Forever – English Lyrics

• By: Cher
• Album: Forever

Lyrics & Translation

Immerse yourself in the legendary career of Cher through her 'Forever' compilation album! This collection is a fantastic way to explore the evolution of pop music and learn English through the powerful lyrics of her timeless hits, each telling a story of resilience, emotion, and transformation. Cher's unique vocal delivery and genre-spanning catalog make this album a special journey through the decades of a true 'Goddess of Pop'.

[English]

The fortune queen of New Orleans

Was brushing her cat in her black limousine

On the backseat were scratches from

The marks of men, her fortune she had won

Couldn't see through the tinted glass

She said, "Home, James" and he hit the gas

I followed her to some darkened room

She took my money, she said, "I'll be with you soon"

...

Dark lady laughed and danced and lit the candles one by one

Danced to her gypsy music 'til her brew was done

Dark lady played black magic 'til the clock struck on the 12

She told me more about me than I knew myself

She dealt two cards, a queen and a three

And mumbled some words that were so strange to me

And then she turned up a two-eyed jack

My eyes saw red but the card still stayed black

She said, "The man you love is secretly true

To someone else who is very close to you

My advice is that you leave this place

Never come back and forget you ever saw my face"

Dark lady laughed and danced and lit the candles one by one

Danced to her gypsy music 'til her brew was done

Dark lady played black magic 'til the clock struck on the twelve

She told me more about me than I knew myself

So, I ran home and crawled in my bed

I couldn't sleep because of all the things she said

Then I remembered her strange perfume

And how I smelled, it was in my own room

And so, I sneaked back and caught her with my man

Laughing and kissing 'til they saw the gun in my hand

The next thing I knew they were dead on the floor

Dark lady would never turn a card up anymore

Dark lady laughed and danced and lit the candles one by one

Danced to her gypsy music 'til her brew was done

Dark lady played black magic 'til the clock struck on the 12

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fortune /ˈfɔːrtʃən/ B1	noun - a large amount of money or assets
queen /kwiːn/ A1	noun - a female ruler of a country
black /blæk/ A1	adjective - of the darkest color, resembling coal or soot
limousine /ˌlɪməˈziːn/ B2	noun - a large, luxurious car, especially one driven by a chauffeur
scratches /skrætʃ/ B1	noun - marks or wounds made by scratching verb - to damage by rubbing against a rough or sharp surface.
marks /mɑːrk/ A2	noun - a visible impression on a surface
darkened /ˈdɑːrkənd/ B2	adjective - made dark or darker
laughed /læft/ A2	verb - made sounds and facial expressions expressing amusement
danced /dænst/ A2	verb - moved rhythmically to music
lit /lɪt/ A2	verb - past tense of light; to ignite or illuminate
candles /ˈkændlz/ A2	noun - sticks of wax with a wick that burns to give light
magic /ˈmædʒɪk/ B1	noun - the power of apparently influencing events by using mysterious or supernatural forces adjective - relating to or employing magic
cards /kɑːrdz/ A1	noun - pieces of thin, rectangular cardboard used for playing games
words /wɜːrdz/ A1	noun - units of language that have meaning
advice /ədˈvaɪs/ B1	noun - guidance or recommendations concerning prudent future action
face /feɪs/ A1	noun - the front part of the head
perfume /ˈpɜːrfjuːm/ B1	noun - a fragrant liquid typically made from essential oils or aroma compounds
gun /ɡʌn/ A2	noun - a handheld firearm
dead /ded/ A2	adjective - no longer living
floor /flɔːr/ A1	noun - the level surface of a room or building

Key Grammar Structures

• On the backseat were scratches from The marks of men, her fortune she had won

  ➔ Inversion/Fronting for emphasis

  ➔ Instead of 'Scratches from the marks of men were on the backseat,' the phrase 'On the backseat' is placed at the beginning for emphasis. This is a stylistic choice, particularly common in song lyrics and poetry.

• Couldn't see through the tinted glass

  ➔ Ellipsis (omission of 'I')

  ➔ The subject pronoun 'I' is omitted. The full sentence would be 'I couldn't see through the tinted glass.' This is a common technique in informal speech and songwriting.

• She told me more about me than I knew myself

  ➔ Comparative structure with 'more...than'

  ➔ This sentence uses the comparative structure 'more + [noun/adjective] + than' to show a greater degree of something. Here, it expresses that the 'Dark lady' knew the narrator better than the narrator knew herself.

• The man you love is secretly true To someone else who is very close to you

  ➔ Relative Clause ('who is very close to you')

  ➔ The phrase 'who is very close to you' is a relative clause modifying 'someone else.' It provides additional information about the person to whom the man is secretly true.

• My advice is that you leave this place

  ➔ Noun Clause after 'is' (complement of the verb)

  ➔ The phrase 'that you leave this place' is a noun clause functioning as the complement of the verb 'is'. It explains what the advice is.

• Never come back and forget you ever saw my face

  ➔ Imperative clause + Subjunctive Mood (past)

  ➔ 'Never come back' is an imperative. 'Forget you ever saw my face' uses a past subjunctive 'saw' to express a hypothetical or unreal situation in the past. It suggests it would be best if the listener could erase the memory of seeing the speaker's face.

• And so, I sneaked back and caught her with my man

  ➔ Past Simple Tense (sneaked, caught) + prepositional phrase (with my man)

  ➔ The sentence uses the past simple tense to describe completed actions in the past ('sneaked,' 'caught'). The prepositional phrase 'with my man' specifies who she was caught with.

• Laughing and kissing 'til they saw the gun in my hand

  ➔ Reduced Adverbial Clause ('til they saw the gun...')

  ➔ 'Til' is a shortened form of 'until', introducing an adverbial clause of time. The actions of 'laughing and kissing' continue up to the point when they saw the gun. This creates a sense of abrupt interruption.