Roar – English Lyrics

• By: Katy Perry
• Album: PRISM

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Katy Perry's empowering hit, "Roar," and discover how its themes of resilience and self-discovery can inspire you to find your own voice. Explore the song's creation, meaning, and impact, and learn how it became a global anthem for anyone looking to overcome challenges and express their inner strength.

[English]

I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath Scared to rock the boat and make a mess

So I sat quietly, agreed politely

I guess that I forgot I had a choice I let you push me past the breaking point

I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything

You held me down, but I got up Already brushing off the dust

You hear my voice, you hear that sound Like thunder, gonna shake your ground

You held me down, but I got up Get ready cause I've had enough

I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter,

dancing through the fire 'Cause I am a champion

and you're gonna hear me roar Louder, louder than a lion

Cause I am a champion

and you're gonna hear me roar Oh oh oh oh oh oh You're gonna hear me roar

Now I'm floating like a butterfly Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes

I went from zero, to my own hero

You held me down, but I got up Already brushing off the dust

You hear my voice, your hear that sound Like thunder, gonna shake your ground

You held me down, but I got up Get ready 'cause I've had enough

I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter,

dancing through the fire 'cause I am a champion

and you're gonna hear me roar Louder, louder than a lion

'cause I am a champion

and you're gonna hear me roar Oh oh oh oh oh oh You're gonna hear me roar Oh oh oh oh oh oh

You're gonna hear me roar

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter,

dancing through the fire 'Cause I am a champion

and you're gonna hear me roar Louder, louder than a lion

'Cause I am a champion

and you're gonna hear me roar Oh oh oh oh oh oh You're gonna hear me roar Oh oh oh oh oh oh

You're gonna hear me roar

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
bite /baɪt/ A2	verb - to use your teeth to cut into something or someone
breath /breθ/ A2	noun - the air that you take into your lungs and send out again
rock /rɒk/ A2	verb - to move gently backwards and forwards or from side to side
mess /mes/ B1	noun - a dirty or untidy state
choice /tʃɔɪs/ A2	noun - an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities
point /pɔɪnt/ A1	noun - the sharp or tapering end of something
dust /dʌst/ B1	noun - fine, dry powder consisting of tiny particles of earth or waste matter
voice /vɔɪs/ A1	noun - the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song.
thunder /ˈθʌndər/ B1	noun - a loud crashing or booming noise caused by the expansion of rapidly heated air around a lightning strike
shake /ʃeɪk/ A2	verb - to move (something) with short, quick movements
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A1	noun - the solid surface of the earth
eye /aɪ/ A1	noun - the organ of sight
tiger /ˈtaɪɡər/ A1	noun - a very large solitary cat with a coat of reddish-orange fur with black stripes, native to the forests of Asia
fighter /ˈfaɪtər/ B1	noun - a person who fights, especially one who fights bravely
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - combustion or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke.
champion /ˈtʃæmpiən/ B1	noun - a person who has defeated all rivals in a competition or sporting event.
roar /rɔːr/ B1	verb - (of a lion or other wild animal) utter a loud, deep, prolonged cry.
lion /ˈlaɪən/ A1	noun - a large tawny-colored cat that lives in Africa and northwest India. Males have a flowing mane.
butterfly /ˈbʌtərflaɪ/ A1	noun - a mainly day-flying insect with broad, colourful wings, typically held erect when at rest.
bee /biː/ A1	noun - a honeybee or other bee known for its honey or wax or for gathering pollen
stripes /straɪps/ A2	noun - a long narrow band or strip, typically differing in colour or texture from the surface on either side of it.
hero /ˈhɪroʊ/ A2	noun - a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

Key Grammar Structures

• I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath

  ➔ Used to + infinitive

  ➔ "Used to" indicates a past habit or state that is no longer true. Here, it shows the singer's past behavior of silencing herself.

• Scared to rock the boat and make a mess

  ➔ Past participle as adjective

  ➔ "Scared" is a past participle used as an adjective to describe the subject's feeling. It modifies 'I' (understood).

• I let you push me past the breaking point

  ➔ Causative verb "let" + bare infinitive

  ➔ "Let" is a causative verb that expresses permission or allowing someone to do something. It's followed by the base form of the verb (push).

• I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything

  ➔ Compound sentence with "so" showing cause and effect

  ➔ The word "so" connects two independent clauses, indicating that the second clause (I fell for everything) is a result of the first clause (I stood for nothing).

• You held me down, but I got up

  ➔ Contrastive conjunction "but"

  ➔ "But" introduces a contrasting idea. Even though someone tried to hold her down, she still managed to get up.

• Like thunder, gonna shake your ground

  ➔ Informal future with "gonna"

  ➔ "Gonna" is a shortened, informal version of "going to". It expresses a future intention or prediction.

• Get ready cause I've had enough

  ➔ Present perfect tense (I've had)

  ➔ The present perfect "I've had enough" indicates an action or state that started in the past and continues to have relevance or an effect in the present. It emphasizes the feeling of reaching a limit.

• Now I'm floating like a butterfly

  ➔ Simile (like)

  ➔ "Like a butterfly" is a simile, a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the word "like" or "as". It suggests grace and freedom.