I'll Never Know Why – English Lyrics

• By: Jessie J
• Album: Don't Tease Me With A Good Time

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw, emotional depth of Jessie J's "I'll Never Know Why," a powerful, piano-backed R&B ballad that showcases her incredible vocal control and ability to convey intense sorrow. Learning the English lyrics to this song provides a profound study in expressing complex emotions like grief, guilt, and unresolved loss, using simple yet poignant language. The track's universal themes of missing a loved one and struggling with mental health awareness make its vocabulary incredibly relevant and impactful.

[English]

I never walked inside your shoes

I won't pretend what life was like

for you

You always kept me close and safe

I wish I could've done the same

for you

I wanna tell you everything

I love you and I mean it

But when you left, I lost my peace of mind

How could you say goodbye

without saying goodbye?

How did I stop and notice

you were lost and hopeless

And we still ran out of time?

I know you must've had your reasons

to leave us all behind

I'll never know why

You knew me better than they did

You always took the worst of it

alone

You sacrificed so much, I know

A heart of gold, but such a tortured soul

I wanna tell you everything

I love you and I mean it

But when you left, I lost my peace of mind

How could you say goodbye

without saying goodbye?

How did I stop and notice

you were lost and hopeless

And we still ran out of time?

I know you must've had your reasons

to leave us all behind

I'll never know why

How could you say goodbye

without saying goodbye?

How did I stop and notice

you were lost and hopeless

And we still ran out of time?

I just want you to know that

you're still loved like you're alive

I wish you knew why

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
walked /wɔːkt/ A1	verb - to move on foot (past tense of walk)
shoes /ʃuːz/ A1	noun - footwear covering the feet
pretend /prɪˈtɛnd/ B1	verb - to act as if something is true though it is not
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the existence of living beings
wish /wɪʃ/ B1	verb - to desire or hope for something
tell /tɛl/ A1	verb - to communicate information
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - deep affection
lost /lɒst/ B1	verb - unable to find one's way; missing
peace /piːs/ B2	noun - freedom from disturbance; tranquility
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that thinks, feels, etc.
goodbye /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ A1	noun - a farewell phrase
hopeless /ˈhoʊpləs/ C1	adjective - without hope; despairing
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - measured period
reasons /ˈriːzənz/ B1	noun - explanations or causes
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - organ that pumps blood; symbol of affection
gold /ɡoʊld/ A2	noun - a precious yellow metal
tortured /ˈtɔːrtʃərd/ C1	adjective - subjected to severe pain or suffering
soul /soʊl/ B2	noun - the spiritual part of a person
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living; not dead
alone /əˈloʊn/ A2	adjective - by oneself; solitary

Key Grammar Structures

• I never walked inside your shoes

  ➔ Simple Past tense

  ➔ The phrase "walked" is in simple past tense, indicating an action completed in the past.

• I won't pretend what life was like for you

  ➔ Negative future tense with 'will not' and past simple tense

  ➔ "won't pretend" shows refusal in the future, while "was" describes past state.

• I wish I could've done the same for you

  ➔ Past modal perfect form expressing regret

  ➔ "could've done" shows an unfulfilled ability or wish in the past.

• How could you say goodbye without saying goodbye?

  ➔ Modal verb 'could' for polite or speculative question

  ➔ "could" invites reflection or speculation about the action ability in a question form.

• You knew me better than they did

  ➔ Past simple with comparative clause

  ➔ "knew" shows past knowledge, "better than they did" compares ability with others.

• You sacrificed so much, I know

  ➔ Past simple tense and present simple for affirmation

  ➔ "sacrificed" shows completed action in past, "I know" affirms current belief.

• I just want you to know that you're still loved like you're alive

  ➔ Present simple tense with indirect object and complement clauses

  ➔ "want you to know" uses verb + object + infinitive structure; "that you're still loved" is a complement clause.