Street Lights – English Lyrics

• By: Kanye West
• Album: 808s & Heartbreak

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the emotional depths of Kanye West's "Street Lights," a powerful ballad that encourages listeners to reflect on life's fleeting moments and the journey towards self-discovery. Through its melancholic yet hopeful lyrics and innovative production, this song offers a unique opportunity to engage with English in a deeply personal and relatable way. You can learn vocabulary related to introspection, time, and emotion, while appreciating how simple, repetitive phrasing can convey complex feelings. The song's universal themes of striving for a destination and contemplating personal growth make it a compelling piece for language learners to explore.

[English]

Let me know

Do I still got time to grow?

Things ain't always set in stone

That be known let me know

Let me

Seems like, street lights, glowing happen to be

Just like moments, passing, in front of me

So I hopped in, the cab and I paid my fare

See I know my destination, but I'm just not there

All the streets, glowing, happen to be

Just like moments, passing, in front of me

So I hopped in, the cab and I paid my fare

See, I know my destination, but I'm just not there

In the streets

In the streets

I'm just not there in the streets

I'm just not there

Life's just not fair

Seems like, street lights, glowing happen to be

Just like moments, passing, in front of me

So I hopped in, the cab and I paid my fare

See I know my destination, but I'm just not there

All the streets, glowing, happen to be

Just like moments, passing, in front of me

So I hopped in, the cab and I paid my fare

See, I know my destination, but I'm just not there

All the streets, glowing, happen to be

Just like moments, passing, in front of me

So I hopped in, the cab and I paid my fare

See, I know my destination, but I'm just not there

In the streets

In the streets

I'm just not there in the streets

I'm just not there

Life's just not fair

Life's just not fair

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events
grow /ɡroʊ/ A2	verb - to increase in size, number, or importance
things /θɪŋz/ A1	noun - objects, items, or matters
stone /stoʊn/ A2	noun - a piece of hard, naturally occurring mineral matter
known /noʊn/ A2	adjective - recognized, familiar, or understood
seem /siːm/ A2	verb - to give the impression of being something
street /striːt/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town
lights /laɪts/ A1	noun - sources of illumination
glowing /ˈɡloʊɪŋ/ B2	adjective - emitting a steady light
happen /ˈhæpən/ A2	verb - to occur or take place
moments /ˈmoʊmənts/ B1	noun - short periods of time
passing /ˈpæsɪŋ/ B2	verb - to move past or through
front /frʌnt/ A2	noun - the part or side that faces forward
hopped /hɒpt/ B2	verb - past tense of hop; to jump lightly
cab /kæb/ A2	noun - a taxi; a vehicle for hire
fare /feər/ B1	noun - the price paid for a journey
destination /ˌdɛstɪˈneɪʃən/ B2	noun - the place to which someone or something is going
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the existence of an individual human being or animal

Key Grammar Structures

• Let me know

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ The phrase "Let me know" uses the imperative mood to make a direct request.

• Do I still got time to grow?

  ➔ Present Perfect with 'got'

  ➔ The phrase uses 'got' instead of 'have' in the present perfect, which is informal but common in spoken English.

• Things ain't always set in stone

  ➔ Contraction with 'ain't'

  ➔ The contraction 'ain't' is used instead of 'are not', which is informal and typical of colloquial language.

• Seems like, street lights, glowing happen to be

  ➔ Verb Agreement with Subject

  ➔ The verb 'happen' agrees with the plural subject 'street lights', showing proper subject-verb agreement.

• So I hopped in, the cab and I paid my fare

  ➔ Past Simple with 'hopped' and 'paid'

  ➔ The past simple tense is used with 'hopped' and 'paid' to describe completed actions in the past.

• See I know my destination, but I'm just not there

  ➔ Present Tense with 'know' and 'am'

  ➔ The present tense is used with 'know' and 'am' to describe current states or knowledge.

• Life's just not fair

  ➔ Contraction with Apostrophe

  ➔ The contraction 'Life's' is used to shorten 'Life is', a common feature in informal English.