People Pleaser – English Lyrics

• By: Kelsea Ballerini
• Album: Mount Pleasant

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Kelsea Ballerini's vulnerable and introspective songwriting with "People Pleaser." This country-pop track offers a direct look at complex feelings of insecurity and self-loss, using relatable, conversational English that is perfect for understanding modern emotional vocabulary. The song's raw, confessional style and clear, unadorned acoustic production make the heartfelt lyrics easy to follow, allowing you to connect deeply with the language of authenticity and self-discovery.

[English]

Jump in the water like it don't matter, I'm scared of sharks

I'll buy a painting, hang it and frame it, I hate the art

Don't lose my head when you just forget and leave me on 'read'

I was done drinking, you say 'tequila', I'll buy the shots

So what does it mean? Keeps getting sadder

Was it sixteen that made me not matter?

Was it Logan or Robby? Cheer captain named Carly

That made the cut deeper and messed up my body?

I'll keep being sweeter, but at my demise

Call me people pleaser and damn if they're right

Damn it, they're right

Turned up the banjo, dyed my hair blonder, I got the ad

Split up the moments, Grammys is Mom's and CMA's Dad's

Don't lose my mind when wrong is alright

Just won't sleep at night (Phone by my side)

Internalize internet lies, no, really it isn't so bad

What does it mean climbing the ladder?

Was it this dream that made me not matter?

Was it drinking at parties or not getting sorrys?

Wrong ring on my finger or cosplaying Barbie

That made me so eager to smile and lie?

Call me people pleaser and damn if they're right

Damn it, they're right

Right now I just wanna scream

But that would be dramatic of me, yeah

Right now I just wanna leave

But I guess that I'll stay, he likes me today

So what does it mean, crying at Radnor?

I just can't seem to cut out the chatter

I'll keep being sweeter 'cause that's what they like

She's skinny, so feed her and I'll take a bite

A selfish man-eater, you're wrong but alright

Fuck, who am I?

Damn it, they're right

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
scream /skriːm/ A2	verb - to make a loud, high sound with your voice
matter /ˈmætər/ A2	noun - a subject or situation under consideration verb - to be important or have significance
smile /smaɪl/ A1	noun - a happy or friendly facial expression verb - to make a happy facial expression by curving your mouth upward
lie /laɪ/ A2	verb - to say something that is not true
please /pliːz/ A2	verb - to make someone happy or satisfied
fear /fɪr/ B1	noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by danger or threat verb - to feel afraid of someone or something
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts or images during sleep or an aspiration
sweet /swiːt/ A2	adjective - pleasant to taste or kind in nature
lose /luːz/ A2	verb - to no longer have something or fail to keep it
forget /fəˈɡet/ A2	verb - to fail to remember something
body /ˈbɒdi/ A1	noun - the whole physical structure of a person or animal
sadder /ˈsædər/ B1	adjective (comparative of sad) - more unhappy or sorrowful
right /raɪt/ A2	adjective - correct; morally good; true
demise /dɪˈmaɪz/ C1	noun - a person's death or the end of something
ladder /ˈlædər/ B2	noun - a set of steps used for climbing noun - a series of stages of progress or status

Key Grammar Structures

• Jump in the water like it don't matter, I'm scared of sharks

  ➔ Subjunctive mood and use of "like"

  ➔ The phrase "don't matter" uses a form of the subjunctive mood to express something hypothetical or contrary to fact. "Like" is used to make a comparison, in this case, a causal relationship. For example, the writer is afraid of sharks *as if* it doesn't matter.

• I'll keep being sweeter, but at my demise

  ➔ Future continuous tense and contrast using "but"

  ➔ The future continuous tense ("I'll keep being") expresses an action that will be in progress in the future. "But" is a coordinating conjunction, used to connect contrasting ideas.

• Call me people pleaser and damn if they're right

  ➔ Imperative and conditional clause (if)

  ➔ The sentence begins with an imperative verb ("Call"). "Damn if they're right" is an informal way of expressing frustration, using an implied conditional clause (if they're right, I'll be damned).

• Right now I just wanna scream

  ➔ Contraction and use of "wanna"

  ➔ The contraction "I'm" is used. "Wanna" (want to) is used, which is a very common informal contraction.

• But that would be dramatic of me, yeah

  ➔ Conditional clause and informal interjection

  ➔ Uses the conditional "would be" to describe a hypothetical situation. "Yeah" is an informal interjection to add emphasis or show agreement.

• I just can't seem to cut out the chatter

  ➔ Modal verb and infinitive

  ➔ "Can't" is a modal verb combined with the infinitive "to cut". It expresses an inability.

• She's skinny, so feed her and I'll take a bite

  ➔ Coordinating conjunction "so" and future tense

  ➔ "So" connects two clauses, showing a result or consequence. The future tense ("I'll take") indicates an action that will happen.

• Fuck, who am I?

  ➔ Expletive and rhetorical question

  ➔ Uses an expletive (a swear word) to express strong emotion, and a rhetorical question, which doesn't expect an answer.