All Hands on Deck – English Lyrics

• By: Tinashe
• Album: Aquarius

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant R&B soundscape of Tinashe's "All Hands on Deck," a track that not only delivers infectious beats perfect for dancing but also explores empowering themes of moving on from heartbreak and embracing self-confidence. Through its clever lyrics and energetic production, listeners can grasp English expressions related to resilience, new beginnings, and asserting one's independence, making it a dynamic way to learn modern English vocabulary in a musical context.

[English]

All hands on deck

All in front, all in the back just like that, like that

I'ma blow your mind, take it out on the floor like that, like that

All in the front, all in the back just like that, like that

I'ma blow your mind like that

Wasted heart

When you left me, you left me with no choice

I'm looking for a boy to fill this empty void

Kiss the old me goodbye she's dead and gone, dead and gone, oh

Wasted heart

You took the last bit of love I've ever had

You took a good girl, and you turned me oh so bad

Kiss the old me goodbye she's dead and gone, dead and gone, oh

All hands on deck

All in front all in the back just like that, like that

I'ma blow your mind, take it out on the floor like that, like that

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'ma blow your mind like that

All hands on deck

All in front all in the back just like that, like that

I'ma blow your mind, take it out on the floor like that, like that

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'ma blow your mind like that

Wasted heart

Done here's to death do us apart

I watch you fold like a house of cards

Kiss the old me goodbye she's dead and gone, dead and gone, dead and gone

One by one, I watch you fall down, watch you fall like dominoes

Take no prisoners, search and destroy

Baby, look at what you've done

One by one, I watch 'em go down, watch 'em fall like dominoes

Watch 'em go down, watch 'em go down, watch 'em go down

All hands on deck

All in front all in the back just like that, like that

I'ma blow your mind, take it out on the floor like that, like that

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'ma blow your mind like that

I say all hands on deck

Bend it over beat it up, put your hands on that

If you play your cards right, I can deal with that

I'm a queen, you're a king, now let's build with that

Ain't life for the game, ain't not on the same

I got older, and I realized the game, why would I stay the same

Fucking right you're changing, you're the one to blame

You're the one who broke me down ya, our love was insane

Whoa, I pull off with my new ones

Girl mad when I see me her should do no

I ain't looking for beef, I'm looking for freaks

I got so weak in the knees, SWB

I tell that nigga, I tell that nigga like it's nothing to me

Oh, looking for me, I'm over here in VIP, ay

Who wants to drink, all the drinks on me

Put your hands in the air if you're fucking with me, ay-ay

All hands on deck

All in front all in the back just like that, like that

I'ma blow your mind, take it out on the floor like that, like that

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'ma blow your mind like that

All hands on deck

All in front all in the back just like that, like that

I'ma blow your mind, take it out on the floor like that, like that

All in the front all in the back just like that, like that

I'ma blow your mind like that

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
deck /dek/ A2	noun - a floor of a ship
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences verb - to object to
floor /flɔːr/ A1	noun - the lower surface of a room or vehicle
wasted /ˈweɪstɪd/ B1	adjective - damaged or not used effectively adjective - drunk or affected by drugs
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation
choice /tʃɔɪs/ A2	noun - an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities
boy /bɔɪ/ A1	noun - a male child or young man
empty /ˈempti/ A2	adjective - containing nothing; not filled or occupied
void /vɔɪd/ B2	noun - a completely empty space
kiss /kɪs/ A1	verb - touch or caress with the lips as a sign of love, sexual desire, or greeting
gone /ɡɔːn/ A1	adjective - no longer present; departed
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
death /deθ/ A2	noun - the action or fact of dying or being killed; the end of the life of a person or organism
cards /kɑːrdz/ A1	noun - small pieces of pasteboard used for playing games

Key Grammar Structures

• All hands on deck

  ➔ Imperative sentence with ellipsis.

  ➔ This is an abbreviated imperative. The full form would be something like "Put all hands on deck!" The verb 'put' or 'get' is implied but not explicitly stated. In nautical terms, it means everyone should be ready and working.

• When you left me, you left me with no choice

  ➔ Past simple tense, repetition for emphasis, prepositional phrase.

  ➔ Use of the past simple tense "left" to describe a completed action in the past. Repetition of "you left me" emphasizes the action's impact. "With no choice" is a prepositional phrase explaining the result of the action.

• Kiss the old me goodbye she's dead and gone, dead and gone, oh

  ➔ Imperative, present simple (she's), ellipsis, repetition

  ➔ "Kiss the old me goodbye" is an imperative. "She's" is a contraction of "she is" in present simple. "Dead and gone" is an idiomatic expression signifying something is completely over, and its repetition emphasizes this.

• Done here's to death do us apart

  ➔ Subjunctive mood (inverted sentence structure), ellipsis, idiomatic expression

  ➔ "Here's to death do us apart" is a modified form of the traditional wedding vow "'Til death do us part." The inversion of "do us" emphasizes the solemnity. "Done" implies 'we are done'. It uses the subjunctive mood to express a wish or hypothetical situation.

• Baby, look at what you've done

  ➔ Imperative mood, present perfect tense

  ➔ "Look at" is in the imperative mood, giving a command. "You've done" is the present perfect tense, indicating an action completed at an unspecified time in the past with relevance to the present.

• If you play your cards right, I can deal with that

  ➔ Conditional sentence (Type 1), present simple, modal verb ('can')

  ➔ This is a type 1 conditional sentence. 'If you play your cards right' is the condition (present simple), and 'I can deal with that' is the result (modal verb 'can' + base form). It expresses a possible situation and its likely outcome.

• Ain't life for the game, ain't not on the same

  ➔ Double negative (non-standard), colloquialism ('ain't'), ellipsis

  ➔ "Ain't" is a colloquial contraction for "am not", "is not", or "are not." Double negatives, while grammatically incorrect in standard English, are used here for emphasis. Ellipsis occurs as words are left out for brevity. The sentence is likely meant to say: life isn't a game and we aren't on the same page.

• Girl mad when I see me her should do no

  ➔ Grammatically incorrect and highly colloquial. Combination of incorrect word order, missing words, and slang.

  ➔ This line is intentionally grammatically incorrect to create a specific effect. It likely tries to convey a feeling rather than adhere to standard English. The intended meaning is likely 'The girl gets mad when she sees me, she shouldn't do that'.