80s Mercedes – English Lyrics

• By: Maren Morris
• Album: HERO

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic journey, and Maren Morris's "80s Mercedes" is a perfect song to start with. Its clear, narrative-driven lyrics paint a vivid picture of a carefree Saturday night, full of nostalgic references and empowering self-talk. The song's catchy chorus and relatable story of finding joy in simple moments make it a fun and memorable way to pick up new vocabulary and phrasing.

[English]

[upbeat pop music]

♪ Whoa-oh Whoa-oh-oh ♪

♪ Whoa-oh Whoa-oh-oh ♪

♪ Still runs good, built to last ♪

♪ Moves like a hula girl on the dash ♪

♪ She ain't made for practicality ♪

♪ Yeah I guess she's just like me ♪

♪ It's Saturday night, about time to go ♪

♪ Got my white leather jacket and a neon soul ♪

♪ Once I turn on the radio, ♪

♪ I'm ready to roll, ready to roll ♪

♪ Feel like a hard-to-get starlet when I'm driving ♪

♪ Turning every head, hell I ain't even trying ♪

♪ Got them Ray-Ban shades, pretty in pink ♪

♪ Call me old school, but hey I'm a 90's baby ♪

♪ In my 80's Mercedes ♪

♪ I'm a 90's baby ♪

♪ In my 80's Mercedes ♪

♪ Whoa-oh Whoa-oh-oh ♪

♪ Whoa-oh Whoa-oh-oh ♪

♪ Pop the top down, like a summer dream ♪

♪ She's my teenage time machine ♪

♪ Just keeps getting sweeter with age ♪

♪ She's classic through any decade ♪

♪ The sun's in the sky, glitter on the seats ♪

♪ You can try but the Benz is hard to beat ♪

♪ So hey, if you want you can ride with me, ride with me ♪

♪ Feel like a hard-to-get starlet when I'm driving ♪

♪ Turning every head, hell I ain't even trying ♪

♪ Got them Ray-Ban shades, pretty in pink ♪

♪ Call me old school, but hey I'm a 90's baby ♪

♪ In my 80's Mercedes ♪

♪ I'm a 90's baby ♪

♪ In my 80's Mercedes ♪

♪ Whoa-oh Whoa-oh-oh ♪

♪ Whoa-oh Whoa-oh-oh ♪

♪ It's Saturday night, about time to go ♪

♪ Got my white leather jacket and a neon soul ♪

♪ Once I turn on the radio, ♪

♪ I'm ready to roll, ready to roll ♪

♪ Feel like a hard-to-get starlet when I'm driving ♪

♪ Turning every head, hell I ain't even trying ♪

♪ Got them Ray-Ban shades, pretty in pink ♪

♪ Call me old school, but hey I'm a 90's baby ♪

♪ In my 80's Mercedes ♪

♪ I'm a 90's baby ♪

♪ In my 80's Mercedes ♪

♪ Whoa-oh Whoa-oh-oh ♪

♪ Whoa-oh Whoa-oh-oh ♪

♪ Whoa-oh Whoa-oh-oh ♪

♪ Whoa-oh Whoa-oh-oh ♪

[music ends]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
runs /rʌnz/ A2	verb - to move swiftly on foot
built /bɪlt/ B1	verb - to construct or form by putting parts together
moves /muːvz/ A2	verb - to change position or go from one place to another
made /meɪd/ A2	verb - to create, produce, or cause to exist
practicality /ˌpræk.tɪˈkæl.ɪ.ti/ C1	noun - the state or quality of being practical or useful
she /ʃiː/ A1	pronoun - used to refer to a female person or animal already mentioned or easily identified
guess /ɡes/ A2	verb - to form an opinion or give an answer without certain knowledge
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness in each twenty-four hours
call /kɔːl/ A2	verb - to give a name to someone or to summon someone by phone
shade /ʃeɪd/ A2	noun - an area of darkness caused by an object blocking the light
shades /ʃeɪdz/ A2	noun - plural of shade; different tints or varieties of a color
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness in each twenty-four hours
jacket /ˈdʒæk.ɪt/ A2	noun - a short coat
neon /ˈniː.ɒn/ B2	noun - a type of bright gas-discharge lamp used for signs and lighting
radio /ˈreɪ.di.oʊ/ A1	noun - a device for receiving radio broadcasts

Key Grammar Structures

• Still runs good, built to last

  ➔ Passive voice + infinitive of purpose

  ➔ Uses the passive construction to emphasize the car's durability.

• Moves like a hula girl on the dash

  ➔ Simile (like)

  ➔ Uses "like" to compare the movement to that of a hula girl.

• She's my teenage time machine

  ➔ Metaphor

  ➔ Implying that the car transports the singer back to her teenage years, as a metaphor.

• Feel like a hard-to-get starlet when I'm driving

  ➔ Simile with "like"

  ➔ Uses "like" to compare the feeling of elegance and allure while driving.

• Call me old school, but hey I'm a 90's baby

  ➔ Idiom + contrastive conjunction "but"

  ➔ Uses idiomatic expression "old school" to refer to traditional values, contrasted with her being a "90's baby".

• In my 80's Mercedes

  ➔ Prepositional phrase indicating possession and era

  ➔ Highlights ownership of a vintage car from the 1980s by using a prepositional phrase.