Clean – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift
• Album: 1989

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the journey of healing and self-discovery with Taylor Swift's "Clean." This song uses powerful metaphors to illustrate the process of moving on from a past relationship, offering listeners a chance to reflect on their own experiences and learn the language of emotional recovery. Discover how Swift turns personal pain into a universal anthem of hope and renewal.

[English]

The drought was the very worst

Ah, ah, ah

When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst

It was months and months of back and forth

Ah, ah, ah

You're still all over me like a wine stained dress I can't wear anymore

And I, I hung my head as I lost the war

And the sky turned black like a perfect storm

Rain came pouring down

When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe

And by morning, gone was any trace of you

I think I am finally clean

Oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh

There was nothing left to do

Ah, ah, ah

Ah, ah, ah

When the butterflies turned to dust that covered my whole room

So I punched a hole in the roof

Uh, uh, uh

Ah, ah, ah

Let the flood carry

Away all my pictures of you

The water filled my lungs I screamed so loud

But no one heard a thing

Rain came pouring down

When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe

And by morning, gone was any trace of you

I think I am finally clean

Oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh

I think I am finally clean

Oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh

Said I think I am finally clean

Oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh

Oh, oh, oh

Ten months sober I must admit

Just because you're clean don't mean you don't miss it

Ten months older I won't give in

Now that I'm clean I'm never gonna risk it

The drought was the very worst

Uh, uh, uh

When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst

Uh, uh, uh

Uh, uh, uh

Ah, ah, ah

Rain came pouring down

When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe

And by morning, gone was any trace of you

I think I am finally clean

Rain came pouring down

When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe

And by morning, gone was any trace of you

I think I am finally clean

I think I am finally clean

Rain came pouring down

When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe

And by morning, gone was any trace of you

I think I am finally clean

Rain came pouring down

When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe

And by morning, gone was any trace of you

I think I am finally clean

Rain came pouring down

When I was drowning, that's when I could finally breathe

And by morning, gone was any trace of you

I think I am finally clean

I think I'm finally clean

I think I'm finally clean

I think I'm finally clean

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
drought /draʊt/ B2	noun - a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall; a shortage of water resulting from this
flowers /ˈflaʊər/ A1	noun - the seed-bearing part of a plant, consisting of reproductive organs (stamens and carpels) that are typically surrounded by a brightly colored corolla (petals) and a green calyx (sepals)
died /daɪd/ A1	verb - to stop living; cease to exist
thirst /θɜːrst/ B1	noun - a feeling of needing or wanting to drink
stained /steɪnd/ B2	verb - mark (something) with spots or discolored patches adjective - having been colored with a stain
dress /dres/ A1	noun - a one-piece garment for women and girls that covers the body and part or all of the legs
war /wɔːr/ A2	noun - a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country
sky /skaɪ/ A1	noun - the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth
storm /stɔːrm/ A2	noun - a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow
rain /reɪn/ A1	noun - moisture condensed from the atmosphere that falls visibly in separate drops verb - fall as rain
drowning /ˈdraʊnɪŋ/ B2	verb - die through submersion in and inhalation of water
breathe /briːð/ A2	verb - take air into the lungs and then expel it
trace /treɪs/ B1	noun - a mark or other sign of the former presence or passage of something verb - find or discover by investigation
clean /kliːn/ B1	adjective - free from dirt, marks, or stains verb - make (something) free of dirt, marks, or stains
dust /dʌst/ A2	noun - fine, dry powder consisting of tiny particles of earth or waste matter
flood /flʌd/ B1	noun - an overflow of a large amount of water beyond its normal limits, especially over what is normally dry land verb - cover or fill (something) with water
sober /ˈsoʊbər/ B2	adjective - not affected by alcohol; not drunk
risk /rɪsk/ B1	noun - a situation involving exposure to danger verb - expose (someone or something valued) to danger, harm, or loss

Key Grammar Structures

• When the flowers that we'd grown together died of thirst

  ➔ Past perfect tense

  ➔ The phrase "we'd grown" is a contraction of "we had grown," which is past perfect, used to describe an action completed before another past action.

• Rain came pouring down

  ➔ Simple past tense

  ➔ "Came" is the past tense of "come," indicating a completed action in the past.

• I think I am finally clean

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ "I am" is the present tense of "to be," used to describe a current state.

• Just because you're clean don't mean you don't miss it

  ➔ Complex sentence with causal clause and double negative

  ➔ The phrase "don't mean" combines "do not" (negation) with "mean," creating a negative meaning.

• Rain came pouring down

  ➔ Simple past tense

  ➔ "Came" is the past tense of "come," indicating a completed action in the past.

• And I, I hung my head as I lost the war

  ➔ Simple past tense with coordination (and)

  ➔ "Hung" is the past tense of "hang," used here to describe a past action.