Show & Tell – English Lyrics

• By: Melanie Martinez
• Album: K-12

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the poignant world of Melanie Martinez's "Show & Tell," a compelling exploration of fame's isolating effects. Through its raw lyrics, discover how Martinez uses metaphor to reveal her vulnerability, offering a unique perspective on celebrity culture and an opportunity to expand your understanding of emotional expression in music.

[English]

You pull me by my hair, so I don't go nowhere

Tell me you love me, but you treat me like I'm never there

You say the cruelest words, you used to break my heart

'Cause I'm over here working my ass off

Why is it so hard to see? (Why?)

If I cut myself, I would bleed (kill me)

I'm just like you, you're like me

Imperfect and human, are we?

Show and tell

I'm on display for all you fuckers to see

Show and tell

Harsh words if you don't get a pic with me

Buy and sell (buy and sell me, baby)

Like I'm a product to society

Art don't sell

Unless you fucked every authority

You beg and cry for more, he had 'em on the floor

There are strangers takin' pictures of me when I ask, "No more"

It's really hard for me to say just how I feel

I'm scared that I'll get thrown away like a banana peel

Why is it so hard to see? (Why?)

If I cut myself, I would bleed (kill me)

I'm just like you, you're like me

Imperfect and human, are we?

Show and tell (show and tell)

I'm on display for all you fuckers to see (fuckers to see)

Show and tell (show and tell)

Harsh words if you don't get a pic with me

Buy and sell (buy and sell)

Like I'm a product to society

Art don't sell

Unless you fucked every authority

Show and tell

Why can't you fucking hear me?

Show and tell, um

Are you listening yet?

Show and tell (show and tell, baby)

I'm on display for all you fuckers to see (fuckers to see)

Show and tell (oh)

Harsh words if you don't get a pic with me

Buy and sell

Like I'm a product to society

Art don't sell

Unless you fucked every authority

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
pull /pʊl/ A1	verb - to move something toward oneself
bleed /bliːd/ A2	verb - to lose blood from the body
imperfect /ɪmˈpɜːrfɪkt/ B1	adjective - not perfect; faulty
display /dɪˈspleɪ/ B1	verb - to show something publicly
harsh /hɑːrʃ/ B1	adjective - severe or strict
product /ˈprɒdʌkt/ A2	noun - an item produced or manufactured
society /səˈsaɪəti/ A2	noun - a community of people living together
authority /ɔːˈθɒrəti/ B1	noun - the power to give orders or make decisions
stranger /ˈstreɪndʒər/ A1	noun - someone not known or familiar
scared /skɛərd/ A2	adjective - feeling fear
throw /θroʊ/ A1	verb - to propel something through the air
peel /piːl/ A2	noun - the outer layer of something verb - to remove the outer layer of something
beg /bɛɡ/ A1	verb - to ask for something in a desperate or humble manner
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears
art /ɑːrt/ A1	noun - the expression of human creativity
fucker /ˈfʌkər/ C1	noun - a highly offensive term for a person

Key Grammar Structures

• You pull me by my hair, so I don't go nowhere

  ➔ Subjunctive mood (implied) + so that (purpose)

  ➔ The use of "so" implies a purpose. The subjunctive mood is used in the phrase "so I don't go nowhere", which is an implied negative purpose.

• Tell me you love me, but you treat me like I'm never there

  ➔ Indirect object + adverbial clause of contrast (but)

  ➔ The indirect object is "me" in the first clause, followed by a contrast expressed by "but" and the adverbial clause "you treat me like I'm never there."

• 'Cause I'm over here working my ass off

  ➔ Contraction + phrasal verb + idiom

  ➔ The contraction "'Cause" (because), the phrasal verb "working...off", and the idiom "working my ass off" (working very hard) are used.

• Why is it so hard to see? (Why?)

  ➔ Inversion + infinitive clause of result

  ➔ Question with inversion (Why is it...), and "to see" is an infinitive clause of result expressing the difficulty.

• If I cut myself, I would bleed (kill me)

  ➔ Conditional Sentence Type 2

  ➔ This sentence uses the conditional type 2, which uses the past simple in the 'if' clause and 'would' + base verb in the main clause, expressing an unreal or hypothetical situation.

• I'm on display for all you fuckers to see

  ➔ Passive voice + infinitive of purpose

  ➔ The sentence uses passive voice ("I'm on display") and the infinitive of purpose "to see".

• Art don't sell

  ➔ Grammatical Incorrectness (deliberate use of informal grammar)

  ➔ The use of "don't" instead of "doesn't" is grammatically incorrect in standard English. This is likely used for emphasis or stylistic effect.

• Unless you fucked every authority

  ➔ Subjunctive mood (implied) + conditional clause (implied)

  ➔ This implies a conditional scenario, and the verb "fucked" is used in a way that suggests a hypothetical condition. This implies that the person is making art, and the only way for it to sell is if they slept with every authority figure.