Just Before Goodbye – English Lyrics

• By: Nina Nesbitt
• Album: Peroxide

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotions of Nina Nesbitt's "Just Before Goodbye," a powerful pop ballad perfect for exploring English vocabulary related to relationships and heartache. Its clear narrative and heartfelt lyrics offer a compelling way to practice listening comprehension and understand common expressions used in breakup songs, making it special for its relatable and honest portrayal of farewells.

[English]

You got new jeans, the hoodie's not gone

I'm in the new dress that I've never worn

And I could have sworn

You didn't bat an eye when I walked

Into the room and I first thought

You could be the one

Have we been seeing the world through a piece of shattered glass

'Cause something so beautiful could fall apart so fast

Just before goodbye

You had the chance to change your mind

Just before you lied, saying

You gave this your best try

It's not enough to try

You have to give your blood and tears and time

You had one last chance to change your mind

Just before goodbye

Curtains are drawn but we're still dressed

The film plays on right under my bed

I ask what is left now

But you ignore, pretend that we're fine

We're not together, half of the time

I would have known the signs

Have we been seeing the world through a piece of shattered glass

'Cause something so beautiful could fall apart so fast

Don't you understand

Just before goodbye

You had the chance to change your mind

Just before you lied, saying

You gave this your best try

It's not enough to try

You have to give your blood and tears and time

Take the world of hurt inside

You had one last chance to change your mind

Just before goodbye

...

Just before goodbye

You had the chance to change your mind

And just before you lied saying

Is this your best try?

It's not enough to try

You have to give your blood and tears and time

Take the world of hurt inside

You had one last chance to change your mind

Just before goodbye

Before goodbye

Before goodbye

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
jeans /dʒiːnz/ A2	noun - pants made of denim fabric
hoodie /ˈhʊdi/ B1	noun - a sweatshirt with a hood
dress /drɛs/ A2	noun/verb - a one-piece garment for women / to put on clothes
sworn /swɔːrn/ B2	verb (past participle of swear) - to declare or promise solemnly
room /ruːm/ A1	noun - a space that can be occupied or filled
thought /θɔːt/ B1	noun/verb (past of think) - an idea or opinion / to have considered
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the planet or all of existence
glass /ɡlæs/ A2	noun - a hard, transparent material / a container for liquids
beautiful /ˈbjuːtɪfəl/ B2	adjective - pleasing to look at
fall /fɔːl/ B1	verb/noun - to drop downward / a descent or movement downward
goodbye /ɡʊdˈbaɪ/ A1	interjection - a farewell remark
chance /tʃɑːns/ B2	noun - a possibility of something happening
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ B1	verb/noun - to become different / the process of becoming different
blood /blʊd/ A2	noun - the red liquid in the body
tears /tɪərz/ A2	noun - drops of clear, salty liquid from eyes
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - measured period during which an action occurs
hurt /hɜːrt/ B1	verb/noun - to feel pain / physical pain or injury

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm in the new dress that I've never worn

  ➔ Relative clause with 'that' (defining/restrictive)

  ➔ The relative clause "that I've never worn" modifies the noun "dress", providing essential information about which dress is being referred to. The use of 'that' is common and often preferred over 'which' in defining relative clauses.

• And I could have sworn

  ➔ Modal verb 'could' + 'have' + past participle (sworn) for past possibility/deduction.

  ➔ "Could have sworn" implies a strong belief or conviction in the past that turned out to be wrong. It expresses a past possibility that did not materialize.

• Have we been seeing the world through a piece of shattered glass?

  ➔ Present perfect continuous tense (Have + been + -ing form) - emphasizes the duration of an action that started in the past and continues to the present, often with a focus on the process.

  ➔ The question asks whether they have been consistently perceiving the world in a distorted or negative way, suggesting a prolonged period of flawed understanding or perspective.

• You had the chance to change your mind

  ➔ Past simple tense + 'had the chance to' + infinitive (change) - Expresses that someone had an opportunity in the past to do something.

  ➔ The phrase "had the chance to" indicates that the person being addressed possessed a specific opportunity to alter a course of action or decision, which they did not take.

• It's not enough to try

  ➔ Use of the infinitive ('to try') as a noun/subject complement. 'Enough' as an adjective modifying the infinitive phrase.

  ➔ This statement emphasizes that merely attempting something is insufficient; a greater level of commitment or effort is required to achieve success or a desired outcome.