Before He Cheats – English Lyrics

• By: Carrie Underwood

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the fiery world of Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats," a song that blends country grit with pop gloss to tell a story of revenge and empowerment. Explore vivid lyrics and powerful vocals that have made this song a cultural phenomenon, and understand how the narrative taps into universal themes of betrayal and retribution.

[English]

(vengeful music begins)

♪ Right now, he's probably slow dancing ♪

♪ With a bleach-blonde tramp ♪

♪ And she's probably getting frisky ♪

♪ Right now, he's probably buying her ♪

♪ Some fruity little drink ♪

♪ 'Cause she can't shoot whiskey ♪

♪ Right now, he's probably up behind her with a pool-stick ♪

♪ Showing her how to shoot a combo ♪

♪ And he don't know ♪

♪ I dug my key into the side ♪

♪ Of his pretty little souped up four-wheel drive ♪

♪ Carved my name into his leather seats ♪

♪ I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights ♪

♪ Slashed a hole in all four tires ♪

♪ Maybe next time, he'll think before he cheats ♪

♪ Right now, she's probably up singing ♪

♪ Some white-trash version of Shania karaoke ♪

♪ Right now, she's probably saying, "I'm drunk" ♪

♪ And he's a-thinking that he's gonna get lucky ♪

♪ Right now, he's probably dabbing on ♪

♪ Three dollars worth of that bathroom Polo ♪

♪ Oh, and he don't know ♪

♪ Oh, that I dug my key into the side ♪

♪ Of his pretty little souped four-wheel drive ♪

♪ Carved my name into his leather seats ♪

♪ I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights ♪

♪ Slashed a hole in all four tires ♪

♪ Maybe next time, he'll think before he cheats ♪

♪ I might've saved a little trouble for the next girl ♪

♪ A-'cause the next time that he cheats ♪

♪ Oh, you know it won't be on me ♪

(vengeful music decreases)

♪ No, not on me ♪

(vengeful music swells)

♪ 'Cause I dug my key into the side ♪

♪ Of his pretty little souped up four-wheel drive ♪

♪ Carved my name into his leather seats ♪

♪ I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights ♪

♪ Slashed a hole in all four tires ♪

♪ Maybe next time, he'll think before he cheats ♪

♪ Oh, maybe next time, he'll think ♪

♪ Before he cheats ♪

♪ Oh, before he cheats ♪

♪ Oh ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
digger /ˈdʌg/ B2	verb - to dig into something
cheats /tʃiːts/ B1	verb - to act dishonestly to gain an advantage
slugger /ˈslʌɡər/ C1	noun - a large heavy baseball bat
seat /siːt/ A2	noun - a thing for sitting on
dish /dɪʃ/ A1	noun - a shallow container for food
whiskey /ˈwɪski/ A2	noun - a distilled alcoholic drink
drinks /drɪŋks/ A2	noun - beverages you drink
seats /siːts/ A2	noun - places for sitting
tires /taɪərz/ A2	noun - rubber coverings on wheels
body /ˈbɒdi/ A1	noun - the physical part of a person or animal
name /neɪm/ A1	noun - the word by which someone or something is known
drive /draɪv/ B1	verb - to operate a vehicle

Key Grammar Structures

• Right now, he's probably slow dancing.

  ➔ Present continuous tense.

  ➔ The phrase "he's probably slow dancing" uses the present continuous to describe an action happening at the moment.

• I dug my key into the side.

  ➔ Simple past tense.

  ➔ The phrase "I dug my key into the side" uses the simple past to describe a completed action in the past.

• Maybe next time, he'll think before he cheats.

  ➔ Future simple tense.

  ➔ The phrase "he'll think before he cheats" uses the future simple to express a prediction about a future action.

• Oh, and he don't know.

  ➔ Informal contraction.

  ➔ The phrase "he don't know" is an informal way of saying "he doesn't know," which is common in spoken English.

• I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights.

  ➔ Past simple with a specific object.

  ➔ The phrase "I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights" uses the past simple to describe a specific action that was completed.

• A-'cause the next time that he cheats.

  ➔ Informal contraction and future reference.

  ➔ The phrase "A-'cause the next time that he cheats" uses an informal contraction to refer to a future event.