Training Season – English Lyrics

• By: Dua Lipa
• Album: Radical Optimism

Lyrics & Translation

Learn English with Dua Lipa's hit "Training Season," a song that's not only a dance-floor filler but also a masterclass in expressing standards and self-respect. Through its direct and empowering lyrics, you can learn vocabulary related to relationships and setting boundaries. The song is special because it turns a universal dating frustration into a powerful and catchy pop anthem, making it a fun and memorable way to pick up modern English phrases.

[English]

Are you someone that I can give my heart to?

Or just the poison that I'm drawn to?

It can be hard to tell the difference late at night

Play fair, is that a compass in your nature?

Or are you tricky?

'Cause I've been there

And baby, I don't need to learn my lesson twice

But if you really wanna go there

You should know I

I need someone to hold me close, deeper than I've ever known

Whose love feels like a rodeo, knows just how to take control

When I'm vulnerable, he's straight-talking to my soul

Conversation overload, got me feeling vertigo

Are you somebody who can go there?

'Cause I don't wanna have to show ya

If that ain't you, then let me know, yeah

'Cause training season's over (training season's over)

I tried to see my lovers in a good light

Don't wanna do it just to be nice

Don't wanna have to teach you how to love me right

I hope it hits me like an arrow

Someone with some potential

Is it too much to ask for, who understands?

I need someone to hold me close, deeper than I've ever known

Whose love feels like a rodeo, knows just how to take control

When I'm vulnerable, he's straight-talking to my soul

Conversation overload, got me feeling vertigo

Are you somebody who can go there?

'Cause I don't wanna have to show ya

If that ain't you, then let me know, yeah

'Cause training season's over

Can you compete?

Now is your time

Run when you hear that whistle blow

Are you on my team?

Or stuck on the sidelines waiting for someone to tell you to go?

For someone to tell you to go

You should know I

I need someone to hold me close, deeper than I've ever known

Whose love feels like a rodeo, knows just how to take control

When I'm vulnerable, he's straight-talking to my soul (if that ain't you, then let me know, yeah)

Conversation overload 'cause training season's over

'Cause training season's over (training season's over)

Training season's over

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ in your chest that pumps blood around your body noun - the center of your emotions, especially love or affection
poison /ˈpɔɪzən/ B1	noun - a substance that causes death or harm if swallowed or absorbed into the body verb - to kill or harm with poison
compass /ˈkʌmpəs/ B2	noun - an instrument containing a magnetized pointer that shows the direction of magnetic north and bearings from it.
nature /ˈneɪtʃər/ B1	noun - the basic or inherent features of something, especially when seen as characteristic of it.
lesson /ˈlesən/ A2	noun - an amount of teaching given at one time; a period of instruction.
hold /hoʊld/ A2	verb - grasp or support with one's arms or hands
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - feel deep affection for
control /kənˈtroʊl/ B1	noun - the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events verb - determine the behavior or supervise the running of
vulnerable /ˈvʌlnərəbəl/ B2	adjective - susceptible to physical or emotional harm
soul /soʊl/ B1	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.
conversation /ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃən/ B1	noun - a talk between two or more people in which news and ideas are exchanged.
vertigo /ˈvɜːrtɪɡoʊ/ C1	noun - a sensation of whirling and loss of balance, associated particularly with looking down from a great height, or caused by disease affecting the inner ear or the brain.
training /ˈtreɪnɪŋ/ B1	noun - the action of teaching a person or animal a particular skill or type of behavior
lovers /ˈlʌvərz/ A2	noun - people who are in love with each other
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible. adjective - having relatively little weight.
arrow /ˈæroʊ/ A2	noun - a projectile with a straight shaft and feathers at the back and a pointed head, shot from a bow.
potential /pəˈtenʃəl/ B2	noun - latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness. adjective - capable of developing into something in the future.
team /tiːm/ A2	noun - a group of people who come together to achieve a common goal
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move at a speed faster than a walk

Key Grammar Structures

• Are you someone that I can give my heart to?

  ➔ Relative Clause with Preposition

  ➔ The relative pronoun "that" refers to "someone", and the preposition "to" is associated with the verb "give". Advanced learners often struggle with placing prepositions correctly in relative clauses. The sentence can be rephrased as "Are you someone to whom I can give my heart?".

• Or just the poison that I'm drawn to?

  ➔ Passive Voice with 'be drawn to'

  ➔ "I'm drawn to" is a passive construction indicating attraction or allure. It's important to understand the passive form and how prepositions function within it. The active form would be: "Something draws me to the poison." Understanding nuances of passive voice enhances comprehension and writing skills at advanced levels.

• It can be hard to tell the difference late at night

  ➔ Impersonal 'It' Clause with Infinitive

  ➔ The "it" is an impersonal pronoun introducing the statement. The real subject is the infinitive phrase "to tell the difference." This structure is common for expressing general truths or opinions, and mastering it shows sophistication in language use. The meaning is that distinguishing differences is generally difficult at night.

• Play fair, is that a compass in your nature?

  ➔ Question with Inversion

  ➔ The sentence uses a simple present tense question formed by inverting the subject and auxiliary verb ("is that..."). It tests the understanding of question formation. It implies asking someone if they are naturally inclined to be fair.

• I need someone to hold me close, deeper than I've ever known

  ➔ Comparative Adverb 'deeper' + Present Perfect 'I've ever known'

  ➔ "Deeper" is a comparative adverb modifying the verb "hold", indicating a greater degree of closeness. The phrase "I've ever known" uses the present perfect to describe an experience that has occurred at any point in the speaker's life up until now. It emphasizes a level of closeness the speaker hasn't experienced before.

• Whose love feels like a rodeo, knows just how to take control

  ➔ Relative Pronoun 'Whose' + 'knows how to' (infinitive of purpose)

  ➔ "Whose" is a possessive relative pronoun, showing ownership. "Knows how to take control" uses the structure 'know how to + verb', indicating ability or skill in doing something. The infinitive 'to take control' here explains the ability the person has. Understanding how to correctly use possessive pronouns and express abilities is key for advanced English.

• Conversation overload, got me feeling vertigo

  ➔ Absolute Clause ('Conversation overload') + 'got me feeling' (causative 'get')

  ➔ "Conversation overload" is an absolute clause providing context without a direct subject or verb relation to the main clause. "Got me feeling" uses 'get' as a causative verb, meaning the conversation overload caused the speaker to feel vertigo. Causative verbs can be tricky but are vital for expressing cause and effect effectively.

• If that ain't you, then let me know, yeah

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 1) with non-standard 'ain't'

  ➔ This is a Type 1 conditional sentence (possible condition and likely result). 'Ain't' is a non-standard contraction of 'is not/are not/am not/has not/have not'. Here it functions as 'is not'. This sentence can be rewritten as "If that is not you, then let me know, yeah". While "ain't" is not considered formal or grammatically correct, its presence signifies a relaxed or informal tone.