Look What You Made Me Do – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift

Lyrics & Translation

If you're looking to dive into contemporary English pop culture and language, "Look What You Made Me Do" is a powerful choice. You can learn sharp, dramatic language focused on conflict, retribution, and self-reclamation. Its layered lyrics and highly symbolic music video offer a masterclass in modern, veiled references and figurative expressions—what fans call 'easter eggs'—making it special for analyzing how a pop star uses language to strategically transform her public identity.

[English]

I don't like your little games

Don't like your tilted stage

The role you made me play of the fool

No, I don't like you

I don't like your perfect crime

How you laugh when you lie

You said the gun was mine

Isn't cool, no, I don't like you (oh!)

But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time

Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time

I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined

I check it once, then I check it twice, oh!

Ooh, look what you made me do

Look what you made me do

Look what you just made me do

Look what you just made me...

Ooh, look what you made me do

Look what you made me do

Look what you just made me do

Look what you just made me do

I (I) don't (don't) like your kingdom keys (keys)

They (they) once belonged to me (me)

You (you) asked me for a place to sleep

Locked me out and threw a feast (what?)

The world moves on, another day another drama, drama

But not for me, not for me, all I think about is karma

And then the world moves on, but one thing's for sure

Maybe I got mine, but you'll all get yours

But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time (nick of time)

Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time (I do it all the time)

I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined

I check it once, then I check it twice, oh!

Ooh, look what you made me do

Look what you made me do

Look what you just made me do

Look what you just made me...

Ooh, look what you made me do

Look what you made me do

Look what you just made me do

Look what you just made me do

I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me

I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams

I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me

I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams

I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me

I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams

I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me

I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams

(Ooh, look what you made me do)

(Look what you made me do)

(Look what you just made me do) I'm sorry

But the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now

Why? Oh, 'cause she's dead (oh)

Ooh, look what you made me do

Look what you made me do

Look what you just made me do

Look what you just made me...

Ooh, look what you made me do

Look what you made me do

Look what you just made me do

Look what you just made me do

Ooh, look what you made me do

Look what you made me do

Look what you just made me do

Look what you just made me...

Ooh, look what you made me do

Look what you made me do

Look what you just made me do

Look what you just made me do

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
make /meɪk/ A1	verb - to create or produce something verb - to cause someone or something to be or do something
game /ɡeɪm/ A1	noun - an activity or sport with rules, played for entertainment or competition noun - a deceitful or underhand scheme or maneuver
tilted /ˈtɪltɪd/ B1	adjective - leaning or slanting to one side
stage /steɪdʒ/ B1	noun - a raised platform in a theater, hall, etc., on which actors, entertainers, or speakers perform noun - a point, period, or step in a process or development
role /roʊl/ B1	noun - the part played by an actor or actress in a drama noun - the function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation
fool /fuːl/ A2	noun - a person who acts unwisely or stupidly; a silly or ignorant person verb - to trick or deceive someone; to make someone seem foolish
crime /kraɪm/ A2	noun - an action or omission which constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law
lie /laɪ/ A2	verb - to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive noun - an intentionally false statement
gun /ɡʌn/ A2	noun - a weapon incorporating a metal tube from which bullets, shells, or other missiles are propelled by explosive force
smart /smɑːrt/ A1	adjective - having or showing a quick-witted intelligence
rise /raɪz/ A2	verb - to move from a lower position to a higher one; ascend noun - an act of moving upward; an increase in number, amount, or intensity
dead /ded/ A1	adjective - no longer alive; deceased
underlined /ˌʌndərˈlaɪnd/ B1	adjective - having a line drawn underneath it to emphasize or indicate something verb - (past participle of 'underline') to draw a line underneath a word or phrase to emphasize it
kingdom /ˈkɪŋdəm/ B1	noun - a country, state, or territory ruled by a king or queen
feast /fiːst/ B1	noun - a large meal, typically one in celebration of something verb - to eat and drink sumptuously
drama /ˈdrɑːmə/ B1	noun - a play, film, or television show that deals with serious subjects or emotions noun - an exciting, emotional, or unexpected event or sequence of events
karma /ˈkɑːrmə/ B2	noun - the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences
trust /trʌst/ A2	verb - to believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something noun - firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something
actress /ˈæktrəs/ A2	noun - a female actor
dream /driːm/ A1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep verb - to experience a dream during sleep

Key Grammar Structures

• The role you made me play of the fool

  ➔ Causative Verb "make" + bare infinitive

  ➔ The structure "make + object + bare infinitive" means to "force" or "cause" someone to do something. Here, "you" forced "me" to "play" the role.

• You said the gun was mine

  ➔ Reported Speech (Past Simple) & Possessive Pronoun

  ➔ This is an example of reported speech, where direct speech ("The gun is mine") is converted into an indirect statement. The tense often shifts back in reported speech (e.g., "is" becomes "was"). "Mine" is a possessive pronoun meaning "my gun."

• But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time

  ➔ Comparative Adjectives & Phrasal Verb "get" (meaning "become")

  ➔ "Smarter" and "harder" are comparative forms of "smart" and "hard," indicating an increase in these qualities. The phrasal verb "got" (past simple of "get") means "became" in this context, showing a change in state.

• I got a list of names, and yours is in red, underlined

  ➔ Past Participle as Adjective & Possessive Pronoun

  ➔ "Underlined" is the past participle of the verb "to underline," used here as an adjective to describe the state of the names. "Yours" is a possessive pronoun, meaning "your name/names," avoiding repetition.

• Ooh, look what you made me do

  ➔ Relative Pronoun "what" introducing a noun clause (or free relative clause)

  ➔ Here, "what" functions as a relative pronoun meaning "the thing(s) that" or "that which." It introduces a noun clause ("what you made me do") that serves as the direct object of the verb "look."

• They once belonged to me

  ➔ "Belong to" (Stative Verb) & Adverb of Time ("once")

  ➔ "Belong to" is a stative verb, which expresses a state or condition rather than an action, and is generally not used in continuous tenses. It indicates possession. "Once" is an adverb of time meaning "at some point in the past."

• Locked me out and threw a feast

  ➔ Phrasal Verb "lock out" & Parallel Structure (Simple Past)

  ➔ "Lock out" is a phrasal verb meaning to prevent someone from entering by locking the door. "Locked" and "threw" are both in the simple past tense, showing two consecutive actions performed by the same subject, demonstrating parallel structure.

• I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams

  ➔ Future Simple & Present Participle as Adjective/Participle Clause

  ➔ "I'll be" is the contraction of "I will be," expressing a future state or role. "Starring" is a present participle functioning as an adjective or part of a participle clause, describing the actress and her action within the dreams.

• Maybe I got mine, but you'll all get yours

  ➔ Possessive Pronouns ("mine", "yours") & Future Simple (Prediction/Consequence)

  ➔ "Mine" and "yours" are possessive pronouns, replacing "my part/karma" and "your part/karma" respectively, avoiding redundancy. "You'll all get" (you will all get) is in the future simple tense, used here to predict a future consequence or outcome.

• But the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now

  ➔ Modal Verb "can't" (inability/impossibility) & Adverbial Phrase "right now"

  ➔ "Can't" is the contraction of "cannot," a modal verb indicating inability or impossibility. It means the old Taylor is not able to come to the phone. "Right now" is an adverbial phrase specifying the immediate present time.