Cinnamon Girl – English Lyrics

• By: Lana Del Rey

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music can be a deeply immersive experience, and Lana Del Rey's “Cinnamon Girl” offers a poignant entry point into the nuances of English expression. The song's lyrical depth, exploring themes of love, pain, and vulnerability, provides a rich context for understanding figurative language and emotional articulation. Its melancholic melody and Del Rey's evocative vocal delivery make it a captivating and memorable way to connect with the emotional power of the English language.

[English]

Cinnamon in my teeth

From your kiss, you're touchin' me

All the pills that you take

Violet, blue, green, red to keep me at arm's length don't work

You try to push me out

But I just find my way back in

Violet, blue, green, red to keep me out

I win

There's things I wanna say to you

But I'll just let you live

Like if you hold me without hurting me

You'll be the first who ever did

There's things I wanna talk about

But better not to give

But if you hold me without hurting me

You'll be the first who ever did

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Hold me, love me, touch me, honey

Be the first who ever did

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Hold me, love me, touch me, honey

Be the first who ever did

Kerosene in my hands

You make me mad, I'm fire again

All the pills that you take

Violet, blue, green, red to keep me at arm's length don't work

There's things I wanna say to you

But I'll just let you live

Like if you hold me without hurting me

You'll be the first who ever did

There's things I wanna talk about

But better not to give

But if you hold me without hurting me

You'll be the first who ever did

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Hold me, love me, touch me, honey

Be the first who ever did

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Hold me, love me, touch me, honey

Be the first who ever did

There's things I wanna say to you

But I'll just let you live

Like if you hold me without hurting me

You'll be the first who ever did

There's things I wanna talk about

But better not to give

Like if you hold me without hurting me

You'll be the first who ever did

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cinnamon /ˈsɪnəmən/ B2	noun - a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees
touch /tʌtʃ/ A1	verb - to put your hand or another part of your body lightly onto something or someone
pills /pɪlz/ A2	noun - small solid pieces of medicine that you swallow
hold /hoʊld/ A1	verb - to have something in your hand or arms
hurt /hɜːrt/ A2	verb - to cause physical pain or injury
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to feel deep affection for someone
first /fɜːrst/ A1	adjective - coming before all others in time, order, or importance
kerosene /ˈkerəsiːn/ C1	noun - a flammable hydrocarbon oil used as fuel
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - combustion producing heat and light
honey /ˈhʌni/ A2	noun - a sweet, sticky substance produced by bees; also a term of endearment
violet /ˈvaɪələt/ B1	adjective - bluish-purple color noun - a plant with flowers of bluish-purple color
push /pʊʃ/ A1	verb - to exert force on someone or something to move them away
find /faɪnd/ A1	verb - to discover or perceive something
win /wɪn/ A1	verb - to be successful in a contest or conflict
make /meɪk/ A1	verb - to create or construct something
mad /mæd/ A2	adjective - very angry; mentally ill

Key Grammar Structures

• From your kiss, you're touchin' me

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ Describes ongoing action using "you're" (you are) + "touchin'" (verb-ing). Shows current physical interaction.

• Violet, blue, green, red to keep me at arm's length don't work

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "to keep" expresses purpose/reason. Indicates the intention behind taking pills (keeping distance).

• But I just find my way back in

  ➔ Phrasal Verb

  ➔ "find my way back in" is a phrasal verb meaning to return despite obstacles. "In" acts as an adverb particle.

• Like if you hold me without hurting me

  ➔ Conditional + Gerund after Preposition

  ➔ "if" introduces a hypothetical condition. "without" is followed by gerund "hurting" (verb acting as noun).

• You'll be the first who ever did

  ➔ Future Simple + Relative Clause

  ➔ "You'll" (you will) shows future prediction. "who ever did" is a defining relative clause modifying "first".

• Kerosene in my hands

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ "in my hands" modifies "kerosene" to show location. Preposition "in" indicates containment.

• You make me mad

  ➔ Causative Verb + Adjective

  ➔ "make" causes the emotional state "mad". Structure: subject + make + object + adjective complement.

• Hold me, love me, touch me, honey

  ➔ Imperative Mood + Parallel Structure

  ➔ Imperative verbs ("hold", "love", "touch") give direct commands. Parallel structure uses identical verb forms.