I Wish You Would – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift
• Album: 1989 (Taylor's Version)

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the world of 'I Wish You Would' by Taylor Swift, a captivating synth-pop track from the album 1989. Through vivid lyrics and a nostalgic sound, this song offers a peek into the complexities of love, regret, and longing. Explore the nuances of the English language as Taylor Swift masterfully narrates a tale of missed connections and unspoken desires, making this song a poignant exploration of human emotion and a fantastic way to learn about storytelling through music.

[English]

It's 2 AM in your car

Windows down, you pass my street, the memories start

You say it's in the past, you drive straight ahead

You're thinking that I hate you now

'Cause you still don't know what I never said

I wish you would come back

Wish I never hung up the phone like I did, I

Wish you knew that

I'd never forget you as long as I live, and I

Wish you were right here, right now, it's all good

I wish you would

It's 2 AM

in my room

Headlights pass the window pane, I think of you

We're a crooked love

in a straight line down

Makes you wanna run and hide

But it made us turn right back around

I wish you would come back

Wish I never hung up the phone like I did, I

Wish you knew that

I'd never forget you as long as I live, and I

Wish you were right here, right now, it's all good

I wish you would

I wish we could go back

And remember what we were fighting for, and I

Wish you knew that

I miss you too much to be mad anymore, and I

Wish you were right here, right now, it's all good

I wish you would

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

You always knew how to push my buttons

You give me everything and nothing

This mad, mad love makes you

Come running

And I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

You always knew how to push my buttons

You give me everything and nothing

This mad, mad love makes you

Come running

Stand right back where you stood

I wish you would, I wish you would

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

It's 2 AM

Here we are

See your face, hear my voice in the dark

We're a crooked love

in a straight line down

Makes you wanna run and hide

But it made us turn right back around

I wish you would come back

Wish I never hung up the phone like I did, I

Wish you knew that

I'd never forget you as long as I live, and I

Wish you were right here, right now, it's all good

I wish you would

I wish we could go back

And remember what we were fighting for, and I

Wish you knew that

I miss you too much to be mad anymore, and I

Wish you were right here, right now, it's all good

I wish you would

You always knew how to push my buttons

You give me everything and nothing

This mad, mad love makes you

Come running

And I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

You always knew how to push my buttons

You give me everything and nothing

This mad, mad love makes you

Come running

Stand right back where you stood

I wish you would, I wish you would

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

I, I, I, I, I, I wish I, wish I

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
memory /ˈmɛm.ə.ri/ B1	noun - the ability to remember things from the past
drive /draɪv/ B1	verb - to operate a vehicle; to control a vehicle
pass /pæs/ A2	verb - to go by or move past something or someone
love /lʌv/ A2	noun - a strong feeling of affection or deep attachment verb - to have a deep affection for someone or something
wish /wɪʃ/ B1	verb - to want something to happen or be true noun - a hope or desire for something to happen
forget /fərˈɡɛt/ B2	verb - to fail to remember something
know /noʊ/ A2	verb - to be aware of facts or information
live /lɪv/ A2	verb - to have life; to exist
come /kʌm/ A2	verb - to move toward a person or place
turn /tɜrn/ B1	verb - to move in a circular direction; to change direction
fight /faɪt/ B2	verb - to use physical force to oppose someone or something
stand /stænd/ A2	verb - to be in an upright position

Key Grammar Structures

• You're thinking that I hate you now 'Cause you still don't know what I never said

  ➔ Present continuous for assumption + Relative clause with omitted relative pronoun.

  ➔ "You're thinking" uses the present continuous to suggest the speaker's belief about the other person's current thought process. "what I never said" is a relative clause modifying what the person doesn't know. The relative pronoun "that" could be added: "what I never said" is a relative clause modifying what the person doesn't know.

• Wish I never hung up the phone like I did, I

  ➔ Counterfactual wish with past perfect tense + Ellipsis

  ➔ "Wish I never hung up..." expresses regret about a past action. Using the past perfect "never hung up" shows that the speaker wishes they had acted differently in the past. "like I did" uses ellipsis, omitting "hung up the phone."

• I miss you too much to be mad anymore, and I

  ➔ "too + adjective + to" construction.

  ➔ This structure means that the degree of missing is so much, it inhibits being angry. "Too much to be mad" indicates a consequence of the level of longing. The speaker cannot maintain their anger because their longing outweighs it.

• This mad, mad love makes you Come running

  ➔ Repetition for emphasis + causative "make" + bare infinitive.

  ➔ "Mad, mad love" uses repetition to intensify the description of the love. "Makes you come running" uses the causative verb "make," followed by the object "you" and the bare infinitive "come." It means this love compels the person to return.