I Can Do It With A Broken Heart – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift
• Album: The Tortured Poets Department

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the poignant story behind Taylor Swift's 'I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,' a song that reveals the emotional challenges she faced while touring during a difficult time. Discover how Swift channels her experiences into music, offering listeners a glimpse into her resilience and artistry.

[English]

I can read your mind “She's  having the time of her life”  

There in her glittering prime  The lights refract sequin stars Off  

her silhouette every night  I can show you lies 

Cause I'm a real tough kid  I can handle my shit  

They said, "Babe, you gotta  fake it til you make it."  

And I did  Lights, camera, bitch smile  

Even when you want to die  He said he'd love me all his life 

But that life was too short  Breaking down I hit the floor  

All the pieces of me shattered  

As the crowd was chanting “MORE!”  I was grinning like I'm winning  

I was hitting my marks  Cause I can do it with a broken heart. 

I'm so depressed I act like it's my birthday  Every day  

I'm so obsessed with him but he avoids me  Like the plague  

I cry a lot but I am so productive  It's an art  

You know you're good when you can  even do it with a broken heart 

I can hold my breath  I've been doing it since he left  

I keep finding his things in drawers  Crucial evidence I didn't imagine the  

whole thing I'm sure  I can pass this test 

Cause I'm a real tough kid  I can handle my shit  

They said, “Babe, you gotta  fake it til you make it”  

And I did  

Lights, camera, bitch smile  In stilettos for miles  

He said he'd love me for all time  But that time was quite short  

Breaking down I hit the floor  All the pieces of me shattered  

As the crowd was chanting “MORE!”  I was grinning like I'm  

winning I was hitting my marks  Cause I can do it with a broken heart 

I'm so depressed I act like it's my birthday  Every day  

I'm so obsessed with him but he avoids me  Like the plague  

I cry a lot but I am so productive  It's an art 

You know you're good when you can  even do it with a broken heart  

You know you're good when you can  even do it with a broken heart  

You know you're good, and I'm  good Cause I'm MISERABLE!  

And nobody even knows!  Try and come for my job. 

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
broken /ˈbroʊkən/ A1	adjective - damaged or separated into pieces
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood in the body; also symbolizes emotions
depressed /dɪˈprɛst/ B1	adjective - feeling very sad and without hope
obsessed /əbˈsɛst/ B1	adjective - thinking about something or someone constantly
productive /prəˈdʌktɪv/ B2	adjective - achieving a lot or producing good results
shattered /ˈʃætərd/ B1	adjective - broken into many pieces; emotionally destroyed
grinning /ˈɡrɪnɪŋ/ A2	verb - smiling broadly, often without real happiness
chanting /ˈtʃæntɪŋ/ B1	verb - repeating words or sounds in a singsong manner
evidence /ˈɛvɪdəns/ B1	noun - something that proves a fact or claim
stilettos /stəˈlɛtoʊz/ B2	noun - high-heeled shoes with a thin, sharp heel
refract /rɪˈfrækt/ C1	verb - to bend or change the direction of a wave or ray of light
silhouette /ˌsɪlʊˈɛt/ B2	noun - the outline of a figure seen against a background
plague /pleɪɡ/ B1	noun - a contagious bacterial disease; also used metaphorically to mean something very troublesome
crucial /ˈkruːʃəl/ B2	adjective - extremely important or necessary
miserable /ˈmɪzərəbl/ A2	adjective - very unhappy or uncomfortable

Key Grammar Structures

• I can read your mind “She's having the time of her life”

  ➔ Modal verb 'can' indicating ability

  ➔ The word "can" expresses the speaker's ability to read someone's mind.

• They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it til you make it."

  ➔ Contraction 'gotta' for 'got to' indicating obligation; informal speech

  ➔ The contraction "gotta" replaces "got to" and shows an informal expression of necessity or obligation.

• He said he'd love me all his life

  ➔ Use of contraction 'he'd' for 'he would' indicating conditional or future in the past

  ➔ The contraction "he'd" shortens "he would", commonly used for conditional or hypothetical situations.

• Breaking down I hit the floor

  ➔ Gerund phrase 'Breaking down' used as an adverbial phrase indicating simultaneous action

  ➔ The gerund phrase "Breaking down" describes an action happening at the same time as "I hit the floor."

• You know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart

  ➔ Second conditional structure and use of relative adverb 'when'

  ➔ "You know you're good" sets a fact, while "when you can even do it" introduces a condition in time defining when that fact applies.

• I'm so depressed I act like it's my birthday every day

  ➔ Use of simple present tense in expressing habitual action; simile 'act like'

  ➔ "I act like" uses a simile to compare behaving as if it were a birthday, with "every day" showing habitual action.

• Cause I can do it with a broken heart.

  ➔ Contraction ‘Cause’ for ‘Because’ in informal style; modal ‘can’ expressing ability

  ➔ "Cause" replaces the formal "Because" for a casual tone, while "can" shows the speaker's ability.

• You know you're good, and I'm good Cause I'm MISERABLE! And nobody even knows!

  ➔ Comma coordinating conjunction; contrast expressed with 'and'; use of emphasis with uppercase

  ➔ The comma connects two independent clauses with 'and' showing contrast; capitalization of 'MISERABLE' emphasizes strong feeling.