Caramel – English Lyrics

• By: Sleep Token
• Album: Even In Arcadia

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the complex world of Sleep Token's "Caramel," a song that mixes metal with unexpected genres to explore the challenges of fame. Discover how Vessel uses personal lyrics to express his experiences, offering a unique opportunity to understand the cost of success and the importance of privacy in the modern music industry.

[English]

Count me out like sovereigns, payback for the good times

Right foot in the roses, left foot on a landmine

I'm not gonna be there tripping on the grapevine

They can sing the words while I cry into the bassline

Wear me out like Prada, devil in my detail

I swear it's getting harder even just to exhale

Backed up into corners, bitter in the lens

I'm sick of trying to hide it every time thеy take mine

So stick to me

Stick to mе like caramel

Walk beside me till you feel nothin' as well

They ask me, "Is it goin' good in the garden?"

Say, "I'm lost, but I beg no pardon"

Up on the dice but low on the cards

I try not to talk about how it's harder now

Can I get a mirror side-stage?

Looking sideways at my own visage, gettin' worse

Every time they try to shout my real name just to get a rise from me

Acting like I'm never stressed out by the hearsay

I guess that's what I get for trying to hide in the limelight

Guess that's what I get for having 20/20 hindsight

Everybody wants eyes on 'em, I just wanna hear you sing that top line

And if you don't think I mean it, then I understand

But I'm still glad you came, so let me see those hands

So stick to me

Stick to me like caramel

Walk beside me till you feel nothin' as well

I'm fallin' free of the final parallel

The sweetest dreams are bitter

But there's no one left to tell

Too young to get bitter over it all

Too old to retaliate like before

Too blessed to be caught ungrateful, I know

So I'll keep dancin' along to the rhythm

This stage is a prison, a beautiful nightmare (Too young to get bitter over it all)

A war of attrition, I'll take what I'm given (Too old to retaliate like before)

The deepest incisions, I thought I got better (Too blessed to be caught ungrateful, I know)

But maybe I didn't

(In these days of days) Tell me, did I give you what you came for?

(I wish it all away) Terrified to answer my own front door

(I thought things had changed) Missin' my wings in a realm of angels

(But everything's the same)

So I'll keep dancin' along to the rhythm

This stage is a prison, a beautiful nightmare

A war of attrition, I'll take what I'm given

The deepest incisions, I thought I got better

But maybe I didn't

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
caramel /ˈkærəmɛl/ A2	noun - a brown, sticky substance made by heating sugar
sovereigns /ˈsɒvərɪnz/ B2	noun - gold coins of a specified value
landmine /ˈlændaɪn/ B1	noun - an explosive device placed underground or on the ground
exhale /ɛkˈheɪl/ B1	verb - to breathe out
bitter /ˈbɪtər/ A2	adjective - having a sharp, unpleasant taste
retaliate /riˈtæliˌeɪt/ B2	verb - to take action in response to an injury or offense
visage /ˈvɪzɪdʒ/ C1	noun - a person's face, especially when regarded as expressing their character or mood
attrition /əˈtrɪʃən/ C1	noun - the process of reducing something's strength or effectiveness through sustained attack or pressure
incision /ɪnˈsɪʒən/ C1	noun - a cut made during a surgical operation
limelight /ˈlaɪmlaɪt/ B2	noun - public attention or fame
hindsight /ˈhaɪnˌsaɪt/ C1	noun - the ability to understand an event or situation only after it has happened
blessed /blɛst/ A2	adjective - having divine favor or protection
prison /ˈprɪzən/ A2	noun - a place where people are confined as punishment
nightmare /ˈnaɪtˌmɛər/ A2	noun - a frightening or unpleasant dream

Key Grammar Structures

• Count me out like sovereigns, payback for the good times

  ➔ Imperative mood ("Count me out") and simile ("like sovereigns")

  ➔ The sentence uses the imperative mood "Count me out" to exclude himself. The phrase "like sovereigns" employs a simile, comparing the act of being counted out to the dismissal of rulers, suggesting a significant rejection or exclusion.

• I'm not gonna be there tripping on the grapevine

  ➔ Informal Future Tense ("gonna") and idiom ("tripping on the grapevine")

  ➔ "gonna" is a colloquial shortening of "going to", used for the future tense. "Tripping on the grapevine" is an idiom that signifies being caught up in rumors or gossip.

• I'm sick of trying to hide it every time they take mine

  ➔ Present Continuous with "sick of" and implied object after "take"

  ➔ "I'm sick of trying" uses the present continuous to emphasize the ongoing frustration. "They take mine" implies that "they" are taking something that belongs to the speaker, but the specific object is unstated. The structure 'sick of + gerund' is common.

• Walk beside me till you feel nothin' as well

  ➔ Imperative mood ("Walk beside me"), subordinating conjunction ("till"), and negative adverb ("nothin'")

  ➔ "Walk beside me" is a command or request. "Till" introduces a time clause. "Nothin'" is a colloquial form of "nothing", acting as an adverb.

• I'm lost, but I beg no pardon

  ➔ Present Simple and Negative Imperative (indirect)

  ➔ "I'm lost" states a current condition. "I beg no pardon" is an indirect way of saying 'I don't ask for forgiveness', a negative imperative.

• Can I get a mirror side-stage?

  ➔ Modal verb ("Can") for a polite request

  ➔ "Can" is used to make a polite request. It's a common way to ask for something.

• Acting like I'm never stressed out by the hearsay

  ➔ Present participle ("Acting") introducing a clause, and the subjunctive mood ("I'm never stressed out") after "like" to show disbelief

  ➔ "Acting like" introduces the way someone is pretending to be. "I'm never stressed out" suggests the speaker doesn't believe the person is truly never stressed, implying they are falsely presenting themselves. Subjunctive is used to express something contrary to fact.

• Guess that's what I get for trying to hide in the limelight

  ➔ Passive voice with the idiom "that's what I get for..."

  ➔ "That's what I get for..." is a common idiom expressing a consequence of one's actions. It often implies regret. The structure shows the result of a previous action or decision.