Holding on for Life – English Lyrics

• By: Broken Bells

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a captivating linguistic journey with Broken Bells' "Holding on for Life." This dream-pop gem, celebrated for its unique blend of 70s disco influences and James Mercer's distinctive falsetto, offers a rich narrative about resilience and human connection. Learning the lyrics will not only expose you to evocative English phrases describing longing and perseverance but also allow you to appreciate the nuanced storytelling and vocal artistry that make this song a special and memorable experience.

[English]

[DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES]

♪ Girl take a seat Rest your weary bones♪

♪ Your secret's safe In my hands♪

♪ Tell me about the years and Let me buy an hour♪

♪ Maybe help me to understand♪

♪ Ooh ain't nobody callin' Ain't nobody home♪

♪ What a lovely day To be lonely♪

♪ You're holding on for life

♪ Holding on for life oh♪

♪ Holding on for love♪

♪ You're holding on for life♪

♪ Holding on for life oh♪

♪ Holding on for love♪

♪ Light another cigarette♪

♪ Burning in the cold♪

♪ Waiting on the street for your man♪

♪ You're trying not to look so♪

♪ Young and miserable♪

♪ You gotta get your kicks while you can♪

♪ In the lighted corner Sitting on your own♪

♪ What a lovely day to be lonely♪

♪ You're holding on for life♪

♪ Holding on for life oh♪

♪ Holding on for love♪

♪ You're holding on for life♪

♪ Holding on for life oh♪

♪ Holding on for love♪

♪ Well you might belong to another time♪

♪ Still you have to carry on, yeah♪

♪ Nowhere else to go♪

♪ And you never know♪

♪ What to hide and what to show, no♪

♪ You're holding on for life♪

♪ Holding on for life oh♪

♪ Holding on for love♪

♪ You're holding on for life♪

♪ Holding on for life oh♪

♪ Holding on for love♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
weary /ˈwɪəri/ B2	adjective - feeling or showing tiredness, especially after a long time or effort
bones /boʊnz/ B1	noun - the hard parts inside the body that give structure and protect organs
secret /ˈsiːkrət/ B1	noun - something that is kept hidden or known by only a few people
years /jɪəz/ A1	noun - periods of twelve months
hour /aʊər/ A1	noun - a period of 60 minutes
understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/ B1	verb - to comprehend; to grasp the meaning of something
lonely /ˈləʊnli/ B1	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the existence of an individual human being or animal
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a deep feeling of affection or strong attachment
cigarette /ˌsɪɡəˈrɛt/ B2	noun - a thin roll of finely cut tobacco wrapped in paper for smoking
burning /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ B1	verb - to be on fire; to produce flames
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - having a low temperature; not warm
street /striːt/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town, typically with houses or buildings on one or both sides
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for only a short time; not old
miserable /ˈmɪzərəbl/ B2	adjective - extremely unhappy or uncomfortable
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues

Key Grammar Structures

• Girl take a seat

  ➔ Imperative Mood

  ➔ The phrase "take a seat" uses the imperative mood to give a direct command or instruction.

• Your secret's safe in my hands

  ➔ Possessive Apostrophe

  ➔ The apostrophe in "secret's" indicates possession, showing that the secret belongs to 'you'.

• Let me buy an hour

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood

  ➔ The phrase uses the subjunctive mood to express a wish or suggestion, indicating a hypothetical situation.

• Ain't nobody callin'

  ➔ Double Negative

  ➔ The use of "ain't" and "nobody" together forms a double negative, which is non-standard but common in colloquial English.

• You're holding on for life

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ The phrase uses the present continuous tense to describe an action that is happening now or over a period of time.

• What a lovely day to be lonely

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The infinitive "to be lonely" is used to express the purpose of the lovely day, indicating a reason or result.

• You gotta get your kicks while you can

  ➔ Modal Verb (Informal)

  ➔ The phrase uses the informal modal verb "gotta" (short for 'got to') to express necessity or obligation in a casual way.

• Still you have to carry on, yeah

  ➔ Comma Splice

  ➔ The use of a comma to join two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction is known as a comma splice, which is generally avoided in formal writing.