Can't Remember to Forget You – English Lyrics

• By: Shakira, Rihanna
• Album: Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the push and pull of toxic relationships through Shakira and Rihanna's hit song. 'Can't Remember to Forget You' blends reggae, rock, and pop, offering a catchy, ska-infused exploration of selective memory and the struggle to let go. Learn relatable phrases about love and longing while enjoying the unique vocal chemistry of these two music icons.

[English]

And I left a note on my bedpost

Said not to repeat yesterday's mistakes

What I tend to do when it comes to you

I see only the good selective memory

The way you make me feel, yeah

You gotta hold on me, I never met someone so different

Oh, here we go

You're a part of me now, you're a part of me

So where you go I follow, follow, follow

Oh-oh, whoa, oh-oh, whoa

I can't remember to forget you

Oh-oh, whoa, oh-oh, whoa

I keep forgetting I should let you go

But when you look at me

The only memory is us kissing in the moonlight

Oh-oh, whoa, oh-oh, whoa

I can't remember to forget you

...

I can't remember to forget you

...

I go back again, fall off the train

Land in his bed, repeat yesterday's mistakes

What I'm trying to say is not to forget

You see only the good selective memory

The way he makes me feel like

The way he makes me feel, I never seemed to act so stupid

Oh, here we go

He a part of me now, he a part of me

So where he goes I follow, follow, follow

Oh-oh, whoa, oh-oh, whoa

I can't remember to forget you

Oh-oh, whoa, oh-oh, whoa

I keep forgetting I should let you go

But when you look at me

The only memory

Is us kissing in the moonlight (oh)

Oh-oh, whoa (oh), oh-oh, whoa (oh)

I can't remember to forget you

I rob and I kill to keep him with me

I do anything for that boy

I'd give my last dime to hold him tonight

I do anything for that boy

I rob and I kill to keep him with me

I do anything for that boy

I'd give my last dime to hold him tonight

I do anything for that boy

Oh-oh, whoa, oh-oh, whoa

I can't remember to forget you

Oh-oh, whoa, oh-oh, whoa

I keep forgetting I should let you go

But when you look at me

The only memory

Is us kissing in the moonlight (oh)

Oh-oh, whoa (oh), oh-oh, whoa (oh)

I can't remember to forget you

But when you look at me

The only memory

Is us kissing in the moonlight (oh)

Oh-oh, whoa (oh), oh-oh, whoa (oh)

I can't remember to forget you

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
remember /rɪˈmem.bər/ A2	verb - to be able to bring back a piece of information into your mind, or to keep a piece of information in your memory
forget /fərˈɡet/ A1	verb - to be unable to remember something
mistakes /mɪˈsteɪk/ B1	noun - an action, decision, or judgment that produces an unwanted or unintentional result
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - of a high quality noun - something that is morally correct or acceptable
memory /ˈmem.ər.i/ B1	noun - the ability to remember information, experiences, and people
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
different /ˈdɪf.ər.ənt/ A2	adjective - not the same
follow /ˈfɒl.əʊ/ A2	verb - to go after or come after
kissing /ˈkɪsɪŋ/ B1	verb - touching with the lips
moonlight /ˈmuːn.laɪt/ B2	noun - the light of the moon
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to come down to earth or another surface without intending to or by accident
train /treɪn/ A1	noun - a series of connected railway carriages or wagons moved by a locomotive or by integral motors
stupid /ˈstjuː.pɪd/ B1	adjective - silly or unwise; showing a lack of good judgment
rob /rɒb/ B2	verb - to take money or property illegally from a person or place, often using threats or violence
kill /kɪl/ B1	verb - to cause the death of a person, animal, or plant
hold /həʊld/ A2	verb - to take and keep something in your hand or arms

Key Grammar Structures

• I can't remember to forget you.

  ➔ Present simple tense.

  ➔ The phrase "I can't remember" uses the present simple to express a current inability.

• What I tend to do when it comes to you.

  ➔ Present simple tense with a tendency.

  ➔ The phrase "I tend to do" indicates a habitual action in the present.

• The only memory is us kissing in the moonlight.

  ➔ Present simple tense for a state.

  ➔ The phrase "The only memory is" describes a current state of being.

• I do anything for that boy.

  ➔ Present simple tense for habitual actions.

  ➔ The phrase "I do anything" indicates a habitual willingness to act.

• I keep forgetting I should let you go.

  ➔ Present continuous tense for ongoing actions.

  ➔ The phrase "I keep forgetting" indicates an ongoing action that happens repeatedly.