Paper Hearts – English Lyrics

• By: Tori Kelly
• Album: Foreword

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the emotive language of heartbreak with Tori Kelly’s 'Paper Hearts.' By analyzing its conversational lyrics and evocative metaphors, listeners can improve their command of English idioms related to emotional vulnerability and reflection, making it a perfect piece for studying modern, heartfelt pop songwriting.

[English]

♪ GOODBYE LOVE YOU FLEW RIGHT BY LOVE ♪

♪♪♪

♪ REMEMBER THE WAY YOU MADE ME FEEL ♪

♪ SUCH YOUNG LOVE BUT ♪

♪ SOMETHING IN ME KNEW THAT IT WAS REAL ♪

♪ FROZEN IN MY HAND ♪

♪ PICTURES I'M LIVING THROUGH FOR NOW ♪

♪ TRYING TO REMEMBER ALL THE GOOD TIMES ♪

♪ OUR LIGHT WAS CUTTING THROUGH SO LOUD ♪

♪ MEMORIES ARE PLAYING IN MY DULL MIND ♪

♪ I HATE THIS PART, PAPER HEARTS ♪

♪ AND I'LL HOLD A PIECE OF YOURS ♪

♪ DON'T THINK I WOULD JUST FORGET ABOUT IT ♪

♪♪♪

♪ HOPING THAT YOU WON'T FORGET ABOUT IT ♪

♪♪♪

♪ EVERYTHING IS GRAY UNDER THESE SKIES ♪

♪ WET MASCARA ♪

♪ HIDING EVERY CLOUD UNDER A SMILE ♪

♪ WHEN THERE'S CAMERAS ♪

♪ AND I JUST CAN'T REACH OUT TO TELL YOU ♪

♪ THAT I ALWAYS WONDER WHAT YOU'RE UP TO ♪

♪ PICTURES I'M LIVING THROUGH FOR NOW ♪

♪ TRYING TO REMEMBER ALL THE GOOD TIMES ♪

♪ OUR LIGHT WAS CUTTING THROUGH SO LOUD ♪

♪ MEMORIES ARE PLAYING IN MY DULL MIND ♪

♪ I HATE THIS PART, PAPER HEARTS ♪

♪ AND I'LL HOLD A PIECE OF YOURS ♪

♪ DON'T THINK I WOULD JUST FORGET ABOUT IT ♪

♪♪♪

♪ HOPING THAT YOU WON'T FORGE♪

♪ I LIVE THROUGH PICTURES ♪

♪ AS IF I WAS RIGHT THERE BY YOUR SIDE ♪

♪ BUT YOU'LL BE GOOD WITHOUT ME ♪

♪ AND IF I COULD JUST GIVE IT SOME TIME ♪

♪ I'LL BE ALRIGHT ♪

♪♪♪

♪ GOODBYE LOVE YOU FLEW RIGHT BY LOVE ♪

♪ PICTURES I'M LIVING THROUGH FOR NOW ♪

♪ TRYING TO REMEMBER ALL THE GOOD TIMES ♪

♪ OUR LIGHT WAS CUTTING THROUGH SO LOUD ♪

♪ MEMORIES ARE PLAYING IN MY DULL MIND ♪

♪ I HATE THIS PART, PAPER HEARTS ♪

♪ AND I'LL HOLD A PIECE OF YOURS ♪

♪ DON'T THINK I WOULD JUST FORGET ABOUT IT ♪

♪♪♪

♪ HOPING THAT YOU WON'T FORGE♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
Goodbye /ˌɡʊdˈbaɪ/ A1	noun - a farewell remark
Remember /rɪˈmɛmbər/ A2	verb - to have in one's memory
Frozen /ˈfroʊzən/ B1	adjective - turned into ice or immobilized
Pictures /ˈpɪktʃərz/ A1	noun - photographs or images
Memories /ˈmɛməriz/ A2	noun - the faculty of the mind to store information
Dull /dʌl/ B2	adjective - lacking interest or excitement; gloomy
Piece /piːs/ A2	noun - a portion of an object
Forget /fərˈɡɛt/ A1	verb - to fail to remember
Hoping /ˈhoʊpɪŋ/ A2	verb - to feel optimism about something
Mascara /məˈskærə/ B2	noun - cosmetic for eyelashes
Smile /smaɪl/ A1	noun - a facial expression of pleasure
Cameras /ˈkæmərəz/ A1	noun - devices for recording images
Wonder /ˈwʌndər/ B1	verb - to desire to know something
Real /riːl/ A1	adjective - actually existing as a thing
Alright /ɔːlˈraɪt/ A2	adjective - satisfactory or acceptable

Key Grammar Structures

• REMEMBER THE WAY YOU MADE ME FEEL

  ➔ Relative clause with 'that' omitted

  ➔ The structure 'the way (that) you made me feel' shows a relative clause describing 'the way', where 'that' is optional.

• SOMETHING IN ME KNEW THAT IT WAS REAL

  ➔ Object noun clause introduced by 'that'

  ➔ The clause 'that it was real' functions as the object of the verb 'knew'.

• PICTURES I'M LIVING THROUGH FOR NOW

  ➔ Reduced relative clause

  ➔ This is equivalent to 'Pictures (that) I am living through', where the relative pronoun is reduced.

• DON'T THINK I WOULD JUST FORGET ABOUT IT

  ➔ Second conditional (hypothetical result)

  ➔ The use of 'would' indicates a hypothetical situation or a strong certainty about a future feeling/action.

• HIDING EVERY CLOUD UNDER A SMILE

  ➔ Participle phrase (Present participle)

  ➔ The phrase starting with 'hiding' acts as an adverbial phrase describing how the subject is acting.

• I LIVE THROUGH PICTURES AS IF I WAS RIGHT THERE BY YOUR SIDE

  ➔ Subjunctive mood in 'as if' clause

  ➔ The phrase 'as if I was' (or were) is used to describe an unreal or imagined scenario.

• AND IF I COULD JUST GIVE IT SOME TIME

  ➔ First/Second conditional structure (with 'could')

  ➔ 'If I could' sets a condition for a possible future outcome.

• I'LL BE ALRIGHT

  ➔ Future simple with 'will'

  ➔ The contraction 'I'll' (I will) is used to express a prediction or a belief about the future state.