Attention – English Lyrics

• By: Charlie Puth
• Album: Voicenotes

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the infectious grooves of Charlie Puth's "Attention"! This chart-topping track offers a fantastic opportunity to explore modern pop, funk, and R&B influences, all while delving into relatable themes of post-breakup dynamics and emotional manipulation. Its catchy bassline and clear, direct lyrics make it an engaging song for language learners to pick up on contemporary English expressions and understand storytelling in music. What makes it special is Charlie Puth's intricate self-production and the personal, often frustrating, narrative it conveys, creating a powerful and memorable listening experience.

[English]

WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' TO ME? WHAT ARE YOU DOIN', HUH?

WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' TO ME? WHAT ARE YOU DOIN', HUH?

WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' TO ME? WHAT ARE YOU DOIN', HUH?

WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' TO ME? WHAT ARE YOU DOIN', HUH?

START, YOU'RE JUST MAKING SURE I'M NEVER GETTIN' OVER YOU

NEW, YEAH, YOU JUST WANT ATTENTION, I KNEW FROM THE

MAYBE YOU JUST HATE THE THOUGHT OF ME WITH SOMEONE

YOU JUST WANT ATTENTION, YOU DON'T WANT MY HEART

BUT YOU'RE NOT COMING HOME WITH ME TONIGHT

AND NOW I'M ALL UP ON YA, WHAT YOU EXPECT?

YOU GOT ME THINKING 'BOUT WHEN YOU WERE MINE

I KNOW THAT DRESS IS KARMA, PERFUME REGRET

WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' TO ME? WHAT ARE YOU DOIN', HUH?

WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' TO ME? WHAT ARE YOU DOIN', HUH?

WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' TO ME? WHAT ARE YOU DOIN', HUH?

WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' TO ME? WHAT ARE YOU DOIN', HUH?

START, YOU'RE JUST MAKING SURE I'M NEVER GETTIN' OVER YOU

NEW, YEAH, YOU JUST WANT ATTENTION, I KNEW FROM THE

MAYBE YOU JUST HATE THE THOUGHT OF ME WITH SOMEONE

YOU JUST WANT ATTENTION, YOU DON'T WANT MY HEART

BUT YOU'RE NOT COMING HOME WITH ME TONIGHT

AND NOW I'M ALL UP ON YA, WHAT YOU EXPECT?

YOU GOT ME THINKING 'BOUT WHEN YOU WERE MINE

I KNOW THAT DRESS IS KARMA, PERFUME REGRET

'READY KNOW THAT YOU WON, OH

YOU ALREADY KNOW, 'READY KNOW

NOW THAT WE'RE, RIGHT HERE STANDIN' FACE TO FACE

YOU UP, BABY, NOW THAT WE'RE, NOW THAT WE'RE

'CAUSE YOU KNEW THAT I, KNEW THAT I, KNEW THAT I'D CALL

THROWIN' THAT DIRT ALL ON MY NAME

YOU'VE BEEN RUNNIN' ROUND, RUNNIN' ROUND, RUNNIN' ROUND

START, YOU'RE JUST MAKING SURE I'M NEVER GETTIN' OVER YOU

NEW, YEAH, YOU JUST WANT ATTENTION, I KNEW FROM THE

MAYBE YOU JUST HATE THE THOUGHT OF ME WITH SOMEONE

YOU JUST WANT ATTENTION, YOU DON'T WANT MY HEART

BUT YOU'RE NOT COMING HOME WITH ME TONIGHT

AND NOW I'M ALL UP ON YA, WHAT YOU EXPECT?

YOU GOT ME THINKING 'BOUT WHEN YOU WERE MINE

I KNOW THAT DRESS IS KARMA, PERFUME REGRET

I'D BE AT ONE, OH

'CAUSE YOU KNEW THAT I, KNEW THAT I, KNEW THAT

GOING 'ROUND, EVERY PARTY IN LA

YOU UP, YOU'VE BEEN GOING 'ROUND, GOING 'ROUND

'CAUSE YOU KNEW THAT I, KNEW THAT I, KNEW THAT I'D CALL

THROWIN' THAT DIRT ALL ON MY NAME

YOU'VE BEEN RUNNIN' ROUND, RUNNIN' ROUND, RUNNIN' ROUND

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
attention /əˈtɛnʃən/ B1	noun - the act of focusing the mind on something
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the muscular organ that pumps blood; also the centre of feelings
regret /rɪˈɡrɛt/ B2	noun - a feeling of sorrow about something that happened or was done verb - to feel sorrow or remorse for something
think /θɪŋk/ A2	verb - to have ideas or thoughts about something
know /noʊ/ A2	verb - to be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information
want /wɒnt/ A1	verb - to desire or wish for something
hate /heɪt/ A2	verb - to feel intense dislike for something or someone
making /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/ B1	verb (present participle) - the act of creating or producing something
sure /ʃʊər/ A2	adjective - confident that something is true or will happen
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
dress /drɛs/ A2	noun - a piece of clothing, typically for women, that covers the body and extends down over the legs verb - to put on clothes
karma /ˈkɑːrmə/ C1	noun - the spiritual principle that a person's actions determine their future fate
perfume /pərˈfjuːm/ B2	noun - a fragrant liquid typically made from essential oils, used to give a pleasant scent verb - to apply perfume to something
round /raʊnd/ B1	noun - a circular shape; a sequence in a repeated activity (e.g., a round of drinks) verb - to move in a circular path
party /ˈpɑːrti/ A2	noun - a social gathering for entertainment, often with music and dancing
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives; a house or apartment

Key Grammar Structures

• WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' TO ME?

  ➔ Present Continuous tense: used to express an ongoing or repeated action causing annoyance or frustration in the moment, often with a colloquial, informal tone.

  ➔ "What" "are" "you" "doing" expresses a direct question about the ongoing action affecting the speaker.

• YOU'RE JUST MAKING SURE I'M NEVER GETTIN' OVER YOU

  ➔ Present Continuous tense with 'never': emphasizes a deliberate, ongoing effort to prevent recovery, using contractions for informal style.

  ➔ "You're" "making" "sure" describes the ongoing action, while "never" "gettin'" "over" indicates the perpetual denial using slang.

• I KNEW FROM THE START

  ➔ Past Simple tense: used to describe a completed past realization, indicating foresight or hindsight.

  ➔ "I" "knew" from the "start" shows past certainty about the situation's beginning.

• MAYBE YOU JUST HATE THE THOUGHT OF ME WITH SOMEONE ELSE

  ➔ Second Conditional or hypothetical conditional: expresses a speculative reason or imagined scenario, using 'maybe' for uncertainty.

  ➔ "Maybe" "you" "just" "hate" "the" "thought" of "me" "with" "someone" else speculates on emotional reaction.

• BUT YOU'RE NOT COMING HOME WITH ME TONIGHT

  ➔ Present Continuous for future arrangement: indicates a firmly decided plan or refusal for the immediate future.

  ➔ "You're" "not" "coming" "home" "with" "me" "tonight" firmly negates a potential future event.

• YOU GOT ME THINKING 'BOUT WHEN YOU WERE MINE

  ➔ Past Simple and Present Perfect with 'got': 'got' as auxiliary leads to the present state caused by past action, with 'were' in past simple.

  ➔ "You" "got" "me" "thinking" about past with "when" "you" "were" "mine" linking tenses.

• I KNOW THAT DRESS IS KARMA, PERFUME REGRET

  ➔ Present Simple and metaphorical clauses: 'know' as fact, linking to metaphorical interpretations with 'is' equating concepts.

  ➔ "I" "know" "that" "dress" "is" "karma" equates items to abstract emotions metaphorically.

• NOW THAT WE'RE RIGHT HERE STANDIN' FACE TO FACE

  ➔ Present Continuous with 'now that': 'now that' introduces a reason for the current action, emphasizing simultaneity.

  ➔ "Now" "that" "we're" "standin'" "face" "to" "face" shows present confrontation triggered by 'now that'.

• 'CAUSE YOU KNEW THAT I KNEW THAT I'D CALL

  ➔ Reported speech and modal in past: 'knew that I'd call' reports a past mental prediction using 'would' for future from past perspective.

  ➔ "'Cause" "you" "knew" "that" "I" "knew" "that" "I'd" "call" layers reported belief in inevitable action.

• YOU'VE BEEN RUNNIN' ROUND, RUNNIN' ROUND, RUNNIN' ROUND

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous: emphasizes the duration and ongoing impact of repeated actions up to the present.

  ➔ "You've" "been" "runnin'" stresses the extended repetition with emphasis on duration.