DEAD FRIENDS – English Lyrics

• By: Demi Lovato

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotion of Demi Lovato's "DEAD FRIENDS," a powerful pop-punk track exploring grief and survivor's guilt. This song offers a compelling way to engage with English through its deeply personal lyrics and energetic delivery. Listen to how Lovato articulates complex feelings, from sorrow to remembrance, and expand your vocabulary with authentic expressions of loss and resilience. Its direct and heartfelt narrative makes it special for language learners, providing a window into intense emotional storytelling in English.

[English]

I'm breathing in and out, they don't, they don't

I watch the sun go down, they won't, they won't

I'm waking up right now, and they never will

Again, I still can't understand

I danced with the devil

I made it through hell and I don't know why

How am I different? I did, and they didn't

And it doesn't feel right

I miss the hell we can't raise, I miss the time we can't waste

I miss the texts they can't send, I miss my dead friends

We had the rest of our lives, didn't get to say goodbye

God only knows where they went, I miss my dead friends

I spot the satellites like we used to do

Blow smoke rings through the sky like they'll fly to you

Sometimes I wish that I could jump right into the blue

For a moment with you

I danced with the devil

I made it through hell and I don't know why

How am I different? I did, and they didn't

And it doesn't feel right

I miss the hell we can't raise, I miss the time we can't waste

I miss the texts they can't send, I miss my dead friends

We had the rest of our lives, didn't get to say goodbye

God only knows where they went, I miss my dead friends

I miss my dead friends, I miss my dead friends

I'll see them again, I miss my dead friends

I miss the hell we can't raise, I miss the time we can't waste

I miss the texts they can't send, I miss my dead friends

We had the rest of our lives, didn't get to say goodbye

God only knows where they went, I miss my dead friends

I miss my dead friends, I miss my dead friends

I'll see them again, I miss my dead friends

I miss my dead friends, I miss my dead friends

I'll see them again, I miss my dead friends

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
miss /mɪs/ A1	verb - to feel sad because you cannot see or be with someone or something anymore verb - to fail to hit, reach, or catch something
dead /dɛd/ A1	adjective - no longer alive
friend /frɛnd/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
hell /hɛl/ B1	noun - (in some religions) the place where evil people go after they die noun - a very difficult or unpleasant situation or experience
devil /ˈdɛvəl/ B1	noun - (in Christian and Jewish belief) the chief evil spirit, Satan
dance /dæns/ A1	verb - to move your body rhythmically to music noun - a series of steps and movements that you perform to music
different /ˈdɪfərənt/ A1	adjective - not the same as another or each other; unlike in nature, form, or quality
waste /weɪst/ B1	verb - to use or spend carelessly or for no purpose noun - material that is no longer needed or useful
raise /reɪz/ A2	verb - to lift something to a higher position verb - to cause something to happen or appear (e.g., 'raise hell' means to cause trouble)
goodbye /ˌɡʊdˈbaɪ/ A1	noun - an act of saying farewell
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter noun - the period between birth and death
know /noʊ/ A1	verb - to have information or understanding about something
right /raɪt/ A1	adjective - morally good, justified, or acceptable; correct or true
satellite /ˈsætəlaɪt/ B2	noun - an artificial body placed in orbit around the earth or another planet noun - a celestial body orbiting another of larger size (e.g., a moon)
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth
smoke /smoʊk/ A2	noun - a visible suspension of carbon or other particles in air, typically one emitted from a burning substance verb - to emit smoke or visible vapor
blow /bloʊ/ A2	verb - (of wind or air) to move, creating an air current; to expel air through the mouth or nose
blue /bluː/ A1	adjective - of a color intermediate between green and violet, as of the sky or sea on a sunny day noun - the open sky or sea (often implying vastness or the unknown)
understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/ A1	verb - to perceive the meaning of (something)
moment /ˈmoʊmənt/ A2	noun - a very brief period of time

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm breathing in and out, they don't, they don't

  ➔ Present Continuous vs. Negative Present Simple

  ➔ The contrast between 'I'm breathing' (present continuous, ongoing action) and 'they don't' (present simple negative, habitual or general truth) highlights the speaker's continued existence versus the permanent absence of others.

• I danced with the devil

  ➔ Simple Past Tense

  ➔ The use of 'danced' (simple past) indicates a completed action in the past, emphasizing the speaker's past struggle or experience.

• How am I different? I did, and they didn't

  ➔ Interrogative Sentence & Contrastive Correlative Conjunction

  ➔ The interrogative 'How am I different?' followed by 'I did, and they didn't' (using correlative conjunction 'and') contrasts the speaker's survival with the fate of others.

• I miss the hell we can't raise, I miss the time we can't waste

  ➔ Present Simple with Modal 'can't'

  ➔ The use of 'can't' in the present simple ('we can't raise', 'we can't waste') emphasizes the impossibility of these actions in the present due to the absence of the friends.

• We had the rest of our lives, didn't get to say goodbye

  ➔ Past Perfect vs. Simple Past

  ➔ The contrast between 'had' (past perfect, indicating an action completed before another past action) and 'didn't get' (simple past) highlights the unfulfilled intention to say goodbye.