Best Thing I Never Had – English Lyrics

• By: Beyoncé
• Album: 4

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the themes of karma, empowerment, and moving on in Beyoncé's "Best Thing I Never Had." This iconic song offers a relatable exploration of relationships and personal growth, teaching listeners the language of triumph and self-worth after heartbreak. Discover how Beyoncé's powerful vocals and heartfelt lyrics create a message that resonates with anyone who has experienced a breakup.

[English]

♪ What goes around, comes back around, hey ♪

♪ My baby ♪

♪ What goes around, comes back around, hey ♪

♪ My, my, my, my baby ♪

♪ I say, what goes around, comes back around, hey ♪

♪ Hey, my baby ♪

♪ What goes around, comes back around ♪

♪ There was a time ♪

♪ I thought that you did everything right ♪

♪ No lies, no wrong ♪

♪ Boy, I must've been out of my mind ♪

♪ So when I think of the time that I almost loved you ♪

♪ You showed your ass and I, I saw the real you ♪

♪ Thank God, you blew it ♪

♪ I thank God, I dodged a bullet ♪

♪ I'm so over you ♪

♪ So, baby, good lookin' out ♪

♪ I wanted you bad ♪

♪ I'm so through with that ♪

♪ 'Cause honestly, you turned out to be the ♪

♪ Best thing I never had ♪

♪ You turned out to be the ♪

♪ Best thing I never had ♪

♪ And I'm gon' always be the ♪

♪ Best thing you never had ♪

♪ Oh, yeah, I bet it sucks to be you right now ♪

♪ So sad, you're hurt ♪

♪ Boohoo, oh, did you expect me to care ♪

♪ You don't deserve my tears ♪

♪ I guess that's why they ain't there ♪

♪ When I think that there was a time that I almost loved you ♪

♪ You showed your ass and, baby, yes, I saw the real you ♪

♪ Thank God, you blew it ♪

♪ I thank God, I dodged a bullet ♪

♪ I'm so over you ♪

♪ Baby, good lookin' out ♪

♪ I wanted you bad ♪

♪ I'm so through with that ♪

♪ 'Cause honestly, you turned out to be the ♪

♪ Best thing I never had ♪

♪ I said, you turned out to be the ♪

♪ Best thing I never had ♪

♪ Mm, and I'll never be the ♪

♪ Best thing you never had ♪

♪ Oh, baby, I bet it sucks to be you right now ♪

♪ I know you want me back ♪

♪ It's time to face the facts ♪

♪ That I'm the one that's got away ♪

♪ Lord knows that it would take another place, another time ♪

♪ Another world, another life ♪

♪ Thank God, I found the good in goodbye ♪

♪ I used to want you so bad ♪

♪ I'm so through with that ♪

♪ 'Cause honestly, you turned out to be the ♪

♪ Best thing I never had ♪

♪ Oh, you turned out to be the ♪

♪ Best thing I never had ♪

♪ And I will always be the ♪

♪ Best thing you never had ♪

♪ Ooh, best thing you never had ♪

♪ I used to want you so bad ♪

♪ I'm so through with that ♪

♪ 'Cause honestly, you turned out to be the ♪

♪ Best thing I never had ♪

♪ Oh, you turned out to be the ♪

♪ Best thing I never had ♪

♪ Ooh, I will never be the ♪

♪ Best thing you never had ♪

♪ Oh, baby, I bet it sucks to be you right now ♪

♪ What goes around, comes back around ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ahh, ahh ♪

♪ What goes around, comes back around ♪

♪ I bet it sucks to be you right now ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

♪ What goes around, comes back around ♪

♪ I bet it sucks to be you right now ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

♪ What goes around, comes back around ♪

♪ I bet it sucks to be you right now ♪

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
baby /ˈbeɪ.bi/ A1	noun - a very young child
mind /maɪnd/ B1	noun - the part of a person that thinks, feels, and remembers
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to have a strong affection for someone
hurt /hɜːrt/ B1	verb - to cause pain or injury
thank /θæŋk/ A1	verb - to express gratitude
best /bɛst/ A2	adjective - of the highest quality
thing /θɪŋ/ A1	noun - an object or item
suck /sʌk/ B2	verb - to be very bad or unpleasant
expect /ɪkˈspɛkt/ B1	verb - to think that something will happen
care /kɛr/ A2	verb - to feel concern or interest
real /rɪəl/ B1	adjective - actually existing or happening
blow /bloʊ/ B2	verb - to move air or cause something to move by air
dodged /dɑːdʒd/ B2	verb - to avoid something by a sudden movement
found /faʊnd/ A2	verb - to discover something
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - having positive qualities
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - a period during which something happens
always /ˈɔːl.weɪz/ A2	adverb - at all times; on all occasions

Key Grammar Structures

• What goes around, comes back around, hey

  ➔ Present Simple – General Truth

  ➔ Uses the Present Simple tense to express a general truth or proverb: “what goes around” refers to actions or behaviors, and “comes back around” means that these actions will eventually have consequences. The phrase is a common saying.

• Boy, I must've been out of my mind

  ➔ Modal Verb + Perfect Infinitive (must have + past participle)

  ➔ “Must have been” expresses a strong deduction about the past. It implies the speaker is certain that they were not thinking clearly in the past. "Out of my mind" is an idiom meaning 'not thinking or behaving sensibly'.

• I wanted you bad

  ➔ Adverb modifying a verb

  ➔ The adverb "bad" modifies the verb "wanted." It's an informal way of saying she wanted him very much. While grammatically 'badly' is often expected to modify 'wanted,' 'bad' is colloquial and adds emphasis.

• 'Cause honestly, you turned out to be the...

  ➔ Ellipsis and Transition Word

  ➔ The ellipsis ("...") at the end creates suspense and anticipation. "Honestly" acts as a transition word, setting up the speaker's frank admission.

• Best thing I never had

  ➔ Superlative adjective

  ➔ "Best" is the superlative form of "good," indicating the highest degree of something. The phrase implies that not having this person in her life turned out to be the most beneficial outcome.

• Oh, yeah, I bet it sucks to be you right now

  ➔ Impersonal "it" and Subjunctive Mood (implied)

  ➔ The "it" in "it sucks" is an impersonal pronoun, referring to the general situation or feeling, rather than a specific person or object. There's an implied subjunctive in "to be you," suggesting a hypothetical situation.

• You don't deserve my tears

  ➔ Present Simple Negative and Modal Verb "deserve"

  ➔ "Don't deserve" is the negative form of "deserve" in the present simple, indicating that the subject does not merit or warrant something. "Deserve" functions similarly to a modal verb in this context.

• I'm the one that's got away

  ➔ Relative Clause with 'that'

  ➔ 'That' introduces a defining relative clause which provides essential information about 'the one'. The clause 'that's got away' specifies which 'one' the speaker is referring to – the one who escaped or left the relationship.