How Long – English Lyrics

• By: Charlie Puth

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Charlie Puth's "How Long," a groovy pop-funk track with relatable lyrics about honesty and regret in relationships. Its clear storytelling and expressive vocals make it an excellent song for English language learners to understand emotions and conversational phrases. The catchy beat and direct narrative offer an engaging way to grasp common expressions related to apology and questioning trust.

[English]

Ooh, yeah

I'll admit, I was wrong, what else can I say, girl?

Can't you play my head and not my heart

I was drunk, I was gone, that don't make it right, but

Promise there were no feelings involved, mmh

She said, "Boy, tell me honestly

Was it real or just for show?", yeah

She said, "Save your apologies

Baby, I just gotta know"

How long has this been goin' on?

You been creepin' 'round on me

While you callin' me "baby"

How long has this been goin' on?

You been actin' so shady (shady)

I've been feelin' it lately, baby

Ooo-oh (yeah)

Ooo-oh (encore)

Oooh-ooh-oh

I'll admit, it's my fault, but you gotta believe me

When I say it only happened once, mmh

I tried (I tried), and I tried (I tried), but you'll never see that

You're the only I wanna love, oh, yeah

She said "Boy, tell me honestly" (honestly)

"Was it real or just for show?", yeah (real or just for show?)

She said, "Save your apologies" (apologies, yeah)

"Baby, I just gotta know"

How long has this been goin' on?

You been creepin' 'round on me (on me)

While you callin' me "baby" (baby)

How long has this been goin' on?

You been actin' so shady (shady)

I've been feelin' it lately (lately), baby

Ooo-oh (yeah)

Ooo-oh (encore)

Oooh-ooh-oh

How long has it been goin' on, baby?

Ooo-oh (yeah)

Ooo-oh, you gotta go tell me now

Oooh-ooh-oh

She said, "Boy, tell me honestly"

"Was it real or just for show?", yeah

She said, "Save your apologies"

Baby, I just gotta know"

How long has this been goin' on? (on, on)

You been creepin' 'round on me (on me)

While you callin' me "baby" (baby)

How long has this been goin' on?

You been actin' so shady (shady)

I've been feelin' it lately (lately), baby

How long has this been goin' on?

You've been creepin' 'round on me

How long has it been goin' on, baby? Oh

How long has this been goin' on?

You've been actin' so shady (shady)

I've been feelin' it lately, baby

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
say /seɪ/ A1	verb - to utter words
head /hed/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood
drunk /drʌŋk/ A2	adjective - having drunk too much alcohol
right /raɪt/ A2	adjective - morally good, justified, or correct noun - something that is morally or legally correct
feelings /ˈfiːlɪŋz/ B1	noun - an emotional state or reaction
honestly /ˈɒnɪstli/ B1	adverb - in a truthful way
show /ʃəʊ/ A2	noun - an act or instance of presenting something to be seen or noticed verb - to present something to be seen or noticed
baby /ˈbeɪbi/ A1	noun - a very young child noun - a term of endearment
shady /ˈʃeɪdi/ B2	adjective - appearing deceitful or unreliable
fault /fɔːlt/ B1	noun - responsibility for a wrong or a failure
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A2	verb - to accept something as true
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to have a strong affection for someone or something noun - an intense feeling of affection
goin' /ˈɡəʊɪn/ A1	verb - to go
actin' /ˈæktɪn/ A2	verb - to behave in a particular way
lately /ˈleɪtli/ B1	adverb - recently
creepin' /ˈkriːpɪn/ B2	verb - to move slowly and carefully in order to avoid being seen or heard
apologies /əˈpɒlədʒɪz/ B1	noun - a regretful acknowledgment of an offense or failure

Key Grammar Structures

• Can't you play my head and not my heart

  ➔ Inversion for emphasis, using 'can't' at the beginning of the sentence.

  ➔ The sentence uses a rhetorical question with inverted word order. Instead of 'You can't play my head and not my heart', the 'can't' is moved to the beginning for a more dramatic effect. It implies the speaker wants the other person to focus on their thoughts rather than their emotions. The phrase 'play my head' is a metaphor for influencing someone's thinking.

• She said, "Boy, tell me honestly Was it real or just for show?"

  ➔ Indirect speech with a direct quote embedded within it. Use of a tag question ('or just for show?').

  ➔ This line demonstrates reported speech. The phrase 'She said' introduces what someone else stated. The part within the quotation marks is a direct quote, preserving the original wording. The tag question 'or just for show?' seeks confirmation or clarification.

• How long has this been goin' on?

  ➔ Present perfect continuous tense used to inquire about the duration of an action that started in the past and continues to the present.

  ➔ The phrase 'has been goin' on' is a contraction of 'has been going on'. It's a key structure for asking about how long something has been happening. The present perfect continuous emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action.

• You been creepin' 'round on me

  ➔ Ellipsis of 'have' in informal speech. Use of phrasal verb 'creep around'.

  ➔ The sentence omits the auxiliary verb 'have' for a more colloquial and conversational tone. 'Creep around' is a phrasal verb meaning to behave secretly or suspiciously. The 'on me' indicates the target of the secretive behavior.