2	verb - to make small, sudden movements
slain /sleɪn/ C2	adjective - killed in violence
circling /ˈsɜːr.kəl.ɪŋ/ B2	verb - to move in a circle or around a place
feeding /ˈfiːdɪŋ/ B2	verb - to give food to; to provide nourishment
alien /eɪˈliːən/ B1	noun - a being from another world; extraterrestrial
blessing /ˈblɛsɪŋ/ B2	noun - a beneficial thing for someone; approval or good wishes
curse /kɜːrs/ B2	noun - a magic spell or phrase evoking harm; a malediction
scheming /skiːmɪŋ/ C1	verb - to make plans often in a secret or dishonest way
creatures /ˈkriː.tʃərz/ B2	noun - living beings, especially animals
honey /ˈhʌn.i/ A2	noun - a sweet substance made by bees
trembling /ˈtrem.bəl.ɪŋ/ B2	verb - to shake involuntarily, often from fear, excitement, or cold
cover /ˈkʌvər/ A2	verb - to place something over or upon something else

Key Grammar Structures

• Sometimes, the windows combine with the seams in a way

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The phrase uses the present simple tense to describe a general truth or habitual action.

• Hey, one foot leads to another

  ➔ Idiomatic expression

  ➔ The phrase 'one foot leads to another' is an idiomatic expression meaning that one action leads to another.

• It's a blessing, but it's also a curse

  ➔ Contrasting conjunctions

  ➔ The use of 'but' contrasts two opposing ideas: a blessing and a curse.

• How to catch a feeling, and when to let it go

  ➔ Infinitive phrases

  ➔ The phrase uses infinitive forms 'to catch' and 'to let' to express actions.

• If it looks like we could lose

  ➔ Conditional sentences

  ➔ The phrase uses a conditional structure to express a possible situation.

• You don't need wings to hover forty ton stones for a mile

  ➔ Negative form

  ➔ The phrase uses the negative form 'don't need' to express lack of necessity.

• Decades in the drain

  ➔ Prepositional phrases

  ➔ The phrase 'in the drain' is a prepositional phrase indicating a location or state.