Devil in Disguise – English Lyrics

• By: Marino

Lyrics & Translation

Thinking about learning a new language? Let music be your guide! "Devil in Disguise" by Marino is a fantastic song for English learners. Its clear storytelling and narrative lyrics make it easy to follow the story of a seemingly charming man who is not what he appears to be. The song's simple yet evocative language provides a great opportunity to learn new vocabulary and understand metaphors in a modern pop context. Plus, its catchy melody will have you singing along and practicing your pronunciation without even realizing it!

[English]

She said, "You think the devil has horns? Well, so did I

But I was wrong, his hair is combed and he wears a suit and tie"

He's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise

A smile so bright, you'd never bat an eye

Said she was in a hurry

That's when she met him Sunday walking down the street

She dropped her bag and it fell to his feet, he got down on one knee

He handed her the purse and gave a warning to her saying

Miss, you know the devil has horns, he's out tonight

Walking 'round downtown carrying a gun and knife

He'll fight, you'll die, but you'll see him clear his light

An evil sight, you should know the warning signs

So then he walked her to her home

He said, "A pretty girl like you can't be alone

Because the devil he will take all that you own

And he'll strip you to the bone"

She thanked him twice and said, "Good night"

She checked her bag, but nothing was inside

You think the devil has horns? Well, so did I

But I was wrong, his hair is combed and he wears a suit and tie

He's nice, polite, he'll catch you by surprise

A smile so bright, he's the devil in disguise

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
devil /ˈdev.əl/ B2	noun - the supreme evil spirit; Satan
horns /hɔːrnz/ B1	noun - a pointed object growing on the head of some animals
hair /heər/ A1	noun - the fine threads growing on the head
suit /suːt/ B1	noun - a set of clothes
tie /taɪ/ A2	noun - a piece of clothing worn around the neck
nice /naɪs/ A1	adjective - pleasant; agreeable
polite /pəˈlaɪt/ A2	adjective - having good manners
surprise /sərˈpraɪz/ A2	verb - to cause someone to feel surprise noun - an unexpected event
bright /braɪt/ B2	adjective - giving out or reflecting a lot of light
smile /smaɪl/ A1	noun - a facial expression indicating pleasure verb - to form a smile
warning /ˈwɔːrnɪŋ/ B1	noun - a statement telling someone of a possible danger
gun /ɡʌn/ A2	noun - a weapon that shoots bullets
knife /naɪf/ A2	noun - a blade used for cutting
fight /faɪt/ A2	verb - to take part in a struggle noun - a physical struggle
die /daɪ/ A1	verb - to stop living
evil /ˈiːvl/ B2	adjective - profoundly immoral and wicked noun - profound immorality
home /həʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
bone /bəʊn/ A1	noun - a hard substance forming the skeleton
disguise /dɪsˈɡaɪz/ B2	noun - a change in the way someone looks

Key Grammar Structures

• She said, "You think the devil has horns? Well, so did I"

  ➔ Tag Question & Ellipsis

  ➔ The phrase "so did I" is a short answer functioning as a tag question, echoing the statement. The verb 'did' is elliptically substituted for 'think'. It implies 'I also think the devil has horns'.

• He'll fight, you'll die, but you'll see him clear his light

  ➔ Future Simple with Parallel Structure

  ➔ The use of "He'll fight, you'll die, but you'll see..." demonstrates parallel structure, creating a rhythmic and impactful effect. Each clause uses the future simple ('ll + verb) to express certainty.

• Said he was in a hurry

  ➔ Reported Speech (Past Simple in Indirect Speech)

  ➔ The phrase demonstrates reported speech. The original direct speech likely was "I am in a hurry". The 'am' changes to 'was' when reported indirectly.

• He said, "A pretty girl like you can't be alone"

  ➔ Modal Verb 'can't' expressing prohibition/impossibility & 'like' as a preposition

  ➔ "can't" expresses a strong prohibition or impossibility. "like you" functions as a prepositional phrase modifying 'girl', meaning 'of your kind'.