Every Breath You Take – English Lyrics

• By: The Police
• Album: Synchronicity

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a unique linguistic journey with The Police's classic "Every Breath You Take." This song is a masterclass in how seemingly simple lyrics and a smooth melody can mask a profoundly complex and even sinister meaning. Pay close attention to the repetitive phrases like "I'll be watching you" and "You belong to me" to grasp the full, chilling intent behind the beautiful sound. Learning the English in this song will help you understand the power of lyrical ambiguity and how tone can dramatically shift a message, offering a rich context for exploring English expression beyond literal interpretation.

[English]

("Every Breath You Take")

♪ Every breath you take ♪

♪ And every move you make ♪

♪ Every bond you break ♪

♪ Every step you take ♪

♪ I'll be watching you ♪

♪ Every single day ♪

♪ And every word you say ♪

♪ Every game you play ♪

♪ Every night you stay ♪

♪ I'll be watching you ♪

♪ Oh, can't you see ♪

♪ You belong to me ♪

♪ How my poor heart aches ♪

♪ With every step you take ♪

♪ Every move you make ♪

♪ And every vow you break ♪

♪ Every smile you fake ♪

♪ Every claim you stake ♪

♪ I'll be watching you ♪

♪ Since you've gone, I've been lost without a trace ♪

♪ I dream at night, I can only see your face ♪

♪ I look around, but it's you I can't replace ♪

♪ I feel so cold, and I long for your embrace ♪

♪ I keep crying, baby, baby please ♪

♪ Oh, can't you see ♪

♪ You belong to me ♪

♪ How my poor heart aches ♪

♪ With every step you take ♪

♪ Every move you make ♪

♪ And every vow you break ♪

♪ Every smile you fake ♪

♪ Every claim you stake ♪

♪ I'll be watching you ♪

♪ Every move you make ♪

♪ Every step you take ♪

♪ I'll be watching you ♪

♪ I'll be watching you ♪

♪ Every breath you take ♪

♪ Every move you make ♪

♪ Every bond you break ♪

♪ Every step you take, I'll be watching you ♪

♪ Every single day ♪

♪ Every word you say ♪

♪ Every game you play ♪

♪ Every night you stay, I'll be watching you ♪

♪ Every move you make ♪

♪ Every vow you break ♪

♪ Every smile you fake ♪

♪ Every claim you stake, I'll be watching you ♪

♪ Every single day ♪

♪ Every word you say ♪

♪ Every game you play ♪

♪ Every night you stay, I'll be watching you ♪

♪ Every breath you take ♪

♪ Every move you make ♪

♪ Every bond you break ♪

♪ Every step you take, I'll be watching you ♪

♪ Every single day ♪

♪ Every word you say ♪

♪ Every game you play ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
breath /breθ/ A1	noun - the air taken into or expelled from the lungs
move /muːv/ A1	verb - to go in a specified direction or manner; change position noun - an act of changing position
break /breɪk/ A1	verb - to separate into pieces verb - to fail to observe (a law, regulation, or agreement) noun - an interruption of something
step /step/ A1	noun - an act or movement of putting one leg in front of the other verb - move by lifting and setting down one's foot
watching /ˈwɒtʃɪŋ/ A1	verb - looking at something for an extended period of time
day /deɪ/ A1	noun - the period of light between sunrise and sunset
word /wɜːd/ A1	noun - a unit of language that has meaning and can be spoken or written
game /ɡeɪm/ A1	noun - an activity engaged in for diversion or amusement
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
stay /steɪ/ A2	verb - to remain in the same place
heart /hɑːt/ A2	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation
aches /eɪks/ B1	verb - experience a continuous dull pain.
vow /vaʊ/ B2	noun - a solemn promise verb - solemnly promise to do a specified thing
smile /smaɪl/ A1	noun - a pleased, kind, or amused facial expression verb - to form one's face into a smile
fake /feɪk/ B1	adjective - not genuine; counterfeit verb - to counterfeit or give a false appearance
claim /kleɪm/ B2	noun - an assertion of the truth of something, typically one that is disputed or in doubt. verb - state or assert that something is the case, typically without providing evidence or proof.
lost /lɒst/ A2	adjective - unable to find one's way; having disappeared or been taken away
trace /treɪs/ B1	noun - a mark or other sign of the past
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep verb - experience dreams during sleep
face /feɪs/ A1	noun - the front part of the head
replace /rɪˈpleɪs/ B1	verb - take the place of.
cold /kəʊld/ A1	adjective - of or at a low or relatively low temperature.
long /lɒŋ/ A2	verb - have a strong desire or craving. adjective - measuring a great distance from end to end.
embrace /ɪmˈbreɪs/ B2	noun - an act of holding someone closely in one's arms. verb - hold (someone) closely in one's arms, especially as a sign of affection.
crying /ˈkraɪɪŋ/ A1	verb - shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow.

Key Grammar Structures

• Every breath you take

  ➔ Subject-Verb-Object structure with 'every' indicating each instance.

  ➔ This line uses the simple present tense to describe a habitual action. "Every" emphasizes that this action is repeated for each breath.

• I'll be watching you

  ➔ Future continuous tense ('will be + verb-ing') indicating an action that will be in progress at a point in the future.

  ➔ This line uses the future continuous tense to emphasize the ongoing nature of the surveillance. It's not just a single instance of watching, but a continuous act.

• Oh, can't you see

  ➔ Imperative mood (see) with a negative contraction ('can't') forming a rhetorical question.

  ➔ This is a rhetorical question because the speaker doesn't actually want an answer. It's used to emphasize the obviousness of the statement that follows.

• You belong to me

  ➔ Simple present tense expressing a state of being or possession.

  ➔ This statement expresses a possessive sentiment. It is a simple, direct declaration using the verb 'belong' in the present tense.

• How my poor heart aches

  ➔ Exclamatory sentence structure with 'How' emphasizing the degree of the feeling.

  ➔ 'How' is used to introduce the exclamation, expressing a strong feeling of pain or sorrow. 'Aches' is the verb describing the emotional pain.

• Since you've gone, I've been lost without a trace

  ➔ Present perfect tense ('have/has + past participle') in both clauses connected by 'since'. The first clause (Since you've gone) uses the present perfect to describe a completed action with relevance to the present. The second clause (I've been lost...) uses the present perfect continuous to describe a state that started in the past and continues to the present.

  ➔ 'Since' indicates the starting point of the speaker's feeling of being lost. The use of present perfect tense shows that the state of being lost started in the past and continues to the present.

• I dream at night, I can only see your face

  ➔ Simple present tense ('dream', 'can see') used to describe habitual actions and abilities, respectively.

  ➔ The phrase 'I dream at night' describes a recurring activity using the simple present. 'I can only see your face' uses the modal verb 'can' to express the speaker's inability to see anything else.

• I look around, but it's you I can't replace

  ➔ Present simple tense with the conjunction 'but' connecting two contrasting ideas. The second clause features cleft sentence structure for emphasis: 'it's you I can't replace'.

  ➔ 'But' signals a contrast between looking around and finding no one to replace the subject. The cleft sentence structure highlights the importance of 'you' and emphasizes the uniqueness of the person. This is often done using a construction that starts with 'it is/was' followed by what you want to emphasize.