Big Man, Little Dignity – Bilingual Lyrics Spanish/English

• By: Paramore
• Album: This Is Why

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Paramore's 'Big Man, Little Dignity' to explore nuanced English vocabulary related to social commentary and human nature. The song's biting lyrics and subtle musical complexities offer a rich learning experience, especially for understanding expressions of disdain and critique.

[English]

I’m not trying to stare at you from across the room

I feel stuck looking at you

You’re so smooth it’s almost sad

I know you could get away with anything, and that’s exactly what you do

Big man (ooh), little dignity

Big man (ooh), little dignity

No offense, but you have no integrity

Big man (ooh), li-li-li-li-little dignity

...

Well, well, look at you, you really cleaned yourself up, huh?

I bet it feels good to leave the past behind

Your redemption subscription has been renewed

You keep your head held high, smooth operator in a stained suit

Big man (ooh), little dignity

Big man (ooh), little dignity

No offense, but you have no integrity

Big man (ooh), li-li-li-li-little dignity

Oh, I can’t look away

I memorized all your lies

I can’t look away; you’re like a movie I love to hate

I imagine your downfall

I should look away because I know you’ll never change

I keep thinking

This time the ending will be different, but it isn’t

I keep thinking (keep thinking)

The ending will be different, yet you keep winning

Big man (ooh), little dignity

Big man (ooh), little dignity

No offense, but you have no integrity

Big man (ooh), li-li-li-li-little dignity

...

[Spanish]

Don't mean to stare at you from across the room

It's like I'm glued to the sheer sight of you

And you're so smooth, it's pitiful

Know you could get away with anything, so that's exactly what you do

Big man (ooh), little dignity

Big man (ooh), little dignity

No offense, but you, you got no integrity

Big man (ooh), li-li-li-li-little dignity

Well, well, well, look at you, don't you clean up nice?

Bet it feels good to leave the past behind

Your subscription to redemption has been renewed

You keep your head high, smooth operator in a shit-stained suit

Big man (ooh), little dignity

Big man (ooh), little dignity

No offense, but you, you got no integrity

Big man (ooh), li-li-li-li-little dignity

Oh, I can't look away

I memorized all your lies

I can't look away, you're like a movie that I love to hate

I fantasize your demise

I should look away because I know you're never gonna change

I keep thinking

This time, the end will be different, but it isn't

I keep thinking (keep thinking)

The end is gonna be different, but you keep on winning

Big man (ooh), little dignity

Big man (ooh), little dignity

No offense, but you, you got no integrity

Big man (ooh), li-li-li-li-little dignity

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
dignidad diɣniˈðað B2	noun - dignity
integridad inteɣɾiˈðað C1	noun - integrity
limpiar limˈpjaɾ A2	verb - to clean
renovar ɾenoˈβaɾ B1	verb - to renew
operator opeɾaˈðoɾ B2	noun - operator
manchar manˈt͡ʃaɾ A2	verb - to stain
memorizar memoɾiˈθaɾ B1	verb - to memorize
mentiras menˈtiɾas A2	noun - lies
fantasizar fantasisaɾ B2	verb - to fantasize
morir moˈɾiɾ A2	verb - to die
cambiar kamˈbjaɾ A2	verb - to change
ganar gaˈnaɾ A2	verb - to win
peligro peˈliɣɾo A2	noun - danger
mirar miˈɾaɾ A1	verb - to look

Key Grammar Structures

• Don't mean to stare at you from across the room

  ➔ Ellipsis (Subject omission)

  ➔ The subject "I" is omitted in informal speech: "(I) Don't mean to..."

• Know you could get away with anything

  ➔ Phrasal Verb (Get away with)

  ➔ "Get away with" means to escape blame or punishment for a wrong act.

• You're so smooth, it's pitiful

  ➔ So + adjective + that clause (implied)

  ➔ "So" is used here as an intensifier to show the extent of the quality (smoothness).

• No offense, but you, you got no integrity

  ➔ Informal possession (Got no = Have no)

  ➔ In casual English, "have got" or just "got" is often used instead of "have" to express possession.

• Bet it feels good to leave the past behind

  ➔ Cleft sentence / Formal subject (It)

  ➔ "It" is a dummy subject referring to the infinitive phrase "to leave the past behind".

• I memorized all your lies

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ Used to describe a completed action in the past.

• I should look away because I know you're never gonna change

  ➔ Future intention (Be going to / Gonna)

  ➔ "Gonna" is a contraction of "going to," commonly used in spoken English for future predictions.

• This time, the end will be different, but it isn't

  ➔ Contrastive conjunction (But)

  ➔ "But" is used to introduce a clause that contrasts with what was previously stated.