Ice Cream Man – English Lyrics

• By: RAYE
• Album: My 21st Century Blues

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into RAYE's profoundly personal and powerful track, "Ice Cream Man," an essential piece of her debut album, *My 21st Century Blues*. This song, rooted in raw R&B and soul, offers listeners an unfiltered look into an artist bravely confronting sexual trauma, showcasing the powerful healing and speaking-out potential of music. Through its emotional depth, you can learn about the difficult but necessary conversations surrounding survival and resilience in the music industry and beyond.

[English]

(machine beeping)

(light music)

♪ So this producer hit me up on the DM ♪

♪ He told me, "Hey, I really like what you are doing ♪

♪ He told me, "Come round to the studio, let's cook it ♪

♪ He told me, "Come to catch a vibe and make some music ♪

♪ But when I got there, should've heard what he was saying ♪

♪ Tryna touch me, tryna fuck me, I'm not playing ♪

♪ I should've left that place as soon as I walked in it ♪

♪ How God damn dare you do that to me, really ♪

♪ Coming like the ice cream man ♪

♪ 'Til I felt his ice-cold hands ♪

♪ And how I pay the price now, damn ♪

♪ God damn, no, what the, God damn ♪

♪ Everything you did, it left me in a ruin ♪

♪ And no, I didn't say a word, I guess that proves it ♪

♪ I'm a woman ♪

♪ Oh, yes ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm a woman ♪

♪ I'm a very fucking brave strong woman ♪

♪ And I'll be damned if I let a man ruin ♪

♪ How I walk, how I talk, how I do it ♪

♪ Man, I've been broken for a moment ♪

♪ I've been through it, no ♪

♪ It's even harder to be brave alone ♪

♪ Was a girl, now I'm grown, I'm a woman ♪

♪ A very fucking strong woman ♪

♪ And I was seven ♪

♪ Was 21, was 17, and was 11 ♪

♪ It took a while to understand what my consent means ♪

♪ If I was ruthless, they'd be in the penitentiary ♪

♪ But all the stress of being honest wouldn't help me ♪

♪ I pushed it down, but it was living in me rent free ♪

♪ And then I fell into some things that were unhealthy ♪

♪ A place where no one heard me asking them to help me ♪

♪ Coming like the ice cream man ♪

♪ 'Til I felt his ice-cold hands ♪

♪ And how I pay the price now, damn, God damn ♪

♪ Everything you did, it left me in a ruin ♪

♪ And no, I didn't say a word, I guess that proves it ♪

♪ I'm a woman ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm a woman ♪

♪ I'm a very fucking brave strong woman ♪

♪ And I'll be damned if I let a man ruin ♪

♪ How I walk, how I talk, how I do it ♪

♪ Man, I've been broken for a moment ♪

♪ I've been through it, no ♪

♪ It's even harder to be brave alone ♪

♪ I was a girl, now I'm grown, I'm a woman ♪

♪ A very fucking strong woman, hmm ♪

♪ I wish I could say how I feel, how I felt ♪

♪ And explain why I'm silently blaming myself ♪

♪ 'Cause I put on these faces pretending I'm fine ♪

♪ Then I go to the bathroom and I press rewind ♪

♪ In my head ♪

♪ Always going round and round in my head ♪

♪ Your fingerprints stuck a stain on my skin ♪

♪ You made me frame myself for your sins ♪

♪ You pathetic, dead excuse of a man ♪

(upbeat music)

♪ Ooh, ooh ♪

♪ Yeah, a brave strong woman ♪

♪ Oh, oh, yeah ♪

♪ Eh-eh, ay, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ And I'll be damned if I let a man ruin, oh ♪

♪ I'm a very fucking brave strong woman, yeah ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
producer ˈproʊ.dʒu.sər A2	noun - a person who manages or oversees the creation of a product, especially in the entertainment industry
studio ˈstuː.di.oʊ A1	noun - a room or building where movies, music, or television shows are made
cook kʊk A1	verb - to prepare food by heating it
vibe vaɪb B1	noun - a distinctive emotional atmosphere
touch tʌtʃ A1	verb - to come into contact with something or someone
ruin ˈruː.ɪn B1	noun - the state of being destroyed or in disrepair verb - to destroy or severely damage something
brave breɪv A2	adjective - possessing or displaying courage
strong strɒŋ A1	adjective - having power or capability
consent kənˈsent B1	noun - permission for something to happen or agreement to do something
ruthless ˈruːθ.ləs B2	adjective - having or showing no pity or compassion
penitentiary ˌpɛ.nɪˈten.ʃə.ɛr.i C1	noun - a prison, especially one for serious offenders
stress strɛs A2	noun - pressure or tension resulting from difficult circumstances
unhealthy ʌnˈhɛl.θi A2	adjective - not conducive to good health
frame freɪm A2	verb - to falsely implicate someone in a crime
pathetic pəˈθɛt.ɪk B1	adjective - arousing pity, especially through vulnerability or sadness
rewind riːˈwaɪnd A2	verb - to reverse the winding of a tape or to replay a recording

Key Grammar Structures

• ♪ He told me, 'Hey, I really like what you are doing ♪

  ➔ Direct Speech (Quotation)

  ➔ The use of 'He told me, "Hey..."' is an example of **direct speech**, where the exact words spoken are quoted.

• ♪ But when I got there, should've heard what he was saying ♪

  ➔ Modal Verb (Should've)

  ➔ **Should've** is a contraction of 'should have,' used to express past regret or advice. Here, it indicates the singer wishes she had listened more carefully.

• ♪ How God damn dare you do that to me, really ♪

  ➔ Interjection (God damn)

  ➔ **God damn** is an **interjection** used to express strong emotion, often anger or frustration. It adds intensity to the sentence.

• ♪ And no, I didn't say a word, I guess that proves it ♪

  ➔ Conjunction (And), Tag Question (I guess)

  ➔ **And** is a **conjunction** used to join clauses. **I guess** is a **tag question** used to seek confirmation or express uncertainty.

• ♪ I'm a very fucking brave strong woman ♪

  ➔ Intensifier (Very fucking)

  ➔ **Very fucking** is an **intensifier** used to emphasize the degree of bravery and strength. It adds strong emphasis to the adjectives.

• ♪ Was a girl, now I'm grown, I'm a woman ♪

  ➔ Past Tense (Was), Present Tense (I'm)

  ➔ **Was** is the **past tense** of 'be,' indicating a previous state. **I'm** is the **present tense**, showing the current state.

• ♪ It took a while to understand what my consent means ♪

  ➔ Indefinite Pronoun (It), Passive Voice (was understood)

  ➔ **It** is an **indefinite pronoun** referring to an unspecified amount of time. The sentence uses **passive voice** to emphasize the action rather than the doer.

• ♪ I pushed it down, but it was living in me rent free ♪

  ➔ Metaphor (rent free)

  ➔ **Rent free** is a **metaphor** meaning something that occupies space in one's mind without permission or control, like an unwanted tenant.