You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk – English Lyrics

• By: Pet Shop Boys

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

What a performance tonight

Should I react or turn off the light?

Looks like you're picking a fight

In a blurring of wrong and right

But how your mood changes

You're a devil, now an angel

Suddenly subtle and solemn and silent as a monk

You only tell me you love me when you're drunk

It's better than nothing, I suppose

Some doors have opened, others closed

But I couldn't see you exposed

To the horrors behind some of those

Somebody said: listen

Don't you know what you're missing?

You should be kissing him

Instead of dissing him like a punk

But you only tell me you love me when you're drunk

You only tell me you love me when you're drunk

All of my friends keep asking me

Why, oh, why

Do you not say goodbye?

If you don't even try

You'll be sunk

'Cause you only tell me you love me when you're drunk

What's the meaning

When you speak with so much feeling?

Is it over when you're sober?

Am I junk?

You only tell me you love me when you're drunk

You only tell me you love me when you're drunk

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
performance /pərˈfɔːr.məns/ B2	noun - an act of presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment
fight /faɪt/ B1	verb - to engage in a struggle or conflict
mood /muːd/ A2	noun - a temporary state of mind or feeling
devil /ˈdɛv.əl/ B2	noun - a supernatural being, often depicted as evil
angel /ˈeɪn.dʒəl/ B2	noun - a spiritual being believed to act as a messenger of God
horror /ˈhɔːr.ər/ B2	noun - an intense feeling of fear, shock, or disgust
speak /spiːk/ A2	verb - to communicate verbally
feeling /ˈfiː.lɪŋ/ B1	noun - an emotional state or reaction
goodbye /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ A2	noun - a parting phrase used to express farewell
drunk /drʌŋk/ B1	adjective - having consumed alcohol to the point of losing control

Key Grammar Structures

• What a performance tonight

  ➔ Exclamatory sentence with "What a..."

  ➔ This sentence uses "What a" to express strong emotion, in this case, likely disappointment or frustration.

• Should I react or turn off the light?

  ➔ Modal verb "Should" for suggestion/advice; alternative question.

  ➔ "Should" expresses a suggestion or advice, and the sentence presents two options.

• Looks like you're picking a fight

  ➔ "Looks like" + Subject + Verb (perceived reality); Present continuous tense "are picking"

  ➔ "Looks like" indicates an observation. Present continuous describes an action in progress.

• You're a devil, now an angel

  ➔ Simple present of "to be" with contrast, apposition of "devil" and "angel".

  ➔ The sentence uses the simple present tense of "to be" to describe a state of being with contrasting elements.

• You only tell me you love me when you're drunk

  ➔ Adverb "only" modifying the verb; Subordinate clause with "when".

  ➔ "Only" restricts the action. "When" introduces a time clause.

• It's better than nothing, I suppose

  ➔ Comparative adjective "better"; Phrase "I suppose" (concession/hedging).

  ➔ The use of "better" establishes a comparison. "I suppose" indicates a reluctant acceptance or a degree of uncertainty.

• Somebody said: listen

  ➔ Reported speech with a direct quotation; Imperative "listen".

  ➔ The sentence reports what someone said, followed by a direct quote introduced with a colon. "Listen" is a command.

• If you don't even try

  ➔ Conditional clause (type 1 - likely or possible future); negative auxiliary "don't".

  ➔ This sentence presents a conditional statement about the future. If X, then Y. "Don't" expresses the negative action.

• What's the meaning

  ➔ Question with the verb "to be" in contracted form.

  ➔ This is an interrogative sentence, using the present tense of "to be" in the contracted form.