Devil Woman – English Lyrics

• By: Cliff Richard
• Album: I'm Nearly Famous

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the mystical world of Cliff Richard's "Devil Woman", a song that blends pop-rock with occult themes. Explore the cautionary tale of seduction and dark magic, while discovering the nuances of English vocabulary and storytelling. This track showcases a unique blend of musical styles and lyrical depth, offering an engaging way to enhance your language skills.

[English]

I've had nothing, but bad luck

Since the day I saw the cat at my door

So I came into you sweet lady

Answering your mystical call

Crystal ball on the table

Showing the future, the past

Same cat with them evil eyes

And I knew it was a spell she cast

She's just a devil woman

With evil on her mind

Beware the devil woman

She's gonna get you

She's just a devil woman

With evil on her mind

Beware the devil woman

She's gonna get you from behind

...

Give me the ring on your finger

Let me see the lines on your hand

I can see me a tall dark stranger

Giving you what you hadn't planned

I drank the potion she offered me

I found myself on the floor

Then I looked in those big green eyes

And I wondered what I'd came there for

She's just a devil woman

With evil on her mind

Beware the devil woman

She's gonna get you

She's just a devil woman

With evil on her mind

Beware the devil woman

She's gonna get you from behind

...

Stay away, look out

...

If you're out on a moonlit night

Be careful of them neighborhood strays

Of a lady with long black hair

Tryin' to win you with her feminine ways

Crystal ball on the table

Showing the future, the past

Same cat with them evil eyes

You'd better get out of there fast

She's just a devil woman

With evil on her mind

Beware the devil woman

She's gonna get you

She's just a devil woman

With evil on her mind

Beware the devil woman

She's gonna get you

She's just a devil woman

With evil on her mind

Beware the devil woman

She's gonna get you

She's just a devil woman

With evil on her mind

Beware the devil woman

She's gonna get you

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
luck /lʌk/ A2	noun - success or failure apparently brought by chance
saw /sɔː/ A1	verb - past tense of see: to perceive with the eyes; discern visually.
call /kɔːl/ A2	noun - an act of telephoning someone. verb - to give someone or something a specified name.
crystal /ˈkrɪstl/ B1	noun - a piece of a homogeneous solid substance having a natural geometrically regular form with symmetrically arranged plane faces.
future /ˈfjuːtʃər/ A2	noun - the time that is to come.
past /pæst/ A2	noun - the time before the present.
evil /ˈiːvl/ B1	adjective - profoundly immoral and wicked. noun - profound immorality and wickedness, especially when regarded as a supernatural force.
spell /spel/ B2	noun - a form of words used as a magical charm or incantation. verb - write or name the letters that form (a word) in correct sequence.
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness. verb - be annoyed or worried by.
beware /bɪˈweər/ B2	verb - be cautious and alert to risks or dangers.
ring /rɪŋ/ A2	noun - a small circular band, typically made of precious metal and often set with a gem, worn on a finger. verb - (of a bell) sound loudly and clearly.
finger /ˈfɪŋɡər/ A1	noun - one of the digits of the hand.
potion /ˈpəʊʃn/ B2	noun - a liquid with magical powers.
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs in the head of animals that receive light and enable sight.
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours.
careful /ˈkeərfʊl/ A2	adjective - making sure of avoiding potential danger, mishap, or harm; cautious.

Key Grammar Structures

• I've had nothing, but bad luck Since the day I saw the cat at my door

  ➔ Present Perfect Simple with 'since'

  ➔ Uses the present perfect "I've had" to describe an experience that started in the past ('since' the day...) and continues to the present. 'Since' indicates the starting point of the bad luck. Highlights the ongoing effect of the event.

• Answering your mystical call

  ➔ Present Participle as a reduced relative clause/adjective

  ➔ "Answering" acts as a present participle modifying the implied subject of the previous clause (I). It means 'while/because I was answering your mystical call.' It functions similar to a reduced relative clause.

• Showing the future, the past

  ➔ Present Participle as a verb acting as a Noun Modifier

  ➔ "Showing" describes what the crystal ball does. It modifies 'Crystal ball'. The phrase is elliptical, meaning some words are omitted but understood.

• And I knew it was a spell she cast

  ➔ Past Simple Tense and Relative Clause with omitted relative pronoun

  ➔ "Knew" and "cast" are in the past simple. The relative pronoun 'that' or 'which' is omitted from the relative clause 'she cast'. The full clause would be '...a spell that she cast'.

• She's gonna get you from behind

  ➔ Future Tense with "gonna" (going to) and prepositional phrase

  ➔ "She's gonna get you" is a contraction of "She is going to get you", expressing a future action. "From behind" is a prepositional phrase indicating the direction or source of the action.

• Give me the ring on your finger

  ➔ Imperative Sentence

  ➔ This sentence is an imperative because it's a command or request. The subject (you) is implied. It directly tells someone to do something.

• Let me see the lines on your hand

  ➔ Imperative (indirect command) with causative verb 'let'

  ➔ Uses 'let' to give permission or to cause something to happen. It implies a command, but indirectly. It is asking someone to *allow* something (seeing the lines on the hand). The structure is 'let + object + base form of verb'.

• Tryin' to win you with her feminine ways

  ➔ Present Participle used as an Adjective/Reduced Relative Clause, "to + infinitive"

  ➔ "Tryin'" (trying) is a present participle acting as an adjective describing the lady. It functions as a reduced relative clause. "to win" is an infinitive of purpose, explaining *why* she's using her feminine ways.