pretty poison – English Lyrics

• By: Nessa Barrett
• Album: pretty poison

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the moody world of Nessa Barrett with 'pretty poison.' This song is perfect for learners looking to master modern English idioms and expressive, metaphorical language. Its dark pop atmosphere and clear, emotive delivery make it a unique way to study how emotion is conveyed through contemporary song lyrics.

[English]

I could tell the real story, but I know you wouldn't listen

I tried to tell it many times, but you always go and twist it, yeah

Nearly every morning that I cry

Waking up to words, they're throwing knives, mmm

Swear I'm looking in the mirror, but I'm seeing someone different

Looking at you lick your lips, you think you know me

Making faces at me while you paint mine for me

Say my name, say my name like you know it's holy

Everybody wants a taste

But the truth is hard to chase

Pretty poison in my mind and in my veins (mmm)

If my name is in your throat

Your words are dead, I hope you choke

But in the end, I hope you know, I hopе you know

I'm in your veins like pretty poison

You think you'rе kissing on my scars while you rip 'em wide open

You sugarcoat your sharp teeth while you're preying on me, broken

You couldn't hate me more than I hate myself

Add it to my wrist, I can go to hell

If you think you want me dead, go ahead

Here's a token

Everybody wants a taste

But the truth is hard to chase

Pretty poison in my mind and in my veins

If my name is in your throat

Your words are dead, I hope you choke

But in the end, I hope you know, I hope you know

I'm in your veins like pretty poison

I'm in your veins like pretty poison

I'm in your veins like pretty poison

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
poison /ˈpɔɪzn/ B1	noun - a substance that can cause illness or death when taken into the body
twist /twɪst/ B1	verb - to change something in a dishonest way to make it seem different
mirror /ˈmɪrər/ A2	noun - a surface that reflects a clear image
holy /ˈhoʊli/ B2	adjective - connected with God or a religion; very important or respected
chase /tʃeɪs/ B1	verb - to run after someone or something to catch them
veins /veɪnz/ B2	noun - tubes in the body that carry blood back to the heart
choke /tʃoʊk/ B2	verb - to have difficulty breathing because something is in the throat
scars /skɑːrz/ B2	noun - marks left on the skin after an injury has healed
sugarcoat /ˈʃʊɡərkoʊt/ C1	verb - to make something difficult or unpleasant seem more acceptable
preying /ˈpreɪɪŋ/ C1	verb - to hunt or exploit someone for one's own advantage
broken /ˈbroʊkən/ A2	adjective - damaged, or feeling emotionally hurt
token /ˈtoʊkən/ B2	noun - a symbol or sign of something

Key Grammar Structures

• I could tell the real story, but I know you wouldn't listen

  ➔ Modal verbs of possibility and hypothesis (could/would)

  ➔ "Could" implies a suppressed possibility, while "wouldn't" expresses a refusal or hypothetical situation in the present.

• Waking up to words, they're throwing knives

  ➔ Participial phrase (Present participle acting as adverbial clause)

  ➔ "Waking up" functions as a reduced clause describing the subject's state at that specific moment.

• Swear I'm looking in the mirror, but I'm seeing someone different

  ➔ Present Continuous for current state

  ➔ Using "looking" and "seeing" emphasizes the ongoing, repetitive nature of the struggle in the present.

• You think you know me

  ➔ Stative verb in the present simple

  ➔ "Know" is a stative verb expressing a mental state, which is typically used in the simple form rather than continuous.

• Everybody wants a taste

  ➔ Indefinite pronoun as subject

  ➔ "Everybody" is a singular indefinite pronoun, requiring the verb to be conjugated in the third-person singular form ("wants").

• If my name is in your throat

  ➔ First conditional (If clause)

  ➔ The "If" clause establishes a real possibility or condition for the subsequent consequences in the main clause.

• You think you're kissing on my scars while you rip 'em wide open

  ➔ Subordinate clause of time (while)

  ➔ "While" acts as a conjunction connecting two simultaneous actions with contrasting meanings.

• I could go to hell

  ➔ Modal verb for hypothetical outcome

  ➔ "Could" here indicates a potentiality or a path that the speaker acknowledges as a possibility due to self-hatred.