Summer Night City – English Lyrics

• By: ABBA

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the electrifying world of ABBA with "Summer Night City" – a quintessential disco track that's perfect for learning English! This song offers a dynamic blend of catchy lyrics and a driving beat, making it engaging for language learners. You'll pick up vocabulary related to city life, emotions, and the fleeting beauty of summer nights, all while enjoying the iconic sound of one of pop's greatest bands. Its narrative about embracing the moment and reflecting on urban experiences provides a rich context for understanding spoken English in a fun, musical way. What makes it special is its unique place in ABBA's discography, showing their experimental side and offering a glimpse into their creative process, making it a rewarding listen for both fans and new learners alike.

[English]

♪♪♪

♪ SUMMER NIGHT CITY ♪

♪♪♪

♪ SUMMER NIGHT CITY ♪

♪ WAITING FOR THE SUNRISE ♪

♪ SOUL DANCING IN THE DARK ♪

♪ SUMMER NIGHT CITY ♪

♪ WALKING IN THE MOONLIGHT ♪

♪ LOVE-MAKING IN THE PARK ♪

♪ SUMMER NIGHT CITY ♪

♪ IN THE SUN I FEEL LIKE SLEEPING ♪

♪ I CAN'T TAKE IT FOR TOO LONG ♪

♪ MY IMPATIENCE SLOWLY CREEPING ♪

♪ UP MY SPINE AND GROWING STRONG ♪

♪ I KNOW WHAT'S WAITING THERE FOR ME ♪

♪ TONIGHT I'M LOOSE AND FANCY-FREE AH-AH ♪

♪ WHEN THE NIGHT COMES WITH THE ACTION ♪

♪ I JUST KNOW IT'S TIME TO GO ♪

♪ CAN'T RESIST THE STRANGE ATTRACTION ♪

♪ FROM THAT GIANT DYNAMO ♪

♪ LOTS TO TAKE AND LOTS TO GIVE ♪

♪ TIME TO BREATHE AND TIME TO LIVE ♪

♪ WAITING FOR THE SUNRISE ♪

♪ SOUL DANCING IN THE DARK ♪

♪ SUMMER NIGHT CITY ♪

♪ WALKING IN THE MOONLIGHT ♪

♪ LOVE-MAKING IN THE PARK ♪

♪ SUMMER NIGHT CITY ♪

♪ IT'S ELUSIVE CALL IT GLITTER ♪

♪ SOMEHOW SOMETHING TURNS ME ON ♪

♪ SOME FOLKS ONLY SEE THE LITTER ♪

♪ WE DON'T MISS THEM WHEN THEY'RE GONE ♪

♪ I LOVE THE FEELING IN THE AIR ♪

♪ MY KIND OF PEOPLE EVERYWHERE AH-AH ♪

♪ WHEN THE NIGHT COMES WITH THE ACTION ♪

♪ I JUST KNOW IT'S TIME TO GO ♪

♪ CAN'T RESIST THE STRANGE ATTRACTION ♪

♪ FROM THAT GIANT DYNAMO ♪

♪ AND TOMORROW WHEN IT'S DAWNING ♪

♪ AND THE FIRST BIRDS START TO SING ♪

♪ IN THE PALE LIGHT OF THE MORNING ♪

♪ NOTHING'S WORTH REMEMBERING ♪

♪ IT'S A DREAM IT'S OUT OF REACH ♪

♪ SCATTERED DRIFTWOOD ON A BEACH ♪

♪ WAITING FOR THE SUNRISE ♪

♪ SOUL DANCING IN THE DARK ♪

♪ SUMMER NIGHT CITY ♪

♪ WALKING IN THE MOONLIGHT ♪

♪ LOVE-MAKING IN THE PARK ♪

♪ SUMMER NIGHT CITY ♪

♪ WAITING FOR THE SUNRISE ♪

♪ SOUL DANCING IN THE DARK ♪

♪ SUMMER NIGHT CITY ♪

♪ WALKING IN THE MOONLIGHT ♪

♪ LOVE-MAKING IN THE PARK ♪

♪ SUMMER NIGHT CITY ♪

♪ WAITING FOR THE SUNRISE ♪

♪ SOUL DANCING IN THE DARK ♪

♪ SUMMER NIGHT CITY ♪

♪ WALKING IN THE MOONLIGHT ♪

♪ LOVE-MAKING IN THE PARK ♪

♪ SUMMER NIGHT CITY ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
summer /ˈsʌmər/ A1	noun - the warmest season of the year
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town
sunrise /ˈsʌnˌraɪz/ A2	noun - the time when the sun appears above the horizon in the morning
dancing /ˈdænsɪŋ/ A1	verb - to move rhythmically to music
dark /dɑːrk/ A1	adjective - with little or no light
walking /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/ A1	verb - to move on foot
moonlight /ˈmuːnlaɪt/ A2	noun - the light from the moon
love-making /ˈlʌvˌmeɪkɪŋ/ B1	noun - sexual intercourse
park /pɑːrk/ A1	noun - a public area for recreation
impatience /ɪmˈpeɪʃəns/ B1	noun - lack of patience
creeping /ˈkriːpɪŋ/ B1	verb - to move slowly and quietly
attraction /əˈtrækʃən/ B1	noun - a quality that pulls people’s interest or attention
dynamo /ˈdaɪnəmoʊ/ C1	noun - a machine that generates electricity
elusive /ɪˈluːsɪv/ C1	adjective - difficult to find, catch, or achieve
glitter /ˈɡlɪtər/ B1	noun - a sparkling light verb - to shine with a sparkling light
litter /ˈlɪtər/ A2	noun - rubbish left in a public place
dawn /dɔːn/ A2	noun - the first light of day
driftwood /ˈdrɪftwʊd/ B2	noun - wood floating on the water or washed ashore

Key Grammar Structures

• ♪ WAITING FOR THE SUNRISE ♪

  ➔ Present Participle Phrase / Reduced Relative Clause

  ➔ "Waiting" is a present participle functioning as part of a phrase describing the action. It can be seen as a reduced relative clause (e.g., "The city, which is "waiting" for the sunrise").

• ♪ IN THE SUN I FEEL LIKE SLEEPING ♪

  ➔ Verb Phrase "Feel like doing something"

  ➔ "Feel like" is followed by a gerund ("sleeping") to express a desire or inclination to do something.

• ♪ I CAN'T TAKE IT FOR TOO LONG ♪

  ➔ Modal Verb "Can't"

  ➔ "Can't" (cannot) is used here to express inability or a strong negative feeling towards enduring something for an extended period.

• ♪ I KNOW WHAT'S WAITING THERE FOR ME ♪

  ➔ Noun Clause (introduced by "what")

  ➔ The clause "what's waiting there for me" functions as the direct object of the verb "know". "What" acts as both a pronoun and a conjunction, meaning "the thing that".

• ♪ I JUST KNOW IT'S TIME TO GO ♪

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose / "Time to + Infinitive"

  ➔ "To go" is an infinitive used after "it's time" to indicate the appropriate or necessary action to be taken.

• ♪ SOMEHOW SOMETHING TURNS ME ON ♪

  ➔ Phrasal Verb ("turn on")

  ➔ "Turn on" is a phrasal verb meaning to excite or stimulate someone. It's separable, with the object "me" placed between "turn" and "on".

• ♪ WHEN THE NIGHT COMES WITH THE ACTION ♪

  ➔ Adverbial Clause of Time (introduced by "when")

  ➔ The clause "When the night comes with the action" specifies the time at which the main action occurs. It uses the present simple for a habitual or certain future event.

• ♪ NOTHING'S WORTH REMEMBERING ♪

  ➔ Adjective "Worth" followed by a Gerund

  ➔ The adjective "worth" is followed by a gerund ("remembering") to indicate that something has value or importance for the action specified.

• ♪ SCATTERED DRIFTWOOD ON A BEACH ♪

  ➔ Past Participle as an Adjective

  ➔ "Scattered" is the past participle of the verb "to scatter" and is used here as an adjective to describe the noun "driftwood".

• ♪ WE DON'T MISS THEM WHEN THEY'RE GONE ♪

  ➔ "Be gone" (as a state)

  ➔ "Are gone" uses the verb "to be" with the past participle "gone" to describe a state of absence or departure, rather than an action.