Bullseye – English Lyrics

• By: Lucy Dacus, Hozier
• Album: Forever Is A Feeling

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the evocative world of "Bullseye" by Lucy Dacus and Hozier, a poignant indie ballad that masterfully captures the complex emotions of past love and bittersweet farewells. Through its introspective lyrics and soulful harmonies, you can explore the nuances of English expression related to nostalgia, longing, and acceptance, making it a beautiful and relatable journey into the language of heartfelt emotion.

[English]

Heard you got a job as a mailman

I heard you're playin' around in a couple of bands

Wish I could come to the show, but I understand

Can't just walk in like any other fan

But I always loved the way you played guitar

...

You've got style

No one's doin' it like you are

...

In many European cities, there's a bridge

Where lovers put locks on the rails

And throw their keys into the river beneath

We were two such suckers

But the metal weighs down the bearings and the city has to cut the bolts

If our spell wore off, maybe it's all their fault

...

You're a bullseye, and I aimed right

I'm a straight shot, you're a grand prize

It was young love, it was dumb luck

Holdin' each other so tight, we got stuck

...

I'll miss borrowin' your books to read your notes in the margin

The closest I came to readin' your mind

The answers to the questions only made more questions

I hope you're never fully satisfied

But I wanted to be there the day you figured it all out

Whoever is, I hope they're proud

...

You're a bullseye, and I aimed right

I'm a straight shot, you're a grand prize

It was young love, it was dumb luck

Holdin' each other so tight, we got stuck

...

Found some of your stuff at my new house

Packed it on accident when I was movin' out

Probably wrong to think of them as your gifts to me

More like victims of my sentimentality

Man, it's hard to quit while you're ahead

Lettin' the best-laid plans become empty threats

But I meant every word I said, when I said it

...

The world that we built meant the world to me

When one world ends, the other worlds keep spinnin'

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/ B1	verb - to perceive the intended meaning of words, a language, or a speaker.
style /staɪl/ A2	noun - a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed.
lovers /ˈlʌvərz/ A2	noun - people who are in love.
locks /lɒks/ A2	noun - a device used for fastening something, typically operated by a key.
bearings /ˈberɪŋz/ B2	noun - a part of a machine that allows parts to move smoothly.
bullseye /ˈbʊlzaɪ/ B1	noun - the center of a target, typically marked with a red circle.
grand prize /ɡrænd praɪz/ A2	noun - the most valuable prize in a competition.
dumb luck /dʌm lʌk/ B1	noun - success that is due to chance rather than skill.
borrowing /ˈbɒroʊɪŋ/ A2	verb - to take and use something belonging to someone else with the intention of returning it.
margin /ˈmɑːrdʒɪn/ B1	noun - the edge or border of something.
satisfied /ˈsætɪsfaɪd/ B1	adjective - pleased or content.
sentimentality /ˌsentɪmenˈtæləti/ C1	noun - excessive tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.
ahead /əˈhed/ A2	adverb - toward the front; forward.
threats /θrets/ B1	noun - a statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or other negative consequences on someone.
spinnin' /ˈspɪnɪŋ/ A2	verb - to turn or whirl around quickly.

Key Grammar Structures

• Heard you got a job as a mailman

  ➔ Past Simple with 'got'

  ➔ The verb 'got' is used in the past simple to describe a completed action in the past.

• Wish I could come to the show, but I understand

  ➔ Modal Verb 'could' for ability in the past

  ➔ 'Could' is used to express past ability or possibility.

• We were two such suckers

  ➔ Past Continuous for a past state

  ➔ The past continuous is used here to describe a past state or condition.

• If our spell wore off, maybe it's all their fault

  ➔ Past Simple in conditional sentence

  ➔ The past simple is used in the 'if' clause of a conditional sentence to describe a hypothetical past situation.

• I hope you're never fully satisfied

  ➔ Present Simple in 'hope' for future

  ➔ The present simple is used after 'hope' to express a wish or desire for the future.

• Probably wrong to think of them as your gifts to me

  ➔ Adverb 'probably' for probability

  ➔ The adverb 'probably' is used to express a high degree of likelihood or probability.

• But I meant every word I said, when I said it

  ➔ Past Simple with emphasis on completed action

  ➔ The past simple is used here with emphasis to highlight a completed action in the past.

• When one world ends, the other worlds keep spinnin'

  ➔ Present Simple for habitual actions

  ➔ The present simple is used to describe habitual or general actions.