Lyrics & Translation
Delve into the emotional complexities of Conan Gray's “Caramel” and enhance your English understanding through its poignant lyrics. This song offers a great opportunity to explore nuanced vocabulary related to memory, emotion, and relationships. The vivid imagery and metaphorical language, like the central idea of a past love being a lingering “caramel,” make it a special and relatable track for language learners.
[English]
(ONE, TWO)♪♪♪
♪ WELL, IN THE MOMENT ♪
♪ YOU WEREN’T ALL THAT KIND ♪
♪♪♪
♪ YOU WITH YOUR WIDE-EYED GRIN’S ALL I CAN SEE ♪
♪ WHEN I THINK OF THAT TIME ♪
♪♪♪
♪ PROMISES SPOKEN ♪
♪ ALL COMING BACK AS LIES ♪
♪ BUT YOU WITH YOUR SOFT, SWEET KISS ♪
♪ IS ALL I MISS IN THE BACK OF MY MIND ♪
♪ DID ME WRONG ♪
♪ IN THE PAST ♪
♪ AND I KNOW IT WAS BAD ♪
♪ BUT YOU ♪
♪ BURN INSIDE MY MEMORY SO WELL ♪
♪ YOU CARAMEL ♪
♪ YOU’RE CARAMEL ♪
♪ YOUR CIGARETTE BREATH ♪
♪ THICK ON YOUR OPEN MOUTH ♪
♪ MAPLE AND AMBER CLOUDS ♪
♪ AND COFFEE GROUNDS ♪
♪ WHEN I THINK OF IT NOW ♪
♪ OH ♪
♪ AND ALL THE NIGHTS WITH YOUR FRIENDS AROUND ♪
♪ IGNORING ME SO THEY WON’T FIND OUT ♪
♪ YOU CAN ACT REAL COOL ‘CAUSE IT’S OVER NOW ♪
♪ BUT MAN, YOU CRIED WHEN IT ALL WENT DOWN ♪
♪ AND NO ONE BELIEVED ME ♪
♪ YOU GASLIGHTED FEELINGS ♪
♪ ’TIL YOU HAD ME THINKING THAT I WAS THE REASON ♪
♪ THAT I WAS FUCKING LOSING MY MIND ♪
♪ IT WAS LOVE AT THE WORST ♪
♪ IT WAS WHAT WE DESERVED ♪
♪ YEAH, YOU ♪
♪ BURN INSIDE MY MEMORY ♪
♪ SO WELL ♪
♪ YOU CARAMEL ♪
♪ YOU’RE CARAMEL ♪
♪ AND THE LONGER BURN ♪
♪ THE SWEETER THAT YOU SMELL ♪
♪ YOU CARAMEL ♪
♪ YOU’RE CARAMEL ♪
♪ SWEET TASTE IN MY MOUTH ♪
♪ I CAN’T GET IT OUT ♪
♪ I WANT YOU BACK NOW ♪
♪ AND WE’RE MAKING OUT ♪
♪ DRUNK, SLEEPING ON MY COUCH ♪
♪ NOW WHEN I HEAR YOU’RE IN TOWN ♪
♪ I JUST WANT CARAMEL ♪
♪ OOH ♪
♪ I HEARD YOU’RE IN TOWN ♪
♪ I WANT YOU BACK NOW ♪
♪ COME OVER TO MY HOUSE ♪
♪ THERE’S SPACE ON MY COUCH ♪
♪ YEAH, YOU BURN INSIDE ♪
♪ MY MEMORY SO WELL ♪
♪ YOU CARAMEL ♪
♪ YOU’RE CARAMEL ♪
[MUSIC ENDS]
[NO AUDIO]
[SPRINKLERS RUNNING]
Key Vocabulary
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Key Grammar Structures
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♪ WELL, IN THE MOMENT ♪
➔ Introductory adverbial phrase, inversion
➔ The song begins with 'Well', followed by an adverbial phrase of time, setting the scene. Although not a strict inversion, the placement of 'Well' and the phrase creates an introductory feel.
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♪ YOU WITH YOUR WIDE-EYED GRIN’S ALL I CAN SEE ♪
➔ Inversion (Subject-Verb), Possessive Adjective + Noun Phrase
➔ The subject 'You with your wide-eyed grin' comes before the verb 'can see' for emphasis. The possessive adjective 'your' modifies 'grin', creating a noun phrase.
-
♪ PROMISES SPOKEN ♪
➔ Past Participle Adjective (Reduced Relative Clause)
➔ 'Spoken' functions as an adjective modifying 'promises'. It's a reduced form of a relative clause: 'promises that were spoken'.
-
♪ ALL COMING BACK AS LIES ♪
➔ Present Participle as a Adjective Clause
➔ 'Coming' acts as a verb for 'all' and describes how the promises return, functioning similarly to a relative clause: '...all which are coming back...'
-
♪ DID ME WRONG ♪
➔ Object-Verb order (colloquial)
➔ The object 'me' comes before the verb 'did' to emphasize the effect on the speaker. Common in informal speech.
-
♪ BURN INSIDE MY MEMORY SO WELL ♪
➔ Verb-Adverbial Phrase Order (Emphasis)
➔ The placement of the verb 'burn' before the phrase 'inside my memory' creates emphasis, highlighting the lasting impression.
-
♪ AND THE LONGER BURN ♪
➔ Noun Phrase, Inversion
➔ The noun phrase 'the longer burn' is followed by the verb 'the sweeter'. This structure could be considered a type of inversion for emphasis.
-
♪ SWEET TASTE IN MY MOUTH ♪
➔ Prepositional Phrase as Subject Complement
➔ 'Sweet taste in my mouth' describes the subject, functioning like a subject complement and following the verb 'is implied'.
-
♪ I WANT YOU BACK NOW ♪
➔ Object + Adverbial of Time
➔ The direct object 'you' is followed by the adverbial of time 'now', conveying urgency and immediacy.
-
♪ THERE’S SPACE ON MY COUCH ♪
➔ Existential 'There' Clause
➔ Uses 'There' to introduce the subject 'space', indicating existence and location. Standard syntax for offering or suggesting something.
