Lyrics & Translation
Explore the cautionary world of Alt-J's 'The Actor,' a track that unravels the dark realities of Hollywood's allure through vivid storytelling and poignant lyrics. Delve into themes of ambition, addiction, and the price of fame, all while experiencing Alt-J's signature blend of indie rock and dream pop. Discover the nuances of the English language through the song's rich narrative and cultural references.
[English]
Bricked up a kiloPaneled down in the back door
All the while I'm riding
To auditions I'm not getting
Why do I keep on returning to you?
All American jawlines
One wrong going over scene lines
Grind the scripts like teeth
Why do I keep on returning to you?
Cocaine, cocaine
Swarm TV cameras
Click and stumble at the Chateau
Later, I hear John's
Body got carried out
Ice cream was a code word
Told to me by a cold man
These nice hotels
Gotta look, not tell
Why do I keep on returning to you?
Cocaine, cocaine
Cocaine, cocaine
Why do I keep on returning to you?
Give me some ice cream
Give it to me now
Oh, now
I'm in the deepest end of an empty pool
(He's never gonna make it)
(He's never gonna make it in LA)
I'm in the deepest end of an empty pool
Cocaine, cocaine
I'm in the deepest end of an empty pool
(He's never gonna make it)
(He's never gonna make it in L.A.)
I'm in the deepest end of an empty pool
(He's never gonna make it)
Cocaine
(He's never gonna make it)
Cocaine
Key Vocabulary
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Key Grammar Structures
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All the while I'm riding
➔ Present continuous (progressive) tense
➔ The verb ""riding"" is in the present continuous to show an action happening at the same time as another event.
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to auditions I'm not getting
➔ Negative present simple with a stative verb (get) expressed as a participle phrase
➔ The phrase ""I'm not getting"" uses the negative present simple to express a lack of success in obtaining auditions.
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Why do I keep on returning to you?
➔ Question form with auxiliary "do" + infinitive; phrasal verb "keep on" + gerund
➔ The auxiliary ""do"" creates a question in the present simple, while ""keep on returning"" is a phrasal verb followed by the gerund ""returning"".
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Body got carried out
➔ Passive voice in the simple past
➔ The verb ""got carried"" shows a passive construction in the past: the subject ""Body"" receives the action of being carried out.
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I'm never gonna make it in LA
➔ Future intention with informal "gonna" (going to) + modal "never" for strong negation
➔ ""gonna"" is the colloquial contraction of "going to" and together with ""never"" it expresses a strong belief that the action will not happen.
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Give me some ice cream
➔ Imperative mood; direct object pronoun "me" + indefinite article "some"
➔ ""Give"" is an imperative verb; ""me"" is the indirect object receiving the request, and ""some"" indicates an unspecified quantity.
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I'm in the deepest end of an empty pool
➔ Prepositional phrase with superlative adjective "deepest" and article usage "the" vs. "an"
➔ ""deepest"" is the superlative form of "deep"; ""the"" specifies a particular end, while ""an"" introduces a non‑specific pool.
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All American jawlines
➔ Noun phrase with attributive adjective "All American" functioning as a compound modifier
➔ ""All American"" works as a compound adjective before the noun "jawlines", describing a stereotypical American appearance.
