vampire – English Lyrics

• By: Olivia Rodrigo
• Album: GUTS

Lyrics & Translation

"vampire" by Olivia Rodrigo is a powerful pop-rock anthem that takes listeners on an emotional journey from heartbreak to fierce anger, all while showcasing Rodrigo's raw and honest songwriting. Learning the English lyrics can provide insight into modern poetic expression of complex emotions and how a song's musicality can amplify its message, making it a dynamic piece for language learners to explore.

[English]

I hate to give the satisfaction asking, "How you're doing now?"

How's the castle built off people you pretend to care about?

Just what you wanted

Look at you, cool guy, you got it

I see the parties and the diamonds

Sometimes when I close my eyes

Six months of torture you sold as some forbidden paradise

I loved you truly

You gotta laugh at the stupidity

'Cause I've made some real big mistakes

But you make the worst one look fine

I should've known it was strange

You only come out at night

I used to think I was smart

But you made me look so naive

The way you sold me for parts

As you sunk your teeth into me, oh

Bloodsucker, dream crusher

Bleeding me dry like a damn vampire

...

And every girl I ever talked to

Told me you were bad, bad news

You called them crazy

God, I hate the way I called them crazy too

You're so convincing

How do you lie without flinching?

(How do you lie? How do you lie? How do you lie?)

Ooh, what a mesmerizing, paralyzing, tragic little thrill

Can't figure out just how you do it, and God knows I never will

Went for me and not her

'Cause girls your age know better

I've made some real big mistakes

But you make the worst one look fine

I should've known it was strange

You only come out at night

I used to think I was smart

But you made me look so naive

The way you sold me for parts

As you sunk your teeth into me, oh

Bloodsucker, dream crusher

Bleeding me dry like a damn vampire

...

You said, "It was true love", but wouldn't that be hard?

You can't love anyone, 'cause that would mean you had a heart

I tried you help you out, now I know that I can't

'Cause how you think's the kind of thing I'll never understand

...

I've made some real big mistakes

But you make the worst one look fine

I should've known it was strange

You only come out at night

I used to think I was smart

But you made me look so naive

The way you sold me for parts

As you sunk your teeth into me, oh

Bloodsucker, dream crusher

Bleeding me dry like a damn vampire

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hate /heɪt/ A2	verb - to feel intense dislike for
castle /ˈkæsəl/ B1	noun - a large fortified building or set of buildings
cool /kuːl/ A1	adjective - fashionable; attractive
diamonds /ˈdaɪəməndz/ B1	noun - a precious stone consisting of a clear and colorless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest naturally occurring substance.
torture /ˈtɔːrtʃər/ B2	noun - the act of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or in order to force them to do or say something verb - to inflict severe pain on someone as a punishment or in order to force them to do or say something
forbidden /fərˈbɪdən/ B2	adjective - not allowed; banned
paradise /ˈpærədaɪs/ B2	noun - an ideal or heavenly place or state
laugh /læf/ A1	verb - to make sounds with your voice that show you think something is funny
stupidity /stuːˈpɪdəti/ B2	noun - behaviour that shows a lack of good sense or judgement
mistakes /mɪˈsteɪks/ A2	noun - an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong
strange /streɪndʒ/ A2	adjective - unusual or surprising; difficult to understand or explain
naive /nɑːˈiːv/ B2	adjective - showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment
teeth /tiːθ/ A1	noun - hard, bony enamel-coated structures in the jaws of most vertebrates, used for biting and chewing.
bloodsucker /ˈblʌdˌsʌkər/ B2	noun - a person who extorts money or advantages from others.
vampire /ˈvæmpaɪər/ B1	noun - a mythical creature that sucks the blood of others
crusher /ˈkrʌʃər/ B2	noun - a person or thing that crushes something.
convincing /kənˈvɪnsɪŋ/ B2	adjective - capable of causing someone to believe something is true or real
tragic /ˈtrædʒɪk/ B2	adjective - causing or characterized by extreme distress or sorrow
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.

Key Grammar Structures

• I hate to give the satisfaction asking, "How you're doing now?"

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose (to + verb)

  ➔ The phrase "to give the satisfaction" expresses the *purpose* of hating something. The speaker hates *doing* something, and that doing something's purpose is giving someone satisfaction. It explains *why* she hates something, not what she hates.

• How's the castle built off people you pretend to care about?

  ➔ Reduced relative clause (built off people)

  ➔ "built off people" is a reduced relative clause. The full clause would be "built *on* people *that* you pretend to care about." The relative pronoun "that" and the auxiliary verb (is/are/were) are often omitted.

• Six months of torture you sold as some forbidden paradise

  ➔ Past simple tense (sold) with implied relative clause

  ➔ The implied clause could be "that you sold". The sentence structure suggests a selling action in the past, describing the six months of torture.

• I should've known it was strange

  ➔ Modal verb + have + past participle (should have known)

  ➔ "Should have known" expresses regret about something that happened in the past. It indicates that the speaker realizes *after* the fact that they *should have* recognized the strangeness earlier.

• Bleeding me dry like a damn vampire

  ➔ Simile using "like"

  ➔ The phrase uses "like" to compare the effect of the person on the speaker (emotionally draining) to that of a vampire (literally draining blood).

• Every girl I ever talked to Told me you were bad, bad news

  ➔ Relative clause with omitted relative pronoun (Every girl I ever talked to)

  ➔ The complete relative clause is "Every girl *that* I ever talked to". The relative pronoun "that" (or "whom") is omitted because it's the object of the verb "talked".

• You called them crazy God, I hate the way I called them crazy too

  ➔ The way + clause: used to describe a manner or method.

  ➔ The phrase 'the way I called them crazy' shows the manner in which the speaker acted. It highlights not just *that* she called them crazy, but *how* she did it—likely mimicking the subject's dismissive attitude.

• I tried to help you out, now I know that I can't

  ➔ Ellipsis (omission of words understood from context)

  ➔ The full clause would be "I know that I can't help you out". The phrase "help you out" is omitted because it's already been mentioned and is easily understood from the previous clause.