If I Leave – English Lyrics

• By: Mitski
• Album: Nothing’s About to Happen to Me

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Mitski's "If I Leave," a powerful exploration of conflict and reluctant attachment that is sonically rich with brooding rock elements. While the language is English, the raw, visceral emotion conveyed through the intense instrumentation and layered vocals is a universal lesson in expressing complex inner turmoil. This track is special for its ability to externalize anguish, offering a masterclass in emotional delivery that transcends mere words.

[English]

If I leave,

somebody else will love you

But nobody else could forgive me

Quite as often as you

No-one on this street knows

No-one in this mall knows

No-one in this bar knows

And none of my friends know

Surely, none of my colleagues

Nor do my family

If I leave, somebody else will find you

But nobody else could see me

Quite as clearly as you

(You, you)

(You, you)

(You, you)

Only you know

I've let only you know

How I ride through a tunnel

And it's dark the whole way

I ride through a tunnel

It's been dark the whole way

I still ride through a tunnel

It's still dark the whole way

I couldn't lose you

How could I lose you?

I couldn't lose you

For if I lost it, somebody else will cheer you

But who else could love me

Quite as kindly as you?

Who could love me

Quite as kindly as you?

You?

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
leave /liːv/ A1	verb - to go away from a place
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to feel deep affection for
forgive /fərˈɡɪv/ B1	verb - to stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for an offense
street /striːt/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town
mall /mɔːl/ A2	noun - a large indoor shopping center
bar /bɑːr/ A1	noun - an establishment that serves alcoholic drinks
friends /frɛndz/ A1	noun - people with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
colleagues /ˈkɒl iː ˌɡiːz/ B1	noun - people you work with
family /ˈfæm ɪ li/ A1	noun - a group consisting of parents and their children
find /faɪnd/ A2	verb - to discover or locate something
see /siː/ A1	verb - to perceive with the eyes
clearly /ˈklɪr li/ B2	adverb - in a way that is easy to see, hear, or understand
ride /raɪd/ A2	verb - to travel on or be carried by a vehicle or animal
tunnel /ˈtʌn əl/ B2	noun - an underground passage
dark /dɑːk/ A1	adjective - having little or no light
lose /luːz/ A2	verb - to fail to keep or maintain possession of something
cheer /tʃɪər/ B1	verb - to shout words of encouragement, praise, or support
kindly /ˈkaɪnd li/ B2	adverb - in a kind manner; with compassion
else /ˈɛls/ A2	adverb - in addition; other than what has been mentioned

Key Grammar Structures

• If I leave, somebody else will love you

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 1)

  ➔ The structure 'If + present simple, will + infinitive' is used to express a likely result of a real condition. Here, 'If I leave' is the condition, and 'somebody else will love you' is the result.

• But nobody else could forgive me / Quite as often as you

  ➔ Comparative Structure with 'as...as'

  ➔ The phrase 'quite as often as you' uses 'as...as' to compare the frequency of forgiveness. It emphasizes that no one else forgives the speaker as often as the addressee.

• No-one on this street knows

  ➔ Use of 'No-one' as a Subject

  ➔ 'No-one' is a singular pronoun used as the subject of the sentence, meaning 'nobody'. It is followed by a singular verb form ('knows').

• I've let only you know

  ➔ Present Perfect with 'have let'

  ➔ The present perfect with 'have let' is used to describe an action that occurred in the past and has results relevant to the present. Here, it emphasizes that the speaker has allowed only the addressee to know something.

• How could I lose you?

  ➔ Indirect Question with 'How'

  ➔ The sentence is an indirect question using 'How' to express disbelief or rhetorical emphasis. It does not require a direct answer but conveys strong emotion.