Papercut – English Lyrics

• By: Zedd, Troye Sivan
• Album: True Colors

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the emotional world of Zedd and Troye Sivan's "Papercut," where a simple metaphor unlocks complex feelings about relationships. Explore how this unique blend of synth-pop and house music turns heartache into a surprisingly danceable journey, perfect for understanding the nuances of expressing pain and hope in relationships.

[English]

I was staring at the ceiling

You're so pretty when you're mad

All that I can hear is breathing

Aaa, aah, aaa, aah

And we're stuck inside the silence

In a cold cold war

We're too proud to say we're sorry

Aaa, aah, aaa, aah

Right now it feels like we're bleeding

So deep that we might not get back up

Our words will tear through the surface

Like a paper, like a papercut

Right now I don't know why I love you

But by the morning when we wake up

I'll reach for you and remember

It was just a paper, just a papercut

...

I find refuge in a distance

Even when we're breaking down (down, down, down, down)

Can we pause it just for one kiss?

Aaa, aah, aaa, aah

'Cause I never meant to hurt you

And I know you feel the same

Still the only one I run to

Aaa, aah, aaa, aah, uoh

Right now it feels like we're bleeding

So deep that we might not get back up

Our words will tear through the surface

Like a paper, like a papercut

Right now I don't know why I love you

But by the morning when we wake up

I'll reach for you and remember

It was just a paper, just a papercut

...

Right now it feels like we're bleeding

So deep that we might not get back up

Our words will tear through the surface

Like a paper, like a papercut

Right now I don't know why I love you

But by the morning when we wake up

I'll reach for you and remember

It was just a paper, just a papercut

Just a paper, just a papercut

Just a paper, just a papercut

...

Just a paper, just a papercut

Just a paper, just a papercut

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
stare /stɛr/ B1	verb - to look at someone or something for a long time
pretty /ˈprɪti/ A2	adjective - attractive in a delicate way
breath /brɛθ/ B1	noun - the air that is taken into or expelled from the lungs
silence /ˈsaɪləns/ B2	noun - the absence of sound
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - having a low temperature
proud /praʊd/ B1	adjective - feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements
bleed /bliːd/ B2	verb - to lose blood
tear /tɛr/ B2	verb - to pull something apart or to pieces with force
surface /ˈsɜrfɪs/ B2	noun - the outside or top layer of something
reach /riːtʃ/ B1	verb - to stretch out an arm in order to touch or grasp something
remember /rɪˈmɛmbər/ A2	verb - to have in your mind again something that you have learned or experienced
morning /ˈmɔrnɪŋ/ A1	noun - the period of time from sunrise to noon
kiss /kɪs/ A1	noun - a touch with the lips as a sign of love or greeting
hurt /hɜrt/ B1	verb - to cause pain or injury
refuge /ˈrɛfjuːdʒ/ C1	noun - a place of safety or shelter
distance /ˈdɪstəns/ B1	noun - the amount of space between two things or people
break /breɪk/ A2	verb - to separate into pieces or to stop functioning

Key Grammar Structures

• I was staring at the ceiling

  ➔ Past continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase "I was staring" indicates an action that was ongoing in the past.

• We're too proud to say we're sorry

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose

  ➔ The phrase "to say we're sorry" shows the purpose of being proud.

• Right now it feels like we're bleeding

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The phrase "it feels like" expresses a current state or feeling.

• I'll reach for you and remember

  ➔ Future simple tense

  ➔ The phrase "I'll reach for you" indicates an action that will happen in the future.

• It was just a paper, just a papercut

  ➔ Past simple tense

  ➔ The phrase "It was just" indicates a completed action or state in the past.

• Can we pause it just for one kiss?

  ➔ Modal verb for requests

  ➔ The phrase "Can we pause" is a polite way to make a request.

• Still the only one I run to

  ➔ Present simple tense for habitual actions

  ➔ The phrase "I run to" indicates a habitual action in the present.