The Man – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift
• Album: Lover

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

[PHONES RINGING, BACKGROUND DIALOGUE]

♪ I WOULD BE COMPLEX ♪

♪ I WOULD BE COOL ♪

♪ THEY'D SAY I PLAYED THE FIEL BEFORE I FOUND SOMEONE TO COMMIT TO ♪

♪ AND THAT WOULD BE OK ♪

♪ FOR ME TO DO ♪

♪ EVERY CONQUEST I HAD MADE WOULD MAKE ME MORE OF A BOSS TO YOU ♪

♪ I'D BE A FEARLESS LEADER ♪

♪ I'D BE AN ALPHA TYPE ♪

♪ WHEN EVERYONE BELIEVES YA ♪

♪ WHAT'S THAT LIKE? ♪

♪ I'M SO SICK OF RUNNING AS FAST I CAN ♪

♪ WONDERING IF I'D GET THERE QUICKER IF I WAS A MAN ♪

♪ AND I'M SO SICK OF THEM COMING AT ME AGAIN ♪

♪ 'CAUSE IF I WAS A MAN...♪

♪ THEN I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ THEY'D SAY I HUSTLED ♪

♪ PUT IN THE WORK ♪

♪ THEY WOULDN'T SHAKE THEIR HEADS AND QUESTION HOW MUCH OF THIS I DESERVE ♪

♪ WHAT I WAS WEARING ♪

♪ IF I WAS RUDE ♪

♪ COULD ALL BE SEPARATED FROM MY GOOD IDEAS AND POWER MOVES ♪

♪ AND THEY WOULD TOAST TO ME, OH ♪

♪ LET THE PLAYERS PLAY ♪

♪ I'D BE JUST LIKE LEO ♪

♪ IN SAINT-TROPEZ ♪

♪ I'M SO SICK OF RUNNING AS FAST I CAN ♪

♪ WONDERING IF I'D GET THERE QUICKER IF I WAS A MAN ♪

♪ AND I'M SO SICK OF THEM COMING AT ME AGAIN ♪

♪ 'CAUSE IF I WAS A MAN... ♪

♪ THEN I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BRAG ABOUT RAKING IN DOLLARS ♪

♪ AND GETTING BITCHES AND MODELS ♪

♪ AND IT'S ALL GOOD IF YOU'RE BAD ♪

♪ AND IT'S OKAY IF YOU'RE MAD IF I WAS OUT FLASHING MY DOLLARS

♪ I'D BE A BITCH, NOT A BALLER ♪

♪ THEY PAINT ME OUT TO BE BAD ♪

♪ SO IT'S OKAY THAT I'M MAD ♪

♪ I'M SO SICK OF RUNNING AS FAST I CAN ♪

♪ WONDERING IF I'D GET THERE QUICKER IF I WAS A MAN ♪

♪ I'M SO SICK OF THEM COMING AT ME AGAIN (COMING AT ME AGAIN) ♪

♪ 'CAUSE IF I WAS A MAN... (IF I WAS A MAN...) ♪

♪ THEN I'D BE THE MAN (I'D BE THE MAN) ♪

♪ I'M SO SICK OF RUNNING AS FAST I CAN (AS FAST AS I CAN) ♪

♪ WONDERING IF I'D GET THERE QUICKER (IF I WAS A MAN) ♪

♪ AND I'M SO SICK OF THEM COMING AT ME AGAIN (COMING AT ME AGAIN) ♪

♪ 'CAUSE IF I WAS A MAN... ( IF I WAS A MAN...) ♪

♪ THEN I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN (YEAH) ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

♪ ♪

♪ IF I WAS A MAN ♪

♪ [WOMAN'S VOICE] AND CUT [BELL SOUNDS] ♪

♪ I'D BE THE MAN ♪

[ACTOR] EH, JUST CHECKING WAS THAT LAST TAKE MORE WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND

[TAYLOR AS DIRECTOR] PRETTY GOOD, AH COULD YOU TRY TO BE SEXIER?

MAYBE MORE LIKELABLE THIS TIME

[ACTOR] OK, OK NO PROBLEM

[TAYLOR AS DIRECTOR] BY THE WAY EXCELLENT WORK OVER THERE LAUREN THAT WAS ASTONISHING

[LAUREN] THANKS

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
man /mæn/ A1	noun - An adult male human being.
complex /ˈkɒmpleks/ B2	adjective - Consisting of many different and connected parts; not simple.
cool /kuːl/ A2	adjective - Fashionable, attractive, or impressive.
conquest /ˈkɒŋkwest/ B2	noun - A person whose romantic or sexual interest has been successfully won.
boss /bɒs/ B1	noun - A person in charge of an organization or department.
fearless /ˈfɪələs/ B2	adjective - Without fear; brave.
leader /ˈliːdə(r)/ A2	noun - A person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country.
alpha /ˈælfə/ C1	noun - A dominant person or animal in a group. adjective - Denoting the first in a sequence or series; most important.
sick /sɪk/ A2	adjective - Annoyed or disgusted by something.
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - To move quickly on foot.
wonder /ˈwʌndə(r)/ B1	verb - To ask oneself questions or feel curiosity or doubt.
quick /kwɪk/ A2	adjective - Moving or doing something with great speed.
hustle /ˈhʌsl/ B2	verb - To obtain something by forceful action or persuasion.
deserve /dɪˈzɜːv/ B1	verb - To be worthy of (something, especially good treatment or a reward).
rude /ruːd/ B1	adjective - Impolite or offensive.
power /ˈpaʊə(r)/ A2	noun - The ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way. noun - Political or social authority or control.
brag /bræɡ/ B2	verb - To say something in a proud and boastful way.
rake /reɪk/ B2	verb - To earn or acquire a large amount of money.
bitch /bɪtʃ/ C1	noun - A malicious, spiteful, or unpleasant woman.
baller /ˈbɔːlə(r)/ C1	noun - A person who is highly skilled and successful, especially in sports or business, and has a lavish lifestyle.

Key Grammar Structures

• ♪ I WOULD BE COMPLEX ♪

  ➔ Conditional Type 2 (Main Clause)

  ➔ This is the main clause of a **Conditional Type 2** sentence (e.g., "If I were a man, I "would be" complex"). It describes an unreal or hypothetical situation in the present or future.

• ♪ THEY'D SAY I PLAYED THE FIELD BEFORE I FOUND SOMEONE TO COMMIT TO ♪

  ➔ Modal Verb 'would' for Hypothetical Statements / Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "They'd say" is a contraction of "they "would say"," used to describe **hypothetical or typical reactions**. "to commit to" is an **infinitive of purpose** showing the goal of finding someone.

• ♪ EVERY CONQUEST I HAD MADE WOULD MAKE ME MORE OF A BOSS TO YOU ♪

  ➔ Past Perfect in a Conditional Context

  ➔ "I "had made" uses the **Past Perfect** tense, indicating actions completed before a specific past point or as a hypothetical condition. Combined with "would make," it forms a **Conditional Type 2** structure.

• ♪ I'M SO SICK OF RUNNING AS FAST I CAN ♪

  ➔ Adjective Phrase "sick of" + Gerund / Comparative "as...as"

  ➔ "Sick of" is an **adjective phrase followed by a gerund** ("running"), expressing annoyance or tiredness with an action. "As fast I can" is a **comparative structure** ("as...as") indicating a maximum degree of speed, implying "as fast *as* I can."

• ♪ WONDERING IF I'D GET THERE QUICKER IF I WAS A MAN ♪

  ➔ Indirect Question with "if" / Conditional Type 2

  ➔ "If I'd get there quicker" is an **indirect question introduced by "if"**, showing uncertainty. The phrase "if I was a man" is the **condition clause of a Conditional Type 2**, describing an unreal present situation.

• ♪ WHAT I WAS WEARING, IF I WAS RUDE, COULD ALL BE SEPARATED FROM MY GOOD IDEAS AND POWER MOVES ♪

  ➔ Noun Clauses as Subject / Passive Voice with Modal

  ➔ "What I was wearing" and "if I was rude" are **noun clauses acting as the subject** of the sentence. "Could all "be separated"" is an example of the **passive voice** (be + past participle) used with the **modal verb "could"** to express possibility.

• ♪ WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BRAG ABOUT RAKING IN DOLLARS ♪

  ➔ Fixed Expression "What's it like to..." / Gerund after Preposition

  ➔ "What's it like to..." is a **fixed expression** used to ask about an experience. "About "raking"" demonstrates that a **gerund** ("raking") must be used after a **preposition** ("about"). "Raking in" is a phrasal verb meaning to earn a lot of money.

• ♪ IF I WAS OUT FLASHING MY DOLLARS, I'D BE A BITCH, NOT A BALLER ♪

  ➔ Conditional Type 2 / Phrase "be out + Gerund"

  ➔ This is a complete **Conditional Type 2** sentence, describing a hypothetical and unreal situation in the present ("If I "was out flashing"") and its unreal result ("I'd "be a bitch""). "Be out flashing" means to be actively doing something in public.

• ♪ THEY PAINT ME OUT TO BE BAD ♪

  ➔ Phrasal Verb "paint out" / Infinitive Clause

  ➔ "Paint (someone) out" is a **phrasal verb** meaning to describe or represent someone in a particular way. It's followed by an **infinitive clause** ("to be bad") indicating the resulting state.

• [TAYLOR AS DIRECTOR] PRETTY GOOD, AH COULD YOU TRY TO BE SEXIER?

  ➔ Modal Verb "could" for Polite Request / "try to" + Infinitive / Comparative Adjective

  ➔ "Could you" uses the **modal verb "could"** to form a **polite request**. "Try "to be"" is the structure "try + **infinitive**" meaning to make an effort. "Sexier" is the **comparative form** of the adjective "sexy."