Stitches – English Lyrics

• By: Boyce Avenue, Jacob Whitesides

Lyrics & Translation

This acoustic cover of "Stitches" by Boyce Avenue and Jacob Whitesides offers a unique opportunity to explore the language of heartbreak and emotional vulnerability. The slower tempo and clear enunciation allow learners to easily follow the lyrics and appreciate the metaphorical language used to describe a painful breakup. The song's narrative structure and relatable theme make it an engaging tool for understanding how English can be used to express deep feelings.

[English]

I thought that I'd been hurt before

But noone's ever left me quite this sore

Your words cut deeper than a knife

Now I need someone to bring me back to life

Gotta feeling that I'm going under

But I know that I'll make it out alive

If I quit calling you my lover, move on

You watch me bleeding 'til I can't breathe

Shaking, falling onto my knees

But now that I'm without your kisses

I'll be needing stitches

Tripping over myself

Aching, begging you to come help

And now that I'm without your kisses

I'll be needing stitches

Just like a moth drawn to a flame

Oh, you lured me in, I couldn't sense the pain

Your bitter heart cold to the touch

Now I'm gonna reap what I sow

I'm left seeing red on my own

Gotta feeling that I'm going under

But I know that I'll make it out alive

If I quit calling you my lover, move on

You watch me bleeding 'til I can't breathe

Shaking, falling onto my knees

And now that I'm without your kisses

I'll be needing stitches

Tripping over myself

Aching, begging you to come help

And now that I'm without your kisses

I'll be needing stitches

Needle in a thread

Gotta get you outta my head

Needle in a thread gonna wind up dead

Needle in a thread

Gotta get you out of my head

Get you out of my head

Needle in a thread

Gotta get you outta my head

Needle in a thread gonna wind up dead

Needle in a thread

Gotta get you out of my head

Get you out of my head

You watch me...

Bleeding 'til I can't breathe

Shaking, falling onto my knees

And now that I'm without your kisses

I'll be needing stitches

Tripping over myself

Aching, begging you to come help

And now that I'm without your kisses

I'll be needing stitches

I'm without your kisses

I'll be needing stitches

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
bleeding /ˈbliːdɪŋ/ B1	verb (present participle of bleed) - to lose blood from the body
stitches /ˈstɪtʃɪz/ B2	noun - loops of thread used to sew cuts or wounds
aching /ˈeɪkɪŋ/ B2	adjective/verb (present participle of ache) - feeling continuous pain
cut /kʌt/ A2	verb - to make an opening or wound by slicing with a sharp object noun - a wound made by slicing or breaking skin
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - a feeling of physical or emotional suffering
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - the organ that pumps blood in the body; used metaphorically for emotions
lover /ˈlʌvər/ B1	noun - a person with whom one has a romantic or sexual relationship
shaking /ˈʃeɪkɪŋ/ B1	verb (present participle of shake) - moving with quick, jerky movements
knees /niːz/ A2	noun (plural of knee) - the joint between the thigh and the lower leg
needle /ˈniːdəl/ B2	noun - a very thin, sharp piece of metal used for sewing or injections
aching /ˈeɪkɪŋ/ B2	verb (present participle of ache) - to suffer a continuous dull pain
begging /ˈbɛɡɪŋ/ B2	verb (present participle of beg) - asking someone earnestly or humbly for something
moth /mɒθ/ B2	noun - an insect similar to a butterfly, usually active at night
flame /fleɪm/ B1	noun - a hot glowing body of ignited gas
sow /soʊ/ C1	verb - to plant seeds in the ground
reap /riːp/ C1	verb - to gather or collect, especially crops or results of effort
sore /sɔːr/ B2	adjective - painful or aching
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living, not dead

Key Grammar Structures

• I thought that I'd been hurt before

  ➔ Past Perfect Continuous (I'd been hurt)

  ➔ The phrase "I'd been hurt" uses the past perfect continuous to describe an action that occurred before another past action.

• Your words cut deeper than a knife

  ➔ Simple Present tense with comparative structure

  ➔ "cut deeper than a knife" uses the comparative 'deeper than' to compare intensity using the simple present tense.

• Gotta feeling that I'm going under

  ➔ Informal use of 'got to' as 'gotta' and present continuous tense

  ➔ "Gotta" is informal for "got to," meaning 'have to,' combined with the present continuous 'I'm going' to express an ongoing feeling.

• If I quit calling you my lover, move on

  ➔ Conditional (First Conditional) with imperative

  ➔ The phrase uses the 'if' conditional to express a possible future action followed by the imperative 'move on' as advice or command.

• You watch me bleeding 'til I can't breathe

  ➔ Present simple with gerund and informal contraction 'til'

  ➔ "Bleeding" is a gerund used after 'watch me,' describing ongoing action; "'til" is an informal contraction of "until."

• Needle in a thread gonna wind up dead

  ➔ Informal future tense with 'gonna' (going to)

  ➔ 'Gonna' is an informal contraction of 'going to,' used to express a future action or outcome.

• I'm without your kisses, I'll be needing stitches

  ➔ Present simple negation with 'without' and future continuous ('I'll be needing')

  ➔ 'Without your kisses' shows negation or absence in present; 'I'll be needing' is future continuous tense expressing ongoing future need.

• Just like a moth drawn to a flame

  ➔ Simile using 'like' with passive participle 'drawn'

  ➔ The phrase is a simile comparing 'I' to a moth attracted by a flame, using 'drawn' as a passive participle to show the moth's action.