Ed Sheeran
The City lyrics
- Language
- English
- Level
- Beginner
- Released
- 2009
- Genre
- Pop
- Length
- 3:55
This city never sleeps
I hear the people walk by when it's late
Sirens bleed through my windowsill
I can't close my eyes
Don't control what I'm into
And this tower is alive
The lights that blind, keep me awake
With my hood up and lace untied
Sleep fills my mind
Can't control what I'm into
London calls me a stranger, a traveller
This is now my home, my home
Oh-oh, I'm burning on the back street
Oh-oh, stuck here, sitting in the backseat
Oh-oh, and I'm blazing on the street
What I do is not up to you
'Cause if the city never sleeps then that makes two yeah
The pavement is my friend
And it'll take me where I need to go
I find it trips me up
And puts me down
This is not what I'm used to
And the shop across the road
Fulfils my needs and gives me company
When I need it
Voices speak through my walls
I don't think I'm gonna make it
Past tomorrow
London calls me a stranger, a traveller
This is now my home, my home
Oh-oh, I'm burning on the back street
Oh-oh, stuck here, sitting in the backseat
Oh-oh, and I'm blazing on the street
What I do is not up to you
'Cause if the city never sleeps then that makes two
And my lungs hurt and my ears bled
With the sound of the city life echoed in my head
Do I need this to keep me alive?
The traffic stops and starts but I need to move along
I'm from a city where the rain won't cease
Pollution in the air matches that on the street
'Cause the black smoke gets your head into a muddle, like
Walking into elephant syringes in the puddle, like
Was a country boy when I moved out
Grew up too fast for my family to find out
Now I try to stop my music running into nosedives
Can't resort to arrogance with white lines now
And this city won't erase me
But I can't help to see how this dark city changed me
It's all the same see, music is my life, but
I try to fight whatever I need to hide from
North, South, East, West, London's my home now
Knees weak, but we never slow down
Now I start to do my music properly
And stay from all the negative shit that will follow me
London calls me a stranger
This is not my home now, my home
Oh-oh, I'm burning on the back street
Oh-oh, stuck here, sitting in the backseat
Oh-oh, and I'm blazing on the street
What I do is not up to you
'Cause if the city never sleeps then that makes two
Oh-oh, I'm burning on the back street
Oh-oh, stuck here, sitting in the backseat
Oh-oh, and I'm blazing on the street
What I do is not up to you
'Cause if the city never sleeps then that makes two
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Key vocabulary
- when
- at what timeB1
- sirens
- loud warning sounds
- bleed
- lose bloodC1
- windowsill
- ledge under a window
- can't
- cannotB1
- close
- near in distanceA1
- control
- manage or directA2
- i'm
- I amC2
- tower
- tall buildingA2
- blind
- unable to seeB2
Test yourself
How much of The City did you catch?
A quick quiz on the key words from this song.
About this song
Ed Sheeran is an English singer-songwriter known for his blend of folk, pop, and hip-hop, beginning with his rise from UK pub gigs to major albums including +. He is associated with chart-topping singles such as “Shape of You” and “Perfect,” and has also collaborated with artists like Taylor Swift, Chance the Rapper, and Beyoncé.