Attention – English Lyrics

• By: Charlie Puth
• Album: Voicenotes

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fun and effective way to immerse yourself in a new culture, and Charlie Puth's "Attention" is a great place to start with modern English pop. The song's clear and repetitive lyrics make it easy to follow along and pick up common phrases and vocabulary related to relationships and emotions. What makes this song special for learners is its conversational tone and storytelling, which can help you understand the nuances of informal English. Plus, the catchy melody will have you singing along and practicing your pronunciation without even realizing it!

[English]

Whoa-oh, hmm

You've been running 'round, running 'round

Running 'round, throwing that dirt all on my name

'Cause you knew that I, knew that I

Knew that I'd call you up

You've been going 'round, going 'round

Going 'round every party in LA

'Cause you knew that I, knew that I

Knew that I'd be at one

I know that dress is karma, perfume regret

You got me thinking 'bout when you were mine, oh

And now I'm all upon you, what you expect?

But you're not coming home with me tonight

You just want attention; you don't want my heart

Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new

Yeah, you just want attention, I knew from the start

You're just making sure I'm never getting over you, oh

You've been running 'round, running 'round

Running 'round, throwing that dirt all on my name

'Cause you knew that I, knew that I

Knew that I'd call you up

Baby, now that we're, now that we're

Now that we're right here standing face to face

You already know, 'ready know

'Ready know that you won, oh

I know that dress is karma (Dress is karma)

Perfume regret (Yeah)

You got me thinking 'bout when you were mine

You got me thinking 'bout when you were mine

And now I'm all upon you (All upon you)

What you expect? (Oh, baby)

But you're not coming home with me tonight (Oh, no)

You just want attention; you don't want my heart

Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new ('one new)

Yeah, you just want attention (Oh)

I knew from the start (The start)

You're just making sure I'm never getting over you, oh, you (Oh)

What are you doing to me?

What are you doing, love?

What are you doing?

What are you doing to me?

What are you doing, love?

What are you doing?

What are you doing to me?

What are you doing, love?

What are you doing?

What are you doing to me?

What are you doing, love?

I know that dress is karma, perfume regret

You got me thinking 'bout when you were mine

And now I'm all upon you, what you expect?

But you're not coming home with me tonight

You just want attention; you don't want my heart

Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new

Yeah, you just want attention, I knew from the start

You're just making sure I'm never getting over you (Over you)

What are you doing, to me? (Hey)

What are you doing, love?

What are you doing, love?

What are you doing to me?

What are you doing, love?

Yeah, you just want attention

I knew from the start

You're just making sure I'm never getting over you, oh

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - to move quickly on foot
call /kɔːl/ A1	verb - to contact by telephone
party /ˈpɑːrti/ A1	noun - a social gathering
dress /dres/ A1	noun - a garment worn by women or girls verb - to put on clothes
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood
face /feɪs/ A2	noun - the front of the head
hate /heɪt/ A2	verb - to dislike intensely
name /neɪm/ A1	noun - a word or words by which someone or something is known
thought /θɔːt/ B1	noun - an idea or opinion produced by thinking
start /stɑːrt/ A1	noun - the beginning verb - to begin
attention /əˈtenʃn/ B1	noun - notice taken of someone or something
regret /rɪˈɡret/ B2	noun - a feeling of sadness or disappointment verb - to feel sadness or disappointment
karma /ˈkɑːrmə/ B2	noun - the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences
expect /ɪkˈspekt/ B1	verb - regard (something) as likely to happen or be the case.

Key Grammar Structures

• You've been running 'round, running 'round

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ Uses "have/has been + verb-ing" to describe an action that started in the past and continues to the present. Here, "You've been running around" implies the person started running around in the past and is still doing it or the effects of it are still relevant.

• 'Cause you knew that I, knew that I Knew that I'd call you up

  ➔ Past Simple and Conditional (would)

  ➔ "Knew" is the past simple of "know", showing a past realization. "I'd call you up" uses "would" to express a predictable future action from a past perspective. It means the speaker believed in the past that they *would* call.

• I know that dress is karma, perfume regret

  ➔ Present Simple (figurative)

  ➔ The present simple is used to describe general truths or facts. Here, the dress and perfume are metaphorically linked to "karma" and "regret". It's not literally true, but expresses a deep, felt association.

• You got me thinking 'bout when you were mine, oh

  ➔ Past Simple and Prepositional Phrase ('bout)

  ➔ "Got" is the past simple of "get", showing a past action. "'Bout" is a shortened version of "about", used informally. "Thinking 'bout" means "thinking about".

• But you're not coming home with me tonight

  ➔ Present Continuous for Future Arrangement

  ➔ "You're not coming" uses the present continuous to express a planned future action. It implies a decision has been made that she will not come home with the speaker tonight.

• Maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new

  ➔ Modal Verb (Maybe) + Prepositional Phrase (of me with someone new)

  ➔ "Maybe" expresses possibility or uncertainty. The prepositional phrase "of me with someone new" describes the thought that is being hated.

• You're just making sure I'm never getting over you, oh

  ➔ Present Continuous + Phrasal Verb (getting over)

  ➔ "You're making sure" uses the present continuous to describe an action in progress. "Getting over" is a phrasal verb meaning to recover from a difficult experience, especially a relationship.