I was King – English Lyrics

• By: ONE OK ROCK
• Album: Ambitions

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotion and powerful lyrics of ONE OK ROCK's "I was King"! This song, a standout track from their 'Ambitions' album, offers a compelling exploration of personal growth and resilience. By studying its impactful English lyrics and dynamic musicality, you can gain insight into rock vocabulary, emotional expression in song, and the band's distinctive style that blends Japanese rock with global influences.

[English]

We said tonight

No going back

(Whoa-oh-oh, whoa-oh)

Nothing seems right

Stuck in the past

(Whoa-oh-oh, whoa-oh)

When am I, when am I

Gonna start living? (Whoa)

When am I, when am I gonna move on? (Whoa-whoa)

When am I, when am I gonna kill this feeling? (Whoa)

When am I, when am I gonna stop this dreaming?

When I was king

I was king

We had everything

When am I, when am I gonna start living?

When I was king

I was king

We had everything

When am I, when am I gonna start living?

Don't wanna go

I'm holding on tight

(Whoa-oh-oh, whoa-oh)

Something to live for make it our nights

(Shut down the sirens in our heads)

When I was king

I was king

We had everything

When am I, when am I gonna start living?

When I was king

I was king

We had everything

When am I, when am I, gonna start living?

Yeah, I was king

I was king

I was king

I was king

If I go down, I will go down fighting

I'll go down, down like lightning

If I go down, I will go down fighting

I'll go down, down like lightning

If I go down, I will go down fighting

I'll go down, down like lightning

I was king

...

When am I, when am I gonna start living? (Whoa)

When am I, when am I gonna move on? (Whoa-whoa)

When am I, when am I gonna kill this feeling? (Whoa)

When am I, when am I gonna stop this dreaming?

When I was king

I was king

When I was king

When I was king

I was king

We had everything

When am I, when am I gonna start living?

Yeah, I was king

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
live /lɪv/ A2	verb - to be alive or to experience life
king /kɪŋ/ A2	noun - a male ruler of a country
everything /ˈɛvrɪθɪŋ/ A2	pronoun - all things
start /stɑːrt/ A2	verb - to begin something
living /ˈlɪvɪŋ/ B1	noun - the act of being alive
fight /faɪt/ B2	verb - to try to hurt or defeat someone or something
move /muːv/ B1	verb - to change position or go from one place to another
feeling /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ B1	noun - an emotional state or reaction
fight /faɪt/ B2	verb - to try to hurt or defeat someone or something
stop /stɒp/ A2	verb - to cease moving or doing something
nothing /ˈnʌθɪŋ/ A1	pronoun - not anything
gonna /ˈɡʊnə/ A2	verb (contraction) - going to (informal for 'going to')

Key Grammar Structures

• When am I, when am I gonna start living?

  ➔ Future intention with 'gonna' (going to)

  ➔ 'gonna' is a contraction of 'going to', used to express future plans or intentions.

• No going back

  ➔ Present continuous form used as a set phrase to imply no possibility of returning.

  ➔ The phrase indicates that once a decision is made, there is no possibility of returning to the previous state.

• We had everything

  ➔ Past perfect tense indicating a completed state in the past

  ➔ It describes a state of having had everything in the past, implying nostalgia or loss.

• If I go down, I will go down fighting

  ➔ First conditional with future simple ('will') indicating a promise or determination

  ➔ The sentence expresses a strong resolve to fight even if facing defeat.

• When am I, when am I gonna move on?

  ➔ Present simple question structure with 'am I' and 'gonna' for future intention

  ➔ The question asks about the timing of moving on, using present tense questions with 'am I' and a future plan indicated by 'gonna'.

• I was king

  ➔ Past tense with 'was' to describe a state or position in the past

  ➔ 'I was king' indicates a past role or feeling of having had power or greatness.

• We said tonight; No going back

  ➔ Simple past tense with 'said' and imperative mode in 'No going back'

  ➔ 'said' is the past tense of 'say', and 'No going back' is a fixed phrase implying no return.