Criminal – English Lyrics

• By: Britney Spears
• Album: Femme Fatale

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the English language through Britney Spears's "Criminal," a song that tells a compelling story of forbidden love. The lyrics offer a great opportunity to learn descriptive adjectives and understand nuanced emotional expression. What makes this song special is its unique blend of a folk-like melody with a modern pop sensibility, creating a captivating narrative of rebellion and passion.

[English]

(gentle ambient music)

(people chatter)

- Can you try smiling just once here?

It's embarrassing.

You look like you're at a funeral.

Yeah?

Why don't we see that pretty little face of yours, huh, huh?

Oi!

When I'm talking to you, look me in the face.

Don't disrespect me!

Sorry about that, guys.

(perfume spritzes)

- So you're not working the street corner tonight, I see.

- I'm so sorry.

The hell's wrong with you?

How dare you disrespect me like that?

Who do you think you are?

Who do you think you are talking to?

(Britney screams)

- Hey!

(Boyfriend groans)

You okay?

- Yeah.

Wait.

(Boyfriend groans)

Now I'm okay.

("Criminal" by Britney Spears)

♪ He is a hustler, he's no good at all ♪

♪ He is a loser, he's a bum, bum, bum, bum ♪

♪ He lies, he bluffs, he's unreliable ♪

♪ He is a sucker with a gun, gun, gun, gun ♪

♪ I know you told me I should stay away ♪

♪ I know you said he's just a dog astray ♪

♪ He is a bad boy with a tainted heart ♪

♪ And even I know this ain't smart ♪

♪ But mama I'm in love with a criminal ♪

♪ And this type of love isn't rational, it's physical ♪

♪ Mama please don't cry, I will be alright ♪

♪ All reason aside I just can't deny, I love the guy ♪

♪ He is a villain by the devil's law ♪

♪ He is a killer just for fun, fun, fun, fun ♪

♪ That man's a snitch and unpredictable ♪

♪ He's got no conscience, he got none, none, none, none ♪

♪ All I know, should've let go, but no ♪

♪ 'Cause he's a bad boy with a tainted heart ♪

♪ And even I know this ain't smart ♪

♪ But mama I'm in love with a criminal ♪

♪ And this type of love isn't rational, it's physical ♪

♪ Mama please don't cry, I will be alright ♪

♪ All reason aside I just can't deny, I love that guy ♪

♪ And he's got my name, ♪

♪ Tattooed on his arm his lucky charm ♪

♪ So I guess it's okay he's with me ♪

♪ And I hear people talk ♪

♪ Trying to make remarks keep us apart ♪

♪ But I don't even hear ♪

♪ I don't care ♪

♪ 'Cause mama I'm in love with a criminal ♪

♪ And this type of love isn't rational, it's physical ♪

♪ Mama please don't cry, I will be alright ♪

♪ All reason aside I just can't deny, I love the guy ♪

♪ Mama I'm in love with a criminal ♪

♪ And this type of love isn't rational, it's physical ♪

♪ Mama please don't cry, I will be alright ♪

♪ All reason aside I just can't deny, I love the guy ♪

- The suspects have left the building.

I repeat, they have left the building.

(sirens wail)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a strong feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
criminal /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/ B1	noun - a person who commits a crime adjective - connected with crime
mama /ˈmæmə/ A1	noun - mother
guy /ɡaɪ/ A1	noun - a man
bad /bæd/ A1	adjective - not good
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ pumping blood
boy /bɔɪ/ A1	noun - a young male
reason /ˈriːzən/ B1	noun - a cause or motive
physical /ˈfɪzɪkəl/ B2	adjective - related to the body
rational /ˈræʃənəl/ C1	adjective - based on reason
cry /kraɪ/ A2	verb - to weep
deny /dɪˈnaɪ/ B2	verb - to refuse or reject
know /noʊ/ A1	verb - to have knowledge
gun /ɡʌn/ B1	noun - a weapon
killer /ˈkɪlər/ B2	noun - someone who kills
villain /ˈvɪlən/ B2	noun - an evil person
snitch /snɪtʃ/ C1	noun - an informer
conscience /ˈkɑːnʃəns/ B2	noun - inner sense of right and wrong
talk /tɔːk/ A1	verb - to speak
hear /hɪər/ A1	verb - to perceive sound

Key Grammar Structures

• I know you told me I should stay away

  ➔ Reported speech with modal 'should' + infinitive

  ➔ The modal verb "should" followed by the infinitive "stay" expresses advice in reported speech.

• But mama I'm in love with a criminal

  ➔ Present simple of 'be' + idiomatic expression 'in love with'

  ➔ The contracted "I'm" (I am) uses the present simple of "be" together with the idiom "in love with" to describe a current emotional state.

• He is a hustler, he's no good at all

  ➔ Present simple of 'be' with contraction "he's"

  ➔ The contraction "he's" (= he is) is the present simple of "be" used to give a negative description "no good at all".

• He is a villain by the devil's law

  ➔ Prepositional phrase with 'by' indicating agent

  ➔ The preposition "by" introduces the agent "the devil's law", forming a phrase that describes how he is a villain.

• All reason aside I just can't deny, I love the guy

  ➔ Modal verb 'can’t' + infinitive expressing inability

  ➔ The modal "can't" together with the infinitive "deny" shows the speaker's inability to deny his feelings.

• And even I know this ain't smart

  ➔ Informal negative contraction 'ain’t'

  ➔ The word "ain’t" is an informal contraction that replaces "is not" or "am not" in colloquial speech.

• I hear people talk

  ➔ Present simple for perception verbs

  ➔ The verb "hear" is in the present simple because it describes a current perceptual action.

• So I guess it's okay he's with me

  ➔ Verb 'guess' followed by an implied that‑clause

  ➔ "guess" is used without the explicit "that"; the clause "it's okay he's with me" functions as an implied that‑clause.

• Mama please don't cry, I will be alright

  ➔ Imperative sentence + future tense with 'will'

  ➔ "don't" forms an imperative urging the mother not to cry, while "will" expresses a confident prediction about the future.

• He got no conscience, he got none, none, none

  ➔ Colloquial 'got' for possession + pronoun 'none'

  ➔ The informal verb "got" is used instead of "has" to indicate possession, and "none" functions as a pronoun meaning "no one" or "nothing".