Shiny – English Lyrics

• By: Jemaine Clement

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of Disney's "Moana" with "Shiny," a unique glam-rock anthem sung by Jemaine Clement. This villain's song offers a fascinating subversion of typical Disney morals, celebrating external appearance with clever wordplay. Learning the lyrics to "Shiny" can be an engaging way to explore English vocabulary related to self-perception, materialism, and even subtle narrative foreshadowing, all while enjoying a truly memorable performance.

[English]

[plops]

♪ Well, Tamatoa hasn't always been this glam ♪

♪ I was a drab little crab once ♪

♪ Now I know I can be happy as a clam ♪

♪ Because I'm beautiful, baby ♪

♪ Did your granny say, "Listen to your heart ♪

♪ Be who you are on the inside"? ♪

♪ I need three words to tear her argument apart ♪

♪ Your granny lied ♪

♪ I'd rather be shiny ♪

♪ Like a treasure from a sunken pirate wreck ♪

♪ Scrub the deck ♪

♪ And make it look shiny ♪

♪ I will sparkle like a wealthy woman's neck ♪

♪ Just a sec ♪

♪ Don't cha know ♪

♪ Fish are dumb, dumb, dumb ♪

♪ They chase anything that glitters ♪

♪ Beginners, oh ♪

♪ And here they come, come, come ♪

♪ To the brightest thing that glitters ♪

♪ Mmm, fish dinners ♪

♪ I just love free food ♪

♪ Free food ♪

♪ Seafood ♪

Hey, clam cake!

I'm back.

Mwah.

It's Maui time!

[gasps]

What do you say, little buddy?

Giant hawk-- coming up.

Cha-hoo!

Cha-hoo!

[gasps]

♪ Well, well, well ♪

♪ Little Maui's having trouble with his look ♪

♪ Ya little semi, demi mini god! ♪

Ouch.

♪ What a terrible performance, get the hook! ♪

Get it? ♪ You don't swing it like you used to, man ♪

♪ Yet I have to give you credit for my start ♪

♪ And your tattoos on the outside ♪

♪ For just like you ♪

♪ I made myself a work of art ♪

♪ I'll never hide ♪

♪ I can't, I'm too shiny! ♪

♪ Watch me dazzle like a diamond in the rough ♪

♪ Strut my stuff ♪

♪ My stuff is so shiny! ♪

♪ Send your armies, but they'll never be enough! ♪

♪ My shell's too tough, Maui, man ♪

♪ You could try, try, try ♪

♪ But you can't expect a demigod ♪

♪ To beat a decapod ♪

Look it up.

♪ You will die, die, die ♪

♪ Now it's time for me to take apart ♪

♪ Your achin' heart ♪

♪ Far from the ones who abandoned you ♪

♪ Chasing the love of these humans ♪

♪ Who made you feel wanted ♪

♪ You try to be tough ♪

♪ But your armor's just not hard enough ♪

♪ Maui, now it's time to kick your heinie ♪

♪ Ever seen someone so shiny ♪

♪ Soak it in 'cause it's the last you'll ever see ♪

♪ C'est la vie, mon ami ♪

♪ I'm so shiny ♪

♪ Now I eat you so prepare your final plea ♪

♪ Just for me ♪

♪ You'll never be quite as shiny ♪

♪ You wish you were nice n' shiny ♪

[grunting]

[girl] Hey!

I got something shiny for ya.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
shiny /ˈʃaɪni/ A2	adjective - having a smooth, bright surface
beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfəl/ B1	adjective - pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically
treasure /ˈtrɛʒər/ B1	noun - valuable items, often gold or jewels
sparkle /ˈspɑːrkəl/ B2	verb - to shine brightly with flashes of light
glitter /ˈɡlɪtər/ B2	verb - to shine with a bright, shimmering, reflected light
trouble /ˈtrʌbəl/ B1	noun - difficulty or problems causing distress
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood in the body
armor /ˈɑːrmər/ B2	noun - protective covering for the body
dazzle /ˈdæzl/ B2	verb - to blind temporarily with bright light
kick /kɪk/ A2	verb - to strike with the foot
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of deep affection
wreck /rɛk/ B2	noun - the remains of something that has been destroyed
argument /ˈɑːrɡjʊmənt/ B2	noun - a reason or set of reasons given to persuade others

Key Grammar Structures

• Well, Tamatoa hasn't always been this glam.

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense with 'always'

  ➔ Uses the present perfect ("hasn't been") to describe a state that started in the past and continues to the present or has relevance to the present. "Always" modifies the duration of the state.

• I need three words to tear her argument apart.

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The infinitive phrase "to tear her argument apart" expresses the purpose of needing three words. It explains why the speaker needs those words.

• I'd rather be shiny.

  ➔ 'Would rather' + base form of verb

  ➔ "I'd rather be shiny" uses the structure "would rather + base form of the verb" to express a preference.

• They chase anything that glitters.

  ➔ Relative Clause with 'that'

  ➔ The relative clause "that glitters" modifies "anything", specifying what they chase. 'That' is a relative pronoun.

• What a terrible performance, get the hook!

  ➔ Exclamatory Sentence with 'What a'

  ➔ "What a terrible performance!" is an exclamatory sentence expressing a strong feeling about the performance. The structure is 'What a + adjective + noun!'

• You don't swing it like you used to, man.

  ➔ 'Used to' for Past Habits

  ➔ "Used to" indicates a past habit or state that is no longer true in the present. Here, it means Maui swung things differently in the past.

• Far from the ones who abandoned you.

  ➔ Relative Clause with 'who'

  ➔ The relative clause "who abandoned you" modifies "the ones", specifying which people are being referred to. 'Who' is a relative pronoun used for people.