Begin Again – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift

Lyrics & Translation

“Begin Again” offers a beautiful entry point into English, featuring clear, narrative lyrics that tell a relatable story of healing and new beginnings. Through its heartfelt storytelling and accessible vocabulary, learners can grasp nuances of emotion and conversational English, making it special for its empathetic message and musical charm.

[English]

( pop country music playing )

♪ TOOK A DEEP BREATH IN THE MIRROR ♪

♪ HE DIDN'T LIKE IT WHEN I WORE HIGH HEELS ♪

♪ BUT I DO ♪

♪ TURN THE LOCK AND PUT MY HEADPHONES ON ♪

♪ HE ALWAYS SAID HE DIDN'T GET THIS SONG ♪

♪ BUT I DO ♪

♪ I DO ♪

♪ WALKED IN EXPECTING YOU'D BE LATE ♪

♪ BUT YOU GOT HERE EARLY AND YOU STAND AND WAVE ♪

♪ I WALK TO YOU ♪

♪ YOU PULL MY CHAIR OUT AND HELP ME IN ♪

♪ AND YOU DON'T KNOW HOW NICE THAT IS ♪

♪ BUT I DO ♪

♪ AND YOU THROW YOUR HEAD BACK ♪

♪ LAUGHING LIKE A LITTLE KID ♪

♪ I THINK IT'S STRANGE THAT YOU THINK I'M FUNNY ♪

♪ 'CAUSE HE NEVER DID ♪

♪ I'VE BEEN SPENDING THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS ♪

♪ THINKING ALL LOVE EVER DOES ♪

♪ IS BREAK AND BURN AND END ♪

♪ BUT ON A WEDNESDAY IN A CAFE ♪

♪ I WATCHED IT BEGIN AGAIN ♪

♪ YOU SAID YOU NEVER MET ONE GIRL WHO ♪

♪ HAD AS MANY JAMES TAYLOR RECORDS AS YOU ♪

♪ BUT I DO ♪

♪ WE TELL STORIES, AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHY ♪

♪ I'M COMING OFF A LITTLE SHY ♪

♪ BUT I DO ♪

♪ BUT YOU THROW YOUR HEAD BACK ♪

♪ LAUGHING LIKE A LITTLE KID ♪

♪ I THINK IT'S STRANGE THAT YOU THINK I'M FUNNY ♪

♪ 'CAUSE HE NEVER DID ♪

♪ I'VE BEEN SPENDING THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS ♪

♪ THINKING ALL LOVE EVER DOES ♪

♪ IS BREAK AND BURN AND END ♪

♪ BUT ON A WEDNESDAY IN A CAFE ♪

♪ I WATCHED IT BEGIN AGAIN ♪

♪ AND WE WALKED DOWN THE BLOCK TO MY CAR ♪

♪ AND I ALMOST BROUGHT HIM UP ♪

♪ BUT YOU START TO TALK ♪

♪ ABOUT THE MOVIES THAT YOUR FAMILY WATCHES ♪

♪ EVERY SINGLE CHRISTMAS ♪

♪ AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT ♪

♪ AND FOR THE FIRST TIME WHAT'S PAST IS PAST ♪

♪ 'CAUSE YOU THROW YOUR HEAD BACK ♪

♪ LAUGHING LIKE A LITTLE KID ♪

♪ I THINK IT'S STRANGE THAT YOU THINK I'M FUNNY ♪

♪ 'CAUSE HE NEVER DID ♪

♪ I'VE BEEN SPENDING THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS ♪

♪ THINKING ALL LOVE EVER DOES ♪

♪ IS BREAK AND BURN AND END ♪

♪ BUT ON A WEDNESDAY IN A CAFE ♪

♪ I WATCHED IT BEGIN AGAIN ♪

♪ BUT ON A WEDNESDAY IN A CAFE ♪

- ♪ I WATCHED IT BEGIN AGAIN. ♪ - ( music stops )

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
breathe /briːð/ B1	verb - to take air into the lungs and let it out
mirror /ˈmɪrər/ A2	noun - a surface that reflects light, allowing images to be seen
high /haɪ/ A1	adjective - at a great distance above the ground
headphones /ˈhɛdˌfoʊnz/ B1	noun - a device worn on or over the ears to listen to audio
strange /streɪndʒ/ B1	adjective - unusual or surprising in a way that is unsettling
laugh /læf/ A2	verb - to make sounds with your voice that show you think something is funny
spend /spɛnd/ B1	verb - to use time doing something
break /breɪk/ B1	verb - to separate into pieces or to stop functioning
begin /bɪˈɡɪn/ A1	verb - to start or commence
car /kɑːr/ A1	noun - a road vehicle with an engine, four wheels, and seats for a small number of people
talk /tɔːk/ A1	verb - to speak in order to give information or express ideas
family /ˈfæmɪli/ A1	noun - a group of people related to each other, especially parents and their children
story /ˈstɔːri/ A2	noun - a description of events that is told or written
wave /weɪv/ A2	verb - to move your hand to and fro in greeting or as a signal
nice /naɪs/ A1	adjective - pleasant or agreeable

Key Grammar Structures

• HE DIDN'T LIKE IT WHEN I WORE HIGH HEELS

  ➔ Past Simple with "didn't like" and Subordinating Conjunction "when"

  ➔ Uses the past simple to describe a past dislike. "When" introduces a clause describing the time the action occurred. The word "when" shows at the time.

• WALKED IN EXPECTING YOU'D BE LATE

  ➔ Past Simple "walked", Gerund "expecting", Contraction "you'd" (you would/had)

  ➔ "Walked" is the main verb in past simple. "Expecting" functions as a gerund describing the state while walking in. "You'd" implies a conditional or past perfect conditional meaning, suggesting she anticipated lateness.

• I'VE BEEN SPENDING THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS THINKING ALL LOVE EVER DOES IS BREAK AND BURN AND END

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous "I've been spending", Relative Clause "all love ever does", Infinitive without "to" after "does" (break, burn, and end)

  ➔ "I've been spending" indicates an action that started in the past and continues to the present. "All love ever does" is a relative clause defining the action of love. Verbs following "does" are in their base form (bare infinitive).

• YOU SAID YOU NEVER MET ONE GIRL WHO HAD AS MANY JAMES TAYLOR RECORDS AS YOU

  ➔ Past Simple "You said", Past Perfect "had met", Relative Pronoun "who", Comparative Structure "as many...as"

  ➔ "You said" introduces the statement in the past. "Had met" indicates an action completed before the saying. "Who" introduces a relative clause describing the girl. "As many...as" is used to compare the number of records.