Betrayal – English Lyrics

• By: Madonna
• Album: Confessions On A Dance Floor: Part II

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the emotive storytelling of Madonna's unreleased work. 'Betrayal' is an excellent study in English emotive vocabulary and colloquial phrasing used to express personal grievance and relationship boundaries.

[English]

[music]

>> When the book of love is written,

[singing]

I am [music] the writer.

And by the last page, you are not

dimensioned. [singing]

It's not because you never loved me.

It's just because [music] you lost your

faith.

>> [music]

>> This is a story of betrayal.

>> [music]

>> You couldn't see your fall from grace.

So, take the hammer, [music]

hit [singing] the nail.

You'll never take [music and singing] my

mother's place.

Open the dam, let [singing] the water

crash in.

Let it go, let it go, let it go.

Open the dam, [music] let the water

[singing] rush in.

Let it go, let it go, let it go.

>> [music]

[music]

[music]

[music]

>> The chapters they are many, [singing]

the verses they are few. I hope that

when it's over, I'll still think [music]

of you.

It's not because I can't forgive you.

>> [music]

>> It's just because I lost my faith.

>> [music]

[music]

>> This is a story of survival.

You [music] couldn't see your fall from

grace.

So take the hammer, [music] hit the

nail.

You'll never take [singing] my lover's

place.

>> [music]

>> Open the dam, let the water rush in.

>> [music]

>> Let it go,

let it go,

let it go.

Open the dam, let the water [music] rush

in.

Let it go,

let it go,

let it go.

Open the dam, let the

>> [music]

>> water rush in.

Let it go.

>> [music]

>> Open the dam, let the water rush in.

Let it go, let it go, let it go.

And [music] we're

dancing.

Yes, we're dancing.

Up together.

Forever.

>> [music]

>> You've been cheating.

You was faking.

Walk together.

>> [music]

>> Till the end.

And we're

dancing.

Yes, we're dancing.

>> [music]

>> Walk together.

Forever.

Used to hate you.

>> [music]

>> I don't hate you.

Walk forever.

Till the [music] end.

Open the dam, let the water [singing]

rush in.

Let it go, [music] let it go, let it go.

>> [music]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
betrayal /bɪˈtreɪəl/ C1	noun - the action of betraying someone or something
survival /səˈvaɪvl/ B2	noun - the state or fact of continuing to live or exist
dimensioned /dɪˈmenʃənd/ C2	adjective - having a specific size or scope; measured
faith /feɪθ/ B1	noun - complete trust or confidence in someone or something
hammer /ˈhæmər/ A2	noun - a tool with a heavy metal head used for breaking things
nail /neɪl/ A2	noun - a small metal spike with a broadened flat head
grace /ɡreɪs/ B2	noun - simple elegance or refinement of movement
dam /dæm/ B2	noun - a barrier constructed to hold back water
rush /rʌʃ/ A2	verb - to move with urgent haste
chapter /ˈtʃæptər/ A2	noun - a main division of a book
verse /vɜːrs/ B1	noun - writing arranged with a metrical rhythm
forgive /fərˈɡɪv/ A2	verb - to stop feeling angry toward someone for an offense
cheat /tʃiːt/ A2	verb - to act dishonestly in order to gain an advantage
fake /feɪk/ A2	verb - to forge or counterfeit; to pretend
forever /fərˈevər/ A1	adverb - for all future time

Key Grammar Structures

• When the book of love is written, I am the writer.

  ➔ Passive Voice (Present Simple)

  ➔ The structure "is written" focuses on the action being done to the subject "book" rather than the agent.

• And by the last page, you are not dimensioned.

  ➔ Future Perfect (implied) / Adverbial phrase of time

  ➔ The phrase "by the last page" suggests a deadline or a point in the future where a state will be completed.

• You couldn't see your fall from grace.

  ➔ Modal Verb of past ability/possibility (couldn't)

  ➔ "Couldn't" indicates a failure or lack of ability to perceive a situation in the past.

• It's not because you never loved me.

  ➔ Causality clause with 'because'

  ➔ Used to explain the reasoning behind a previous statement, establishing a cause-and-effect relationship.

• Open the dam, let the water rush in.

  ➔ Imperative mood

  ➔ The imperative mood "Open" and "let" is used to give a direct command or suggestion to perform an action.

• I hope that when it's over, I'll still think of you.

  ➔ Future conditional/Time clause

  ➔ The structure "when it's over" sets a time frame for a future action ("I'll still think").

• You've been cheating.

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ Used to describe an action that started in the past and has continued up to the present.

• You was faking.

  ➔ Past Continuous (Colloquial usage of 'was' with 'you')

  ➔ Standard grammar requires "you were", but "you was" is common in song lyrics to fit rhyme or rhythmic style.