The Lady is a Tramp – English Lyrics

• By: Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett
• Album: Duets II: The Great Performances

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of classic jazz with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga's "The Lady is a Tramp." This iconic duet is a masterclass in vocal chemistry and a joyous celebration of independence, perfect for anyone looking to learn English through engaging, authentic expressions and witty wordplay. You'll pick up colloquialisms and understand cultural references to American high society from the song's clever lyrics, making language learning a truly swinging experience.

[English]

She gets too hungry for dinner at eight (I'm starving)

She loves the theater but she never comes late

I never bother with people that I hate

That's why this chick is a tramp (hahaha)

She doesn't like crap games with barons and earls

Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls

And I definitely won't dish our dirt with the rest of those girls

That's why the lady is a tramp!

I love the free, fresh wind in my hair

Life without care

Oh, I'm so broke

It's oh!

I hate California, it's crowded and damp

That's why the lady is a tramp (I'm a tramp!)

Sometimes I go to Coney Island

Oh, the beach is divine

And I love the yankees

Jeter is just fine

I follow rounders and park

She sings every line

That's why the lady is a tramp

I love the prize fight

That isn't a fake (no fakes)

And I love to rowboat with you and your wife in Central Park Lake

She goes to the opera and stays wide awake (yes, I do)

That's why this lady is a tramp

She likes the green (green) grass (grass) under her shoes

What can I lose?

'Cause I got no dough! Oh, no?

I'm all alone when I'm doing my hair

That's why the lady is a tramp!

Go!

I love your free, fresh,

I love your handkerchief in my hand

Life without care

But I'm so broke

That's oh!

Hates California, it's cold and it's damp

That's why the lady is a tramp!

That's why this lady is a tramp!

That's why the lady is a tramp!

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hungry /ˈhʌŋ.ɡri/ A1	adjective - wanting or needing food
theater /ˈθiː.ə.tər/ A2	noun - a building or outdoor area where plays, movies, or other performances are given
hate /heɪt/ A2	verb - to dislike someone or something very much
tramp /træmp/ B2	noun - a woman who behaves in a way that is considered immoral or sexually promiscuous.
crap /kræp/ B2	noun - something that is completely worthless or untrue
earls /ɜːrlz/ C1	noun - a British nobleman ranking above a viscount and below a marquess.
ermine /ˈɜː.mɪn/ C1	noun - a stoat, especially when in its white winter coat.
pearls /pɜːrlz/ B1	noun - a hard, lustrous spherical mass, typically white or bluish-grey, formed within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk.
fresh /freʃ/ A2	adjective - newly made or obtained; not stale, spoiled, or worn
wind /wɪnd/ A1	noun - the perceptible natural movement of the air, especially in the form of a current of air blowing from a particular direction.
hair /heər/ A1	noun - any of the fine threadlike strands growing from the skin of humans.
care /keər/ A2	noun - the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance, and protection of someone or something.
broke /broʊk/ B1	adjective - having completely run out of money.
crowded /ˈkraʊ.dɪd/ B1	adjective - (of a place) full of people, leaving little or no room for movement.
damp /dæmp/ B1	adjective - slightly wet.
beach /biːtʃ/ A1	noun - a pebbly or sandy shore, especially by the sea between high- and low-water marks.
divine /dɪˈvaɪn/ B2	adjective - of, from, or like God or a god.
prize /praɪz/ B1	noun - a thing given as a reward to the winner of a competition or in recognition of achievement.
fight /faɪt/ A2	noun - a violent confrontation or struggle.

Key Grammar Structures

• She gets too hungry for dinner at eight

  ➔ Simple Present Tense (habitual action)

  ➔ The sentence uses the Simple Present tense to describe a regular occurrence. "Gets" indicates that she typically becomes very hungry by 8 PM.

• She loves the theater but she never comes late

  ➔ Contrast Conjunction ('but')

  ➔ The conjunction "but" connects two contrasting ideas. She loves the theater, which one might assume would lead to tardiness, but she is always on time.

• That's why this chick is a tramp

  ➔ Subject-Verb-Complement ('is')

  ➔ The verb "is" links the subject "this chick" to the complement "a tramp", describing her identity or state of being.

• I definitely won't dish our dirt with the rest of those girls

  ➔ Future Tense (with 'won't')

  ➔ "Won't" is a contraction of "will not," indicating a firm decision not to do something in the future. This conveys a strong sense of unwillingness.

• I love the free, fresh wind in my hair

  ➔ Adjective order (opinion before fact)

  ➔ The adjectives "free" and "fresh" describe the "wind". In English, it's generally preferred to put opinion adjectives ("free") before descriptive adjectives ("fresh").

• It's crowded and damp

  ➔ Coordinating Conjunction ('and')

  ➔ The conjunction "and" connects two adjectives, "crowded" and "damp", both describing the same subject (California).

• Jeter is just fine

  ➔ Adverb of degree ('just')

  ➔ The adverb "just" modifies the adjective "fine," indicating the extent or degree to which Jeter is considered fine. It implies 'moderately' or 'acceptably' fine.

• What can I lose?

  ➔ Modal Verb ('can') for possibility/ability

  ➔ The modal verb "can" expresses the possibility of losing something, given the speaker's current state (having no money). It suggests a rhetorical question, implying there's nothing left to lose.