Illusion – English Lyrics

• By: Dua Lipa
• Album: Radical Optimism

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

I been known to miss a red flag

I been known to put my lover on a pedestal

In the end, those things just don't last

And it's time I take my rose-colored glasses off

I already know your type, tellin' me the things I like

Tryin' make me yours for life, takin' me for a ride

I already know your type, think you can play your cards right

Don't you know I could do this dance all night?

Ooh, what you doin'?

Don't know who you think that you're confusin'

I be like, "Ooh, it's amusin'"

You think I'm gonna fall for an illusion

Dance all night

Dance all night

Dance all night

Dance all night (I be like)

Dance all night

Dance all night

Dance all night

Dance, dance

Was a time when that shit might have worked

Was a time when I just threw a match and let it burn

Now I'm grown, I know what I deserve

I still like dancin' with the lessons I already learned

I already know your type, tellin' me the things I like

Tryin' make me yours for life, takin' me for a ride

I already know your type, think you can play your cards right

Don't you know I could do this dance all night?

Ooh, what you doin'?

Don't know who you think that you're confusin'

I be like, "Ooh, it's amusin'"

You think I'm gonna fall for an illusion

Dance all night

Dance all night

Dance all night

Dance all night (I be like)

Dance all night

Dance all night

Dance all night

Dance, dance

Illusion, I really like the way you're movin'

Yeah, I just wanna dance with the illusion

Yeah, I just wanna dance with

Yeah, I just wanna dance with

I could dance all night

Ooh, what you doin'?

Don't know who you think that you're confusin'

I be like, "Ooh, it's amusin'"

You think I'm gonna fall for an illu–

Ooh, what you doin'?

Don't know who you think that you're confusin'

I be like, "Ooh, it's amusin'"

You think I'm gonna fall for an illusion

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
illusion /ɪˈluːʒən/ B2	noun - a false idea or belief; something that deceives by appearing real
dance /dæns/ A1	verb - to move rhythmically to music noun - a social event where people dance
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
lover /ˈlʌvər/ B1	noun - a person who is in a romantic relationship with another
pedestal /ˈpɛdɪstəl/ B2	noun - a base or support on which a statue or object is placed
glasses /ˈɡlæsɪz/ A1	noun - a pair of lenses set in a frame worn to correct or protect the eyes
red /rɛd/ A1	adjective - of the colour at the end of the visible spectrum next to orange
rose‑colored /ˈroʊz ˈkʌləd/ B1	adjective - having a pinkish hue; optimistic or idealistic in outlook
type /taɪp/ A2	noun - a category of people or things having common characteristics verb - to write using a keyboard
cards /kɑrdz/ A2	noun - flat pieces of paper or plastic used for playing games or for identification
ride /raɪd/ A2	verb - to sit on and control the movement of a vehicle or animal noun - a journey made on a vehicle or animal
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control
know /noʊ/ A1	verb - to be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information
think /θɪŋk/ A1	verb - to have a particular opinion, belief, or idea about something
make /meɪk/ A1	verb - to create, form, or cause something to exist
take /teɪk/ A1	verb - to acquire possession, control, or occupancy of something
burn /bɜːrn/ B1	verb - to be on fire; to destroy or damage by fire
match /mætʃ/ A2	noun - a slender piece of wood or cardboard used to start a fire
lesson /ˈlɛsən/ B1	noun - a period of instruction or learning; something learned
deserve /dɪˈzɜːrv/ B2	verb - to be worthy of something, especially reward or punishment

Key Grammar Structures

• I been known to miss a red flag

  ➔ Present Perfect Passive with "be known to"

  ➔ This construction expresses a general truth or commonly known fact about the subject. "I "have been known" to" miss red flags means that it's a characteristic or tendency of the speaker to overlook warning signs.

• I been known to put my lover on a pedestal

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose after "be known to"

  ➔ The infinitive "to put" explains the *purpose* for which the speaker is known. It's not just that she is known; she's known *for the purpose of* putting her lover on a pedestal.

• Tryin' make me yours for life, takin' me for a ride

  ➔ Reduced Relative Clauses (Participle Clauses)

  ➔ "Tryin' make me yours..." and "Takin' me for a ride" are reduced relative clauses. The full clauses would be "(He is) trying to make me yours..." and "(He is) taking me for a ride". The auxiliary verb and relative pronoun are omitted for brevity and informality. It expresses simultaneous actions.

• Don't you know I could do this dance all night?

  ➔ Modal Verb "could" for Ability/Potential

  ➔ "Could" expresses the speaker's ability or potential to dance all night. It implies she has the stamina and skill to do so.

• Don't know who you think that you're confusin'

  ➔ Embedded Question with Omitted Question Word and Relative Pronoun

  ➔ This is an embedded question functioning as the object of "Don't know". "Who you think that you're confusing" is equivalent to "Who you think you are confusing". The 'that' is also optional, further simplifying the structure and making it more colloquial. The formal construction might be: "I don't know who you think you are confusing."

• Was a time when that shit might have worked

  ➔ Past Modal of Possibility (might have + past participle)

  ➔ "Might have worked" expresses a possibility that something *could have* happened in the past but didn't or is no longer true. It suggests that the tactic described used to be potentially effective, but now it is not.

• Now I'm grown, I know what I deserve

  ➔ Noun Clause as Object ("what I deserve")

  ➔ The clause "what I deserve" functions as the object of the verb "know". It is a noun clause introduced by the relative pronoun "what", referring to something unspecified that the speaker deserves.