Dealer – English Lyrics

• By: Lana Del Rey
• Album: Blue Banisters

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a unique linguistic and emotional journey with Lana Del Rey's 'Dealer.' The song's raw and unfiltered English lyrics offer a powerful look at themes of frustration and toxic relationships. By exploring the charged vocabulary and the contrast between the calm verses and the screamed chorus, you can gain a deeper understanding of emotional expression in language. What makes 'Dealer' special is its raw honesty and the rare opportunity to hear Lana Del Rey's vocals in a completely different, more aggressive style, making it a compelling piece for both language and music enthusiasts.

[English]

Please don't try to find me through my dealer

He won't pick up his phone

Please don't try my father either

He ain't been home for years

I know I'm no spirit seeker

I can't sleep through the tears

I get lost in the ether

I check it, I wreck it, I turn it around

I gave you all my money, gave you all my money

Gave you all my money, gave you all my money

I don't wanna live

I don't wanna give you nothing

...

'Cause you never give me nothing back

...

Why can't you be good for something?

Not one shirt off your back

...

Why can't you be good for something?

Not one shirt off your back

Please don't try to find me through my dealer

He won't pick up his phone

Please don't try my doctor either

He won't take any calls

He's no fucking spirit healer

He just can't stop to talk

But he's gone now for the weekend

I check it, I wreck it, and I'll explain

I gave you all my money, gave you all my money

Gave you all my money, gave you all my money

I don't wanna live

I don't wanna give you nothing

...

'Cause you never give me nothing back

Why can't you be good for something?

Not one shirt off your back

...

Why can't you be good for something?

Not one shirt off your back

555

Please don't try to find me through my dealer (9275, 555)

...

(Now you've got a busy tone) he won't pick up his phone

(All circuits are busy, goodbye)

(All circuits are busy, you're high) please don't try my father either

(All circuits are busy, goodbye)

(All circuits are busy, you're high) he ain't been home for years

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
dealer /ˈdiːlər/ B1	noun - A person or business that buys and sells goods; often refers to someone selling illegal drugs.
spirit /ˈspɪrɪt/ B2	noun - The nonphysical part of a person, often regarded as their emotional or moral nature; a ghost; enthusiasm or vigor.
seeker /ˈsiːkər/ B2	noun - A person who is searching for something, especially something abstract or spiritual.
healer /ˈhiːlər/ B2	noun - A person who treats illnesses and disabilities, especially using natural remedies or spiritual powers.
ether /ˈiːθər/ C1	noun - The clear sky; the upper regions of air beyond the clouds, often suggesting a non-physical or disoriented state.
wreck /rɛk/ B2	verb - To destroy or severely damage something. noun - Something that has been destroyed or severely damaged, such as a car or ship.
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - A current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes.
nothing /ˈnʌθɪŋ/ A1	pronoun - Not anything; no single thing. noun - A thing of no importance or value.
live /lɪv/ A1	verb - To be alive; to continue to be alive.
give /ɡɪv/ A1	verb - To hand over (something) to someone; to bestow.
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - Desirable or satisfactory; of high quality.
shirt /ʃɜːrt/ A1	noun - A garment for the upper body, typically having a collar, sleeves, and buttons down the front.
back /bæk/ A1	noun - The rear surface of the human body from the shoulders to the hips; the part of something that is opposite the front.
doctor /ˈdɒktər/ A1	noun - A person qualified to practice medicine.
weekend /ˈwiːkɛnd/ A1	noun - Saturday and Sunday.
busy /ˈbɪzi/ A1	adjective - Engaged in work or activity; (of a telephone line) in use.
high /haɪ/ B1	adjective - Extending a great distance upward; (slang) experiencing the effects of a psychoactive drug, especially cannabis.
circuits /ˈsɜːrkɪts/ B2	noun - A complete path for an electric current or signal; a network of interconnected electronic components.
tears /tɪərz/ A2	noun - Drops of clear salty liquid produced from the eyes, typically as the result of strong emotion.
lost /lɒst/ B1	adjective - Unable to find one's way; no longer existing or in its place; emotionally or mentally confused.

Key Grammar Structures

• Please don't try to find me through my dealer

  ➔ Negative Imperative with 'try to'

  ➔ `Don't try` is a negative command. It's followed by `to find`, which is the infinitive form, used after `try` to mean making an effort.

• He ain't been home for years

  ➔ Colloquial 'ain't' + Present Perfect with 'for'

  ➔ `Ain't` is a non-standard, colloquial contraction often used for 'hasn't' or 'haven't'. The `Present Perfect` tense (`been home`) is used with 'for years' to describe a state that started in the past and continues up to the present.

• I know I'm no spirit seeker

  ➔ Emphatic negation with 'no' before a noun

  ➔ `No` is used directly before a noun (`spirit seeker`) to emphasize a strong negative qualification or identity, meaning 'not at all a spirit seeker'.

• I can't sleep through the tears

  ➔ Modal verb 'can't' + Phrasal verb 'sleep through'

  ➔ `Can't` indicates inability. `Sleep through` is a phrasal verb meaning to continue sleeping despite noise or disturbance (in this case, despite crying).

• I gave you all my money

  ➔ Past Simple tense + Indirect and Direct Objects

  ➔ `Gave` is the simple past tense of 'give', indicating a completed action. This sentence uses the structure 'verb + indirect object (`you`) + direct object (`all my money`).'

• I don't wanna give you nothing

  ➔ Double negative (colloquial)

  ➔ This sentence contains a `double negative` (`don't` and `nothing`). In standard English, this would grammatically mean a positive, but colloquially, especially in song lyrics, it's used for emphasis to mean 'I don't want to give you anything'.

• Why can't you be good for something?

  ➔ Interrogative sentence + Modal 'can't' (frustration) + Idiom 'be good for something'

  ➔ The question uses `can't` to express frustration or disbelief about someone's inability to be useful. `Be good for something` is an idiom meaning to have some positive purpose or utility.

• Not one shirt off your back

  ➔ Elliptical sentence + Emphatic 'not one'

  ➔ This is an `elliptical sentence`, where the main verb (e.g., 'you would give') is omitted but understood from the context. `Not one` emphasizes the complete absence or lack of something being given.

• He just can't stop to talk

  ➔ Verb pattern 'stop + to infinitive' (specific meaning)

  ➔ `Can't stop to talk` means he is unable to pause or interrupt his current actions in order to have a conversation. This is distinct from 'can't stop talking,' which means he talks continuously.

• Please don't try my doctor either

  ➔ 'Either' at the end of a negative sentence

  ➔ `Either` is used at the end of a negative statement (`don't try`) to mean 'also not' or 'as well,' indicating that the negative applies to an additional item.