Heart By Heart – English Lyrics

• By: Joe Jonas
• Album: Music For People Who Believe In Love

Lyrics & Translation

"Heart By Heart" by Joe Jonas is a deeply emotional and beautifully crafted pop song that offers a unique window into expressions of love, loss, and enduring connection in English. Its raw vulnerability and relatable lyrics make it an excellent choice for language learners to grasp authentic emotional vocabulary and conversational phrases within a pop music context. The song's clear vocals and poignant storytelling provide a rich auditory experience, helping learners connect words with feelings and understand nuances of English romantic expression.

[English]

[STREET SOUNDS]

[NO DIALOGUE]

[OMINOUS MUSIC]

[RAPID CLICKING]

♪♪♪

[MUTED CHEERS]

♪ I'VE BEEN WORKING HARD ♪

♪ TIL THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT ♪

♪ LOSING SLEEP AND CATCHING FLIGHTS ♪

♪ HAVEN'T I DARLIN' ♪

♪ HAVEN'T I DARLIN' ♪

♪ YOU'VE BEEN OUT MOST NIGHTS ♪

♪ TRYNA GET A LITTLE PEACE ♪

♪ EVEN IF IT AIN'T WITH ME ♪

♪ HAVEN'T YOU DARLIN' ♪

♪ THAT'S ALRIGHT DARLIN' ♪

♪ WELL IF HE DON'T EVER LIGHT YOUR SPARK ♪

♪ REMEMBER ♪

♪ I KNOW YOUR HEART BY HEART ♪

♪ (JUST REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER ♪

♪ (REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER, BABE) ♪

♪ (JUST REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER) ♪

♪ (REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER) ♪

♪ YOU AND I BEEN DOWN ON THESE AVENUES BEFORE ♪

♪ KEEP ON GOING BACK AND FORTH ♪

♪ HAVEN'T WE BABY ♪

♪ OH MY BABY ♪

♪ THERE'S A LONG ROAD LEFT AND A LONG TIME TO LIVE ♪

♪ YOU’VE GOT THE SWEETEST LOVIN' TO GIVE ♪

♪ I KNOW CUS I'VE TASTED ♪

♪ I'D HATE YOU TO WASTE IT ♪

♪ SO IF HE DON'T EVER LIGHT YOUR SPARK ♪

♪ REMEMBER ♪

♪ I KNOW YOUR HEART BY HEART ♪

♪ (JUST REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER) ♪

♪ (REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER) ♪

♪ HOLDIN' YOU TIGHT IN THE BACK OF YOUR CAR ♪

♪ KNOW THAT WE TRIED BUT WE DIDN'T GET FAR ♪

♪ I'M SORRY ♪

♪ SO SORRY ♪

♪ WELL YOU GOTTA LEAVE TOWN ♪

♪ AND YOU GOTTA LIVE YOUR LIFE ♪

♪ BABY DON'T FORGET YOU CAN CALL ME ANY TIME ♪

♪ YOU'RE LONELY ♪

♪ SO LONELY ♪

♪ WELL I KNOW OUR FLAME STILL FLICKERS IN THE NIGHT ♪

♪ CUS YOU WILL ALWAYS BE ON MY MIND ♪

♪ OH WON'T YOU DARLIN’ (JUST REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER) ♪

♪ OH WON'T YOU DARLIN’ (JUST REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER) ♪

♪ BUT IF WAKING UP SEEMS WAY TOO HARD ♪

♪ AND NO ONE PULLS YOU OUT THE DARK ♪

♪ IF HE DON'T EVER LIGHT YOUR SPARK ♪

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

[ETHEREAL SOUNDS]

[NO DIALOGUE]

[TRAFFIC SOUNDS]

[MUTED FANS CHEERING]

♪ REMEMBER ♪

♪ I KNOW YOUR HEART BY HEART ♪

♪ JUST REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER (ALWAYS REMEMBER) ♪

♪ REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER (AHHH) ♪

♪ JUST REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER (JUST REMEMBER) ♪

♪ REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER (AHHH) ♪

♪ JUST REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER ♪

♪ REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER (AHHH) ♪

♪ JUST REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER ♪

♪ JUST REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER ♪

♪ JUST REMEMBER I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER ♪

[MUSIC FADES]

[STREET SOUNDS]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hard /hɑːrd/ A1	adjective - difficult to do or understand; requiring a lot of effort.
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness in each twenty-four hours; the time between evening and morning.
sleep /sliːp/ A1	noun - a natural state of rest for the mind and body, during which the eyes are usually closed. verb - to be in the state of sleep.
flight /flaɪt/ A2	noun - a journey made by flying, especially in an aircraft.
darling /ˈdɑːrlɪŋ/ A2	noun - a person who is loved very much by someone; a term of endearment.
peace /piːs/ A2	noun - a state of quiet and tranquility; freedom from disturbance.
spark /spɑːrk/ B2	noun - a tiny fiery particle thrown off from a burning substance. noun - a small but noticeable element of a quality or intense feeling, especially enthusiasm or passion.
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system. noun - the seat of one's emotions or sensibilities; one's emotional nature or disposition.
avenue /ˈævəˌnuː/ B1	noun - a broad road in a town or city, often with trees along it.
road /roʊd/ A1	noun - a wide way leading from one place to another, especially one with a specially prepared surface.
sweet /swiːt/ A1	adjective - having the pleasant taste characteristic of sugar or honey; not salty, sour, or bitter. adjective - pleasing and delightful, especially in character or behaviour; charming or endearing.
waste /weɪst/ B1	verb - use or expend carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose.
tight /taɪt/ B1	adjective - fixed, fastened, or closed firmly; difficult to move or open. adjective - held firmly or closely, especially so as to prevent movement or escape.
sorry /ˈsɑːri/ A1	adjective - feeling regret or penitence; expressing apology.
town /taʊn/ A1	noun - a densely populated urban area, larger than a village but smaller than a city.
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ A2	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company.
flame /fleɪm/ B2	noun - a hot glowing body of ignited gas that is generated by something on fire. noun - a strong feeling of passion, especially love or anger.
flicker /ˈflɪkər/ B2	verb - (of a light or fire) shine unsteadily; vary rapidly in brightness.
dark /dɑːrk/ A1	adjective - with little or no light. noun - the absence of light; darkness.

Key Grammar Structures

• ♪ I'VE BEEN WORKING HARD ♪

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ The 'Present Perfect Continuous' (have/has + been + -ing verb) is used to talk about actions that started in the past and are still continuing up to the present, or actions that recently stopped but have an effect on the present. Here, "I'VE BEEN WORKING HARD" emphasizes the continuous effort over a period of time.

• ♪ HAVEN'T I DARLIN' ♪

  ➔ Tag Question

  ➔ A 'tag question' is a short question added to the end of a statement. It's often used to confirm information or to invite agreement. The structure is usually 'auxiliary verb + pronoun'. If the statement is positive, the tag is negative (e.g., 'have been working' -> "HAVEN'T I").

• ♪ EVEN IF IT AIN'T WITH ME ♪

  ➔ Conditional Clause with 'Even If'

  ➔ "EVEN IF" introduces a concession in a conditional clause, meaning 'whether or not' or 'despite the fact that'. It implies that the main clause will happen regardless of the condition. "AIN'T" is an informal contraction for 'is not', 'are not', 'has not', or 'have not'.

• ♪ WELL IF HE DON'T EVER LIGHT YOUR SPARK ♪

  ➔ First Conditional (Type 1)

  ➔ The 'First Conditional' (If + present simple, will + base verb) is used to talk about possible future situations and their probable results. Here, "IF HE DON'T EVER LIGHT YOUR SPARK" (where 'don't' is informal for 'doesn't') describes a real possibility, and the consequence is implied in the following line ('Remember I know your heart by heart').

• ♪ KEEP ON GOING BACK AND FORTH ♪

  ➔ Phrasal Verb + Gerund

  ➔ "KEEP ON" is a 'phrasal verb' meaning to continue doing something. It is almost always followed by a 'gerund' (the -ing form of a verb used as a noun or after prepositions). Here, "GOING" is the gerund, emphasizing the continuous movement or action.

• ♪ YOU’VE GOT THE SWEETEST LOVIN' TO GIVE ♪

  ➔ Superlative Adjective + Infinitive of Purpose / Relative Clause Reduction

  ➔ Here, "SWEETEST" is a 'superlative adjective' (the most sweet). The phrase "TO GIVE" functions as an 'infinitive of purpose' or a reduced relative clause (meaning 'loving *that you have* to give' or 'loving *which can be* given by you'), specifying what kind of loving is being referred to. "LOVIN'" is an informal contraction of 'loving'.

• ♪ I'D HATE YOU TO WASTE IT ♪

  ➔ Verb + Object + Infinitive Structure

  ➔ This is a common English 'verb structure' where a verb (like 'hate', 'want', 'expect', 'like', 'ask', etc.) is followed by an object pronoun and then an infinitive verb. "I'D" is a contraction of 'I would', indicating a hypothetical or desired outcome.

• ♪ HOLDIN' YOU TIGHT IN THE BACK OF YOUR CAR ♪

  ➔ Present Participle (Colloquial)

  ➔ "HOLDIN'" is a colloquial shortening of 'holding', which is a 'present participle'. Here, it likely implies a simultaneous action (while holding you) or describes a state of being in a more vivid way than a simple past tense verb might. It adds a sense of ongoing or continuous action.

• ♪ WELL YOU GOTTA LEAVE TOWN ♪

  ➔ Informal Modal Verb for Obligation ('Gotta')

  ➔ "GOTTA" is an informal contraction of 'have got to' or 'got to', which expresses 'obligation', 'necessity', or 'strong recommendation'. It's very common in spoken English. It's similar to 'must' or 'have to'.

• ♪ CUS YOU WILL ALWAYS BE ON MY MIND ♪

  ➔ Future Simple (Will) for Prediction/Certainty + Idiom

  ➔ The 'Future Simple' with "WILL" is used here to express a prediction or a strong certainty about a future state or ongoing truth. "CUS" is informal for 'because'. "ON MY MIND" is an 'idiom' meaning 'being thought about' or 'something you are often thinking about'.

• ♪ BUT IF WAKING UP SEEMS WAY TOO HARD ♪

  ➔ Gerund as Subject

  ➔ In this sentence, "WAKING UP" is a 'gerund phrase' acting as the subject of the verb "SEEMS". A gerund is the -ing form of a verb that functions as a noun. It refers to the *act* of waking up.