How To Be Dead – English Lyrics

• By: Snow Patrol

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music can be a deeply rewarding experience, and Snow Patrol's "How To Be Dead" offers a compelling opportunity to engage with English in a nuanced and emotional way. The song's conversational lyrics provide a window into natural, albeit tense, dialogue, allowing learners to observe how language is used to express frustration, plead a case, and convey complex feelings. The narrative structure of the song makes it a great tool for improving listening comprehension and understanding idiomatic expressions within the context of a story.

[English]

Tristan go crazy if I tell you the truth

No you don't know what happened

And you never will if

You don't listen to me while I talk to the wall

This blanket is freezing, it's been out in the hall

Where you've had me for hours

Till I'm sure what I want

But darling I want the same thing that I wanted before

Please keep your hands down

And stop raising your voice

It's hardly what I'd be doing if you gave me a choice

It's a simple suggestion, can you give me sometime

So just say yes or no

Why can't you shoulder the blame

Coz both my shoulders are heavy

From the weight of us both

You're a big boy now so let's not talk about growth

You've not heard a single word I have said

Oh, my God

Please take it easy it can't all be my fault

I haven't made half the mistakes

That you've listed so far

Oh baby let me explain something

It's all down to drugs

At least I remember taking them and not a lot else

It seems I've stepped over lines

You've drawn again and again

But if the ecstasy's in the wit is definitely out

Dr. Jekyll is wrestling Hyde for my pride

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
crazy /ˈkɹeɪzi/ A2	adjective - mentally unstable or foolish
freezing /ˈfɹiːzɪŋ/ B1	adjective - extremely cold
shoulder /ˈʃoʊldɚ/ B1	noun - body part connecting arm to torso verb - to bear responsibility
weight /weɪt/ A2	noun - heaviness of an object
ecstasy /ˈɛkstəsi/ C1	noun - intense emotion or stimulant drug
wit /wɪt/ B2	noun - clever humor
wrestling /ˈɹɛs(ə)lɪŋ/ B2	verb - struggling physically or mentally
pride /pɹaɪd/ B1	noun - self-respect or arrogance