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Glistening grass from September rain 00:13
Gray overpass full of neon names 00:16
You drive 85 00:19
Gallatin Road and the lakeside beach 00:25
Watching the game from your brother's Jeep 00:28
Your smile, miles wide 00:31
And it was not an invitation 00:36
Should've kissed you anyway 00:42
Should've kissed you anyway 00:45
And it was not convenient, no 00:48
But your girlfriend was away 00:54
Should've kissed you anyway, hey 00:57
Shiny wood floors underneath my feet 01:01
Disco ball makes everything look cheap 01:04
Have fun, it's prom 01:07
Wilted corsage dangles from my wrist 01:13
Over his shoulder, I catch a glimpse 01:16
And see you looking at me 01:19
And it was not an invitation 01:24
But as the 50 Cent song played (Song played) 01:30
Should've kissed you anyway (Anyway) 01:33
And it was not convenient, no (It was not convenient) 01:36
Would've been the best mistake 01:42
Should've kissed you anyway, hey 01:45
Don't make it awkward in second period 01:50
Might piss your ex off, lately we've been good 01:53
Staying friends is safe, doesn't mean you should 01:56
Don't make it awkward in second period 02:02
Might piss your ex off, lately we've been good 02:05
Staying friends is safe, doesn't mean you should 02:08
When I left school, I lost track of you 02:13
Abigail called me with the bad news 02:16
Goodbye, and we'll never know why 02:19
It was not an invitation 02:24
But I flew home anyway 02:30
With so much left to say 02:33
It was not convenient, no 02:36
But I whispered at the grave 02:42
"Should've kissed you anyway" 02:45
Oh, and it was not an invitation (It was not an invitation) 02:48
Should've kissed you anyway (Anyway) 02:54
Should've kissed you anyway, anyway (Anyway) 02:57
And it was not— 03:00
My advice is always ruin the friendship 03:02
Better that than regret it for all time 03:07
Should've kissed you anyway 03:11
And my advice is always answer the question 03:14
Better that than to ask it all your life 03:19
Should've kissed you anyway 03:23
Should've kissed you anyway 03:29

Ruin the Friendship – English Lyrics

📚 Don’t just sing along to "Ruin the Friendship" – train your ears, learn vocab, and become a language pro in the app!
By
Taylor Swift
Album
The Life of a Showgirl
Viewed
327,667
Language
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Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music can be a deeply emotional journey, and Taylor Swift's 'Ruin the Friendship' offers a perfect example. The song's narrative structure and heartfelt lyrics about love and loss can help you connect with English on a more personal level. Its storytelling style makes it special for learners, as it clearly conveys a sequence of events and the emotions tied to them, making the language both understandable and memorable.

[English]
Glistening grass from September rain
Gray overpass full of neon names
You drive 85
Gallatin Road and the lakeside beach
Watching the game from your brother's Jeep
Your smile, miles wide
And it was not an invitation
Should've kissed you anyway
Should've kissed you anyway
And it was not convenient, no
But your girlfriend was away
Should've kissed you anyway, hey
Shiny wood floors underneath my feet
Disco ball makes everything look cheap
Have fun, it's prom
Wilted corsage dangles from my wrist
Over his shoulder, I catch a glimpse
And see you looking at me
And it was not an invitation
But as the 50 Cent song played (Song played)
Should've kissed you anyway (Anyway)
And it was not convenient, no (It was not convenient)
Would've been the best mistake
Should've kissed you anyway, hey
Don't make it awkward in second period
Might piss your ex off, lately we've been good
Staying friends is safe, doesn't mean you should
Don't make it awkward in second period
Might piss your ex off, lately we've been good
Staying friends is safe, doesn't mean you should
When I left school, I lost track of you
Abigail called me with the bad news
Goodbye, and we'll never know why
It was not an invitation
But I flew home anyway
With so much left to say
It was not convenient, no
But I whispered at the grave
"Should've kissed you anyway"
Oh, and it was not an invitation (It was not an invitation)
Should've kissed you anyway (Anyway)
Should've kissed you anyway, anyway (Anyway)
And it was not—
My advice is always ruin the friendship
Better that than regret it for all time
Should've kissed you anyway
And my advice is always answer the question
Better that than to ask it all your life
Should've kissed you anyway
Should've kissed you anyway

Key Vocabulary

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Vocabulary Meanings

glistening

/ˈɡlɪs.nɪŋ/

B2
  • adjective
  • - shining with a soft, sparkling light

neon

/ˈniːɒn/

B1
  • noun
  • - a bright, colorful gas‑discharge light; a neon sign

invitation

/ˌɪn.vɪˈteɪ.ʃən/

B1
  • noun
  • - a request to attend or take part in something

kiss

/kɪs/

A2
  • verb
  • - to touch with the lips as a sign of affection
  • noun
  • - a brief touch of the lips

convenient

/kənˈviː.ni.ənt/

B2
  • adjective
  • - suitable or useful for a particular purpose; easy to use

awkward

/ˈɔː.kwəd/

B2
  • adjective
  • - causing or feeling embarrassment or discomfort

friendship

/ˈfrɛnd.ʃɪp/

B1
  • noun
  • - a close and trusted relationship between people

regret

/rɪˈɡret/

B1
  • noun
  • - a feeling of sadness about something that has happened or been done
  • verb
  • - to feel sorry about something that has happened

whisper

/ˈwɪs.pər/

B2
  • verb
  • - to speak very softly, usually to keep something secret
  • noun
  • - a soft spoken sound

grave

/ɡreɪv/

B1
  • noun
  • - a place of burial; a tomb

shiny

/ˈʃaɪ.ni/

A2
  • adjective
  • - giving off a bright reflection; glossy

wilted

/ˈwɪl.tɪd/

C1
  • adjective
  • - drooping or limp, especially because of loss of moisture

corsage

/kɔːˈsɑːʒ/

C1
  • noun
  • - a small bouquet of flowers worn on a woman's clothing, especially at a formal event

prom

/prɒm/

B1
  • noun
  • - a formal dance held at the end of a school year

disco

/ˈdɪs.kəʊ/

B1
  • noun
  • - a type of dance music and a club where it is played

cheap

/tʃiːp/

A2
  • adjective
  • - low in price; not expensive, often of low quality

smile

/smaɪl/

A1
  • noun
  • - a facial expression showing pleasure or amusement

overpass

/ˈəʊ.və.pæs/

B2
  • noun
  • - a bridge that carries a road or railway over another road

Do you remember what “glistening” or “neon” means in "Ruin the Friendship"?

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Key Grammar Structures

  • Should've kissed you anyway

    ➔ Modal verbs in past conditional

    "Should've" is a contraction of "should have," expressing regret about a past action that didn't happen, suggesting a missed opportunity in a hypothetical scenario.

  • Watching the game from your brother's Jeep

    ➔ Present continuous for descriptive statements

    "Watching" uses the present continuous to describe an ongoing action in the past, creating a vivid, narrative effect to immerse the listener in the memory.

  • Over his shoulder, I catch a glimpse

    ➔ Prepositions for location and motion

    "Over" indicates physical position relative to another object, combining with "his shoulder" to show a directional glance in a descriptive scene.

  • Might piss your ex off, lately we've been good

    ➔ Modal verbs for possibility and politeness

    "Might" expresses possibility and adds a cautious tone, softening the statement about potential consequences in a relational context.

  • Staying friends is safe, doesn't mean you should

    ➔ Ellipsis for brevity in contrastive clauses

    ➔ The verb and subject are omitted after the comma in "doesn't mean you should," implying "it doesn't mean you should," creating a concise contrast for emphasis.

  • When I left school, I lost track of you

    ➔ Past simple in time clauses

    "Left" and "lost" in past simple refer to completed actions, with "when" introducing the clause to show sequence and causality in the narrative.

  • Don't make it awkward in second period

    ➔ Imperative mood with negation

    "Don't make" is an imperative advising caution, using negation to instruct avoidance of a social situation for relational harmony.

  • With so much left to say

    ➔ Prepositional phrases for emphasis

    "With so much" uses a prepositional phrase to emphasize unfinished emotions, adding emotional depth to the reflective statement.

  • But I whispered at the grave

    ➔ Past simple for sequence in narrative

    "Whispered" indicates a single, emotional action in the past, contrasting with prior inaction to build narrative tension.