Shallow – English Lyrics

• By: Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper
• Album: A Star Is Born

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the powerful emotion of "Shallow," the award-winning duet by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. This song is a perfect entry point for English learners, as its conversational lyrics offer a clear and poignant dialogue about vulnerability and the search for deeper meaning. Through its blend of folk, country, and rock, you can learn vocabulary related to modern life's challenges and the universal desire for authentic connection, all while experiencing one of modern cinema's most iconic musical moments.

[English]

♪ ♪

♪ TELL ME SOMETHIN' GIRL ♪

♪ ARE YOU HAPPY IN THIS MODERN WORLD? ♪

♪ OR DO YOU NEED MORE, ♪

♪ IS THERE SOMETHIN' ELSE YOU'RE SEARCHIN' FOR? ♪

♪ I'M FALLIN' ♪

♪ IN ALL THE GOOD TIMES ♪

♪ I FIND MYSELF LONGIN' FOR CHANGE ♪

♪ AND IN THE BAD TIMES I FEAR MYSELF ♪

♪ TELL ME SOMETHING BOY ♪

♪ AREN'T YOU TIRED TRYIN' TO FILL THAT VOID? ♪

♪ OR DO YOU NEED MORE, ♪

♪ AIN'T IT HARD KEEPIN' IT SO HARDCORE? ♪

♪ I'M FALLING ♪

♪ IN ALL THE GOOD TIMES ♪

♪ I FIND MYSELF LONGING FOR CHANGE ♪

♪ AND IN THE BAD TIMES I FEAR MYSELF ♪

♪ I'M OFF THE DEEP END ♪

♪ WATCH AS I DIVE IN ♪

♪ I'LL NEVER MEET THE GROUND ♪

♪ CRASH THROUGH THE SURFACE ♪

♪ WHERE THEY CAN'T HURT US ♪

♪ WE'RE FAR FROM THE SHALLOW NOW ♪

♪ IN THE SHA-HA-SHA-HA-LOW ♪

♪ IN THE SHA-HA-SHA-LA-LA-LA-LOW ♪

♪ IN THE SHA-HA-SHA-HA-HA-LOW ♪

♪ WE'RE FAR FROM THE SHALLOW NOW ♪

♪ (VOCALIZATION) ♪

♪ (VOCALIZATION) ♪

♪ I'M OFF THE DEEP END ♪

♪ WATCH AS I DIVE IN ♪

♪ I'LI NEVER MEET THE GROUND ♪

♪ CRASH THROUGH THE SURFACE ♪

♪ WHERE THEY CAN'T HURT US ♪

♪ WE'RE FAR FROM THE SHALLOW NOW ♪

♪ IN THE SHA-HA-SHA-HA-LOW ♪

♪ IN THE SHA-HA-SHA-LA-LA-LA-LOW ♪

♪ IN THE SHA-HA-SHA-HA-HA-LOW ♪

♪ WE'RE FAR FROM THE SHALLOW NOW ♪

♪ ♪

(AUDIENCE CHEERS)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
tell /tel/ A1	verb - to communicate information to someone
happy /ˈhæpi/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing pleasure or contentment
world /wɜːld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features
need /niːd/ A1	verb - require (something) because it is essential or very important
searching /ˈsɜːrtʃɪŋ/ B1	verb - trying to find something by looking or otherwise seeking carefully and thoroughly
falling /ˈfɔːlɪŋ/ A2	verb - to drop or come down freely under the influence of gravity
times /taɪmz/ A1	noun - an instance or occasion
longing /ˈlɔːŋɪŋ/ B2	verb - having a strong desire or craving
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A1	noun - the act or instance of making or becoming different
fear /fɪər/ B1	verb - be afraid of (someone or something) noun - an unpleasant emotion caused by the perception of danger, pain, or threat
tired /ˈtaɪərd/ A2	adjective - in need of sleep or rest; weary
void /vɔɪd/ C1	noun - a completely empty space
hardcore /ˈhɑːrdkɔːr/ B2	adjective - uncompromising, relentless, or extreme
dive /daɪv/ B1	verb - plunge head first into water
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A1	noun - the solid surface of the earth
surface /ˈsɜːrfɪs/ B1	noun - the outside part or uppermost layer of something
hurt /hɜːrt/ A2	verb - cause physical pain or injury to
shallow /ˈʃæloʊ/ B1	adjective - of little depth
modern /ˈmɑːdərn/ A2	adjective - relating to the present or recent times as opposed to the remote past
crash /kræʃ/ B1	verb - hit something violently and noisily

Key Grammar Structures

• ARE YOU HAPPY IN THIS MODERN WORLD?

  ➔ Present Simple Interrogative

  ➔ Uses the auxiliary verb "are" (form of "to be") to ask a question about a current state. "Are you happy?" inquires about the subject's current happiness.

• OR DO YOU NEED MORE, IS THERE SOMETHIN' ELSE YOU'RE SEARCHIN' FOR?

  ➔ Present Simple Interrogative and Relative Clause

  ➔ "Do you need more?" is another example of Present Simple Interrogative, while "somethin' else you're searchin' for" contains a relative clause without a relative pronoun (that/which implied).

• I FIND MYSELF LONGIN' FOR CHANGE

  ➔ Reflexive Pronoun + Gerund

  ➔ "Myself" is a reflexive pronoun emphasizing the subject's experience. "Longin'" (longing) acts as a gerund, a verb acting as a noun. "I find myself longing" implies an involuntary or natural feeling.

• AREN'T YOU TIRED TRYIN' TO FILL THAT VOID?

  ➔ Negative Interrogative with Gerund

  ➔ "Aren't you tired...?" is a negative interrogative implying the speaker expects agreement. "Tryin' to fill" uses a gerund after "tired."

• I'M OFF THE DEEP END

  ➔ Idiomatic Expression with Present Continuous

  ➔ "I'm off the deep end" is an idiom meaning losing control or becoming overwhelmed. The Present Continuous "I'm off" indicates it's happening now.

• WATCH AS I DIVE IN

  ➔ Imperative + Subordinating Conjunction

  ➔ "Watch" is an imperative verb. "As" acts as a subordinating conjunction, introducing a clause that depends on the main clause (the command).

• WHERE THEY CAN'T HURT US

  ➔ Relative Clause with Modal Verb

  ➔ "Where they can't hurt us" is a relative clause describing a place. "Can't" (cannot) is a modal verb expressing possibility or ability (in this case, the lack of ability to hurt).

• WE'RE FAR FROM THE SHALLOW NOW

  ➔ Present Simple with Adjective Phrase

  ➔ "We're" (we are) is a contraction in the Present Simple. "Far from the shallow" is an adjective phrase modifying "we."