Barracuda – English Lyrics

• By: Heart

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the powerful world of Heart's 'Barracuda,' a hard rock anthem fueled by rage against music industry exploitation. Through its potent lyrics and iconic riffs, this song offers an immersive way to experience English vocabulary related to defiance and strong emotions, all while appreciating the commanding vocal delivery and intricate guitar work that make it a classic.

[English]

So this ain't the end, I saw you again today

I had to turn my heart away

Smiled like the Sun, kisses for everyone

And tales, it never fails

You lying so low in the weeds

I bet you're gonna ambush me

You'd have me down, down, down, down on my knees

Now wouldn't you, barracuda?

Oh-oh

...

Back over time, we were all trying for free

You met the porpoise and me, uh-huh

No right, no wrong, selling a song, a name

...

Whisper game

And if the real thing don't do the trick

You better make up something quick

You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn to the wick

Ooh, barracuda

Oh, yeah

"Sell me, sell you", the porpoise said

Dive down deep now to save my head, you

I think that you got the blues too

All that night and all the next

Swam without looking back

Made for the western pools, silly, silly fools

...

The real thing don't do the trick, no

You better make up something quick

You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn it to the wick

Oh, barra-barracuda

Yeah

...

Key Grammar Structures

• I had to turn my heart away

  ➔ Past modal of obligation (had to + infinitive)

  ➔ "had to" shows a past obligation, followed by the infinitive "turn".

• You'd have me down, down, down, down on my knees

  ➔ Conditional modal (would + base verb)

  ➔ "You'd" = "you would" expresses a hypothetical situation; "have" is the base verb.

• Now wouldn't you, barracuda?

  ➔ Negative inversion question (wouldn't you)

  ➔ "wouldn't you" is a tag question formed by inverting the auxiliary "would" and adding "not".

• Back over time, we were all trying for free

  ➔ Past continuous progressive (was/were + verb‑ing)

  ➔ "were trying" shows an ongoing action in the past.

• No right, no wrong, selling a song, a name

  ➔ Gerund phrase as noun (selling + object)

  ➔ "selling" functions as a noun; the gerund takes the objects "a song, a name".

• If the real thing don't do the trick

  ➔ Zero/first conditional with present simple in if‑clause

  ➔ "If" introduces a condition; the verb "don't" (should be "doesn't") is in the present simple.

• You better make up something quick

  ➔ "Had better" modal for strong advice (you had better + base verb)

  ➔ "You better" is a colloquial contraction of "you had better"; it requires the base verb "make".

• You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn to the wick

  ➔ Informal future with "going to" contracted to "gonna" + base verb

  ➔ "gonna" is the spoken form of "going to" and is followed by the base verb "burn".

• Dive down deep now to save my head

  ➔ Imperative + infinitive of purpose (to save)

  ➔ "Dive" is a command; "to save" explains why the action is performed.

• Made for the western pools, silly, silly fools

  ➔ Past participle used as adjective (Made for ...)

  ➔ "Made" functions as an adjective describing something "for the western pools".