MARILYN – English Lyrics

• By: Kelsea Ballerini
• Album: SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Kelsea Ballerini's poignant "MARILYN" to explore English expressions related to fame, identity, and vulnerability. This ballad masterfully uses rhetorical questions and metaphors, offering a unique opportunity to understand nuanced emotional language and the pressures of public perception, while reflecting on the importance of self-acceptance.

[English]

Must be nice to be so nice and beautiful

Hang the stars in the eyes of everybody

Got your name up in lights and in every home

But were you still alone at the party?

Everybody wanted to see you, lips red, eyes blue

And everybody wanted to be you, yeah

Was it worth it to seem so perfect?

Blonde and curves didn't keep you from your skeletons

Was it lonely, show pony?

Did you miss Norma Jeane

Or did you always wanna be Marilyn?

Marilyn

Once you got through the doors, was it glamorous?

Or did you think you'd feel more fulfilled? Mmm

'Cause I can see how it seemed through an LA silver screen

But I can also see how it'd drive me to pills

So was it worth it to seem so perfect?

Blonde and curves didn't keep you from your skeletons

Was it lonely, show pony?

Did you miss Norma Jeane

Or did you always wanna be Marilyn?

Oh, Marilyn

Everybody wanted to see you, lips red, eyes blue

And everybody wanted to know you in every room

Was the way that everyone loved you a feeling you outgrew?

'Cause everybody wanted to be you, but did you? Mmm

Was it worth it to seem so perfect?

Blonde and curves didn't keep you from your skeletons

Was it lonely, show pony?

Did you miss Norma Jeane, the woman underneath

Or did you always wanna be Marilyn?

Oh, Marilyn

Uh, do I feel happy in life? Um

Um, let's see

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfəl/ B1	adjective - pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically.
lights /laɪts/ A2	noun - sources of illumination.
perfect /ˈpɜːrfɪkt/ B2	adjective - having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.
curves /kɜːrvz/ B1	noun - a rounded shape or line.
skeletons /ˈskelɪtənz/ B2	noun - a figurative term for embarrassing or damaging secrets.
lonely /ˈləʊnli/ B1	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company.
fulfilled /fʊlˈfɪld/ B2	adjective - satisfied or happy because of fully developing one's abilities or character.
glamorous /ˈɡlæmərəs/ B2	adjective - attractive in an exciting and special way.
screen /skriːn/ A2	noun - a flat surface where images are displayed.
pills /pɪlz/ A2	noun - a small solid dose of medicine.
pony /ˈpəni/ A1	noun - a small horse.
woman /ˈwʊmən/ A1	noun - an adult female human being.
see /siː/ A1	verb - perceive with the eyes; discern visually.
loved /lʌvd/ A2	verb - feel affection for.
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - experience an emotion or sensation.
happy /ˈhæpi/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.

Key Grammar Structures

• Must be nice to be so nice and beautiful

  ➔ Modal verb 'must' for deduction + 'to be' (infinitive as subject complement)

  ➔ The phrase "Must be" expresses a strong assumption or deduction about something. The infinitive "to be" acts as the subject complement describing what is 'nice'.

• Got your name up in lights

  ➔ Causative 'get' (idiomatic expression)

  ➔ This is an idiomatic expression meaning 'to become famous' or 'to have one's name displayed prominently'. Grammatically, it functions like a causative construction (similar to 'get something done'), implying that 'your name was caused to be put up in lights'.

• Was it worth it to seem so perfect?

  ➔ Idiomatic expression 'worth it' + infinitive

  ➔ The phrase "worth it" is used to ask if something provides a good return for the effort or cost. It is often followed by an infinitive ("to seem") to specify what action is being evaluated.

• Blonde and curves didn't keep you from your skeletons

  ➔ Verb + object + preposition 'keep from'

  ➔ "Keep someone/something from [doing something/experiencing something]" means to prevent them from it. Here, it means that physical appearance couldn't prevent her hidden troubles or secrets ('skeletons').

• Once you got through the doors, was it glamorous?

  ➔ Conjunction 'Once' + past simple for 'as soon as/after'

  ➔ "Once" functions as a conjunction here, meaning 'as soon as' or 'after,' indicating that the second action (was it glamorous?) happened immediately after the first action (you got through the doors).

• Or did you think you'd feel more fulfilled?

  ➔ Contraction 'you'd' (you would) for hypothetical conditional + comparative adjective

  ➔ "You'd" is a contraction of "you would," indicating a hypothetical or imagined feeling. "More fulfilled" is a comparative adjective, comparing the actual feeling to a potentially greater feeling.

• But I can also see how it'd drive me to pills

  ➔ 'How' as a conjunction introducing a noun clause + 'it'd' (it would) for a hypothetical result

  ➔ "How" introduces a noun clause ("how it'd drive me to pills") which acts as the object of the verb "see." "It'd" (it would) expresses a hypothetical consequence or a strong possibility.

• Was the way that everyone loved you a feeling you outgrew?

  ➔ Relative clause with 'that' (optional) + phrasal verb 'outgrew'

  ➔ "The way that everyone loved you" uses "that" to introduce a relative clause modifying "the way." "Outgrew" is the past tense of the phrasal verb "outgrow," meaning to lose interest in or no longer be satisfied with something that was once suitable.

• 'Cause everybody wanted to be you, but did you?

  ➔ Elliptical question/short question

  ➔ "Did you?" is an elliptical question, meaning it's a shortened version of "Did you want to be you?" It's used to avoid repetition and implies the full question based on the preceding context.

• Did you miss Norma Jeane, the woman underneath

  ➔ Appositive phrase

  ➔ "The woman underneath" is an appositive phrase that renames or further describes "Norma Jeane," providing additional information about her identity (her true self, distinct from Marilyn).