Back for Good – English Lyrics

• By: Take That

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heartfelt lyrics and smooth melodies of Take That's iconic ballad, "Back for Good." This song is a fantastic way to engage with English, offering rich vocabulary related to emotions, relationships, and making amends. Its clear enunciation and expressive narrative make it perfect for understanding conversational English and common phrases used in apologies and declarations of love. Explore this timeless hit and let its poignant story help you connect with the language on a deeper, more emotional level.

[English]

I guess now it's time for me to give up, I feel it's time

Got a picture of you beside me

Got your lipstick mark still on your coffee cup, oh yeah

Got a fist of pure emotion

Got a head of shattered dreams

Gotta leave it, gotta leave it all behind now

Whatever I said, whatever I did

I didn't mean it

I just want you back for good

Want you back, want you back

Want you back for good

Whenever I'm wrong

Just tell me the song and I'll sing it

You'll be right and understood

Want you back, want you back

I want you back for good (Want you back for good)

Unaware but underlined

I figured out this story (No, no) it wasn't good (No, no)

But in a corner of my mind (Corner of my mind)

I celebrated glory

But that was not to be

In the twist of separation

You excelled at being free

Can't you find (Can't you find) a little room inside for me (For me)

Whatever I said, whatever I did

I didn't mean it

I just want you back for good

Want you back, want you back

See I want you back for good (Want you back for good)

Whenever I'm wrong

Just tell me the song and I'll sing it

You'll be right and understood

Want you back, want you back

I want you back for good (Want you back for good)

And we'll be together, this time is forever (Forever)

...

We'll be fighting and forever we will be

So complete in our love

We will never be uncovered again

...

Whatever I said, whatever I did

I didn't mean it (I tell you)

I just want you back for good

Want you back, want you back

Want you back for good

Whenever I'm wrong

Just tell me the song and I'll sing it

You'll be right and understood

Want you back, want you back, want you back

See I want you back for good

(Whatever I said, whatever I did) Whenever I'm gone

(I didn't mean it) I tell you

(I just want you back for good)

(Want you back) Want you back (Want you back)

I want you back for good

(Whenever I'm wrong)

(Just tell me the song and I'll sing it) Whenever I'm wrong, I'll tell you

(You'll be right and understood) I want you back

(Want you back) I want you back (I want you back)

You see I want you back for good (Want you back for good)

Oh yeah

I guess now it's time

That you came back for good

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
guess /ɡɛs/ A2	verb - to form an opinion or estimate without sufficient evidence
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - a period measured in seconds, minutes, hours, etc.
picture /ˈpɪktʃər/ A1	noun - an image created by drawing, painting, photography, etc.
emotion /ɪˈmoʊʃən/ B1	noun - a feeling such as happiness, anger, sadness, etc.
shattered /ˈʃætərd/ C1	adjective - broken into many pieces; devastated
dreams /driːmz/ A2	noun - thoughts, images, or aspirations experienced during sleep or while awake
leave /liːv/ A2	verb - to go away from a place noun - authorized time away from work or school
want /wɒnt/ A1	verb - to desire or wish for something
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - positive, satisfactory, or beneficial
song /sɔŋ/ A1	noun - a short musical composition with words
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - to produce musical sounds with the voice
right /raɪt/ A1	adjective - correct or true
understood /ˌʌndərˈstʊd/ B2	verb - comprehended; grasped the meaning of
forever /fɔːˈrɛvər/ B2	adverb - for all time; eternally
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - deep affection or strong feeling of attachment verb - to feel deep affection for someone
fighting /ˈfaɪtɪŋ/ B2	verb - engaging in combat or conflict
free /friː/ A1	adjective - not confined; without cost
separation /ˌsepəˈreɪʃən/ B2	noun - the act of moving apart or being divided

Key Grammar Structures

• I guess now it's time for me to give up

  ➔ It's time for (someone) to (do something) + Phrasal verb

  ➔ The structure "It's time for someone to do something" expresses that something should happen or be done. "give up" is a phrasal verb meaning to stop trying or surrender.

• Got your lipstick mark still on your coffee cup, oh yeah

  ➔ Colloquial 'Got' for 'have got/have' + 'still' (adverb of time/continuity)

  ➔ "Got" is informally used instead of "have got" or "have" to express possession. "still" indicates that the situation or state continues.

• Gotta leave it, gotta leave it all behind now

  ➔ Colloquial 'Gotta' for 'have got to/have to' (expressing necessity or obligation)

  ➔ "Gotta" is a common informal contraction of "have got to" or "have to", meaning something is necessary or obligatory.

• Whatever I said, whatever I did

  ➔ 'Whatever' as an indefinite pronoun/determiner in a concessive clause

  ➔ "Whatever" means "no matter what" and introduces a concessive clause, indicating that the following statement is true regardless of the preceding action.

• I just want you back for good

  ➔ Idiomatic expression 'for good' (meaning permanently)

  ➔ The phrase "for good" is an idiom that means "forever" or "permanently".

• Whenever I'm wrong, Just tell me the song and I'll sing it

  ➔ 'Whenever' (time clause for repeated actions/conditions) + Implied Conditional Type 1

  ➔ "Whenever" means "every time that" or "at any time that," introducing a clause that describes a recurring condition. The second part implies a Type 1 conditional: "If you tell me, I will sing it."

• You'll be right and understood

  ➔ Future Simple Passive Voice (implied with 'understood')

  ➔ "understood" is the past participle of "understand". Here, it's used with "will be" to form the future simple passive voice, meaning "you will be understood by others".

• You excelled at being free

  ➔ Verb + Preposition + Gerund ('excel at doing something')

  ➔ Many verbs are followed by specific prepositions, which are then followed by a gerund (the "-ing" form of a verb acting as a noun). "excel at" means to be very good at something.

• But that was not to be

  ➔ 'To be' to express destiny or an unfulfilled future event (often in the past)

  ➔ The structure "was/were to be" is used to talk about something that was planned or expected to happen but often implies it didn't, or refers to destiny/fate.