I Should Have Cheated – English Lyrics

• By: Keyshia Cole
• Album: The Way It Is

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw and relatable emotions of Keyshia Cole's "I Should Have Cheated." This powerful R&B track offers a window into everyday English expressions of heartbreak, injustice, and the complexities of trust in relationships. By exploring its candid lyrics, you can learn common phrases and emotional vocabulary, making it a compelling song for understanding heartfelt storytelling in English music.

[English]

[RHYTHM AND BLUES MUSIC]

♪ BABY ♪

♪ FIRST OF ALL LET ME SAY ♪

♪ YOU CAN'T ACCUSE ME OF ALL THE THINGS ♪

♪ YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE GUILTY OF ♪

♪ AND I SEE THAT IT IS EASY FOR ♪

♪ YOU TO BLAME EVERYTHING ON ME ♪

♪ IF THAT'S THE CASE ♪

♪ I SHOULD GO HAVE MY FUN ♪

♪ AND DO ALL THE THINGS YOU SAY I DO ♪

♪ BOY I CAN'T ♪

♪ CONTINUE TO TAKE THIS FROM YOU ♪

♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE CHEATED ON YOU ♪

♪ AS MUCH AS YOU ACCUSED ME OF CHEATING ♪

♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE LIED TO YOU ♪

♪ AS MUCH AS YOU ACCUSED ME OF LYING ♪

♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE GONE TO THE CLUB ♪

♪ AS MUCH AS YOU ACCUSED ME OF CLUBBIN' ♪

♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE THREW AWAY MY LOVE ♪

♪ AS MUCH AS YOU ACCUSED ME ♪

♪ I SHOULD HAVE CHEATED ♪

♪ YOU SAY I WAS OUT ♪

♪ WITH SOMEBODY ELSE WHEN MY GIRL ♪

♪ TOLD ME SHE SAW YOU WITH SOME GIRL ♪

♪ SOME GIRL ♪

♪ BUT I DIDN'T ♪

♪ ACCUSE YOU OF SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T SEE MYSELF ♪

♪ SEE MYSELF ♪ ♪ REALIZE ♪

♪ THAT I WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING TO DISRESPECT YOU ♪

♪ TRUST ME, YOU GOTTA STOP ACCUSING ♪

♪ ME ♪ ♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE ♪

♪ CHEATED ON YOU ♪

♪ AS MUCH AS YOU ACCUSED ME OF CHEATING ♪

♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE LIED TO YOU ♪

♪ AS MUCH AS YOU ACCUSED ME OF LYING ♪

♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE GONE TO THE CLUB ♪

♪ AS MUCH AS YOU ACCUSED ME OF CLUBBIN' ♪

♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE THREW AWAY MY LOVE ♪

♪ AS MUCH AS YOU ACCUSED ME ♪

♪ DON'T YOU KNOW I WISH I KNEW ♪

♪ THAT YOU WOULD TREAT ME THIS WAY ♪

♪ IF YOU DON'T PROMISE ME ♪

♪ THAT YOU'VE CHANGED YOUR WAYS I'M LEAVING TODAY ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T COMING BACK ♪

♪ AND YOU MADE IT LIKE THAT ♪

♪ WAS UNFAIR TO ME ♪

♪ ALL THIS JEALOUSY ♪

♪ I'M YOUR EVERYTHING ♪

♪ WHAT WILL YOU DO WITHOUT ME ♪

♪ WHY YOU TRIPPIN' ♪

♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE CHEATED ON YOU ♪

♪ OH, BABY ♪

♪ AS MUCH AS YOU ACCUSED ME OF CHEATING ♪

♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE ♪ ♪ LIED TO YOU ♪

♪ OOH ♪

♪ AS MUCH AS YOU ACCUSED ME OF LYING ♪

♪ BABY ♪ ♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE ♪

♪ BABY ♪ ♪ GONE TO THE CLUB ♪

♪ AS MUCH AS YOU ACCUSED ME OF CLUBBIN' ♪

♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE THREW AWAY MY LOVE ♪

♪ I SHOULD HAVE GAVE IT ALL AWAY ♪

♪ AS MUCH AS YOU ACCUSED ME ♪

♪ I SHOULD HAVE CHEATED ♪

♪ I SHOULD HAVE LIED ♪

♪ I SHOULD HAVE CHEATED ♪

♪ MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE WENT OUT TO THE CLUB ♪

♪ OR MAYBE I, I SHOULD HAVE DONE IT ♪

♪ SHOULD HAVE GIVEN AWAY ALL MY LOVE ♪

♪ OR MAYBE I, I SHOULD HAVE PLAYED YOU ♪

♪ CAUSE YOU DON'T APPRECIATE ME, NO ♪

♪ AND I TRIED TO STAY DOWN WITH YOU ♪

♪ BUT YOU'RE MAKING IT HARD FOR ME ♪

♪ I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE ♪ ♪ CAN'T YOU SEE IT BABY THAT ♪

♪ I SHOULD HAVE CHEATED ♪

♪ I SHOULD HAVE CHEATED ♪

♪ I SHOULD HAVE CHEATED ♪

♪ I SHOULD HAVE CHEATED ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
accuse /əˈkjuːz/ B1	verb - to state that someone has done something wrong
cheated /tʃiːtɪd/ B1	verb - to act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage
lying /ˈlaɪɪŋ/ A2	verb - to say or write something that is not true
club /klʌb/ A2	noun - a building or room used for social events
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a strong feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child
jealousy /ˈdʒeləsi/ B2	noun - the feeling of being jealous
everything /ˈevriθɪŋ/ A1	noun - all things
trip /trɪp/ A2	verb - to make a mistake or fall verb - to experience a hallucinatory state noun - a journey or excursion
ways /weɪz/ A1	noun - a method of doing something
promise /ˈprɒmɪs/ A2	verb - to tell someone that you will definitely do something noun - a declaration assuring that one will do or refrain from doing something
unfair /ʌnˈfeər/ B1	adjective - not treating people equally
know /nəʊ/ A1	verb - to be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information
see /siː/ A1	verb - to perceive with the eyes; discern visually.
gave /ɡeɪv/ A1	verb - past tense of 'give'
treat /triːt/ A2	verb - to behave towards someone or deal with something in a particular way
away /əˈweɪ/ A1	adverb - from a particular place or person

Key Grammar Structures

• You can't accuse me of all the things

  ➔ Modal verb 'can't' + infinitive (accuse).

  ➔ This uses the modal verb 'can't' (cannot) to express inability or prohibition.

• You know that you are guilty of

  ➔ Present simple tense ('are' - form of 'be') and the adjective 'guilty'.

  ➔ This describes a state of being, using 'are' as a form of the verb 'to be', and 'guilty' as an adjective.

• I might as well have cheated on you

  ➔ 'Might as well' + perfect infinitive ('have cheated').

  ➔ This uses 'might as well' to express that something would have been a good idea, or the same as what is happening.

• As much as you accused me of cheating

  ➔ Comparative phrase 'as much as'. Past tense 'accused' + gerund 'cheating'.

  ➔ Compares the degree of accusation. Uses 'accused' in past simple and 'cheating' as a gerund (noun form of the verb).

• I should have cheated

  ➔ 'Should have' + past participle ('cheated').

  ➔ Expresses regret or a missed opportunity. It implies that cheating would have been a better choice in the past.

• I'm leaving today

  ➔ Present continuous tense ('am leaving') used for a future action.

  ➔ This is a planned or decided future action. It's a very common usage of the present continuous.

• What will you do without me

  ➔ Future tense ('will do'). Question structure. Preposition 'without'.

  ➔ This uses the future tense ('will') to ask a question about the future. It also uses the preposition 'without' to express the absence of the speaker.

• Why you trippin'

  ➔ Informal use of 'why' at the start of a question. Present continuous tense, but used informally.

  ➔ This is slang and colloquial. The question is phrased to be direct and informal.