Never Grow Up (Taylor’s Version) – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift
• Album: Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and Taylor Swift's "Never Grow Up (Taylor's Version)" offers a special opportunity for English learners. The song's clear narrative and heartfelt, simple language make it easy to follow the story of growing up. You can learn vocabulary related to family, home, and emotions, all while being moved by a universally relatable story of nostalgia and the desire to hold onto the past. Its gentle melody and Swift's clear enunciation make it a perfect song to practice listening skills.

[English]

Your little hand's wrapped around my finger

And it's so quiet in the world tonight

Your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming

So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite nightlight

To you, everything's funny

You got nothing to regret

I'd give all I have, honey

If you could stay like that

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple

I won't let nobody hurt you

Won't let no one break your heart

And no one will desert you

Just try to never grow up

...

And never grow up

...

You're in the car, on the way to the movies

And you're mortified your mom's droppin' you off

At fourteen, there's just so much you can't do

And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots

But don't make her drop you off around the block

Remember that she's gettin' older, too

And don't lose the way that you dance around

In your PJs getting ready for school

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple

And no one's ever burned you

Nothing's ever left you scarred

And even though you want to

Just try to never grow up

...

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room

Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home

Remember the footsteps, remember the words said

And all your little brother's favorite songs

I just realized everything I have is someday, gonna be gone

So, here I am in my new apartment

In a big city, they just dropped me off

It's so much colder than I thought it would be

So I tuck myself in and turn my nightlight on

...

Wish I'd never grown up

...

Wish I'd never grown up

Oh, I don't wanna grow up

Wish I'd never grown up, I could still be little

Oh, I don't wanna grow up

Wish I'd never grown up, it could still be simple

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple

I won't let nobody hurt you (never grow up)

Won't let no one break your heart

And even though you want to

Please, try to never grow up

Oh-oh-oh (never grow up)

Just never grow up

Oh-oh-oh (never grow up)

Just never grow up

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hand /hænd/ A1	noun - the part of the body at the end of the arm
finger /ˈfɪŋɡər/ A1	noun - any of the long, thin parts of the hand
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features
dreaming /ˈdriːmɪŋ/ A2	verb - experiencing images, emotions, and sensations during sleep
funny /ˈfʌni/ A2	adjective - causing laughter or amusement
regret /rɪˈɡret/ B1	verb - feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over (something that one has done or failed to do) noun - a feeling of sadness, repentance, or disappointment over something that has happened or been done
grow /ɡroʊ/ A1	verb - to increase in size or develop
simple /ˈsɪmpl/ A2	adjective - easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty
hurt /hɜːrt/ A2	verb - to cause physical pain or injury noun - physical injury or pain
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation
desert /dɪˈzɜːrt/ B2	verb - to abandon (a person, cause, or organization) in a way considered disloyal or treacherous.
movies /ˈmuːviz/ A1	noun - a film or cinema show
scarred /skɑːrd/ B2	adjective - marked by a scar or scars verb - to mark with a scar
childhood /ˈtʃaɪldhʊd/ B1	noun - the state or period of being a child
apartment /əˈpɑːrtmənt/ A2	noun - a suite of rooms forming a self-contained housing unit in a building
colder /ˈkoʊldər/ A1	adjective - of or at a low or relatively low temperature

Key Grammar Structures

• Your little hand's wrapped around my finger

  ➔ Possessive adjective ('your') and past participle as adjective ('wrapped')

  ➔ 'Your' shows possession, indicating the hand belongs to the listener or subject. 'Wrapped' acts as an adjective describing the hand.

• I'd give all I have, honey, If you could stay like that

  ➔ Second Conditional ('If' + past simple, 'would' + infinitive)

  ➔ Expresses an unreal or improbable condition. 'If you could stay like that' is the condition, and 'I'd give all I have' is the result.

• Don't you ever grow up

  ➔ Negative Imperative

  ➔ Giving a command not to do something. 'Don't' + base form of the verb.

• And no one will desert you

  ➔ Future Simple with 'will'

  ➔ Expressing a future action or promise. 'Will' + base form of the verb.

• There's just so much you can't do

  ➔ Modal verb 'can't' expressing inability

  ➔ 'Can't' indicates the subject is not able to perform a specific action.

• Remember that she's gettin' older, too

  ➔ Present Continuous (progressive) tense

  ➔ Describing an action that is happening at the moment of speaking. 'Be' (is) + verb-ing.

• Just try to never grow up

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose ('to' + verb)

  ➔ 'To grow up' expresses the intention or purpose of trying. 'Try to' indicates an attempt or effort.

• I just realized everything I have is someday, gonna be gone

  ➔ Future Simple with 'gonna'

  ➔ 'Gonna' is a colloquial contraction of 'going to', indicating a future intention or prediction. It's less formal than 'will'.