The One That Got Away – English Lyrics

• By: Katy Perry
• Album: Teenage Dream

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the poignant story of 'The One That Got Away' by Katy Perry, a song that beautifully captures the universal feeling of longing for a past love. Explore the rich vocabulary of regret and reminiscence, and understand how music can convey deep emotional narratives, making it a perfect piece for learning English through heartfelt storytelling.

[English]

(LIGHT AIRY MUSIC)

- HOW WAS IT?

- [WOMAN] IT WAS FINE.

(DRINK POURING)

(RHYTHMIC MUSIC)

♪ SUMMER AFTER HIGH SCHOOL WHEN WE FIRST MET ♪

♪ WE'D MAKE OUT IN YOUR MUSTANG TO RADIOHEAD ♪

♪ AND ON MY 18TH BIRTHDAY WE GOT MATCHING TATTOOS ♪

♪ USED TO STEAL YOUR PARENTS' LIQUOR AND CLIMB TO THE ROOF ♪

♪ TALK ABOUT OUR FUTURE LIKE WE HAD A CLUE ♪

♪ NEVER PLANNED THAT ONE DAY I'D BE LOSING YOU ♪

♪ IN ANOTHER LIFE ♪

♪ I WOULD BE YOUR GIRL ♪

♪ WE'D KEEP ALL OUR PROMISES ♪

♪ BE US AGAINST THE WORLD ♪

♪ IN ANOTHER LIFE ♪

♪ I WOULD MAKE YOU STAY ♪

♪ SO I DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU WERE ♪

♪ THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY ♪

♪ THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY ♪

♪ I WAS JUNE AND YOU WERE MY JOHNNY CASH ♪

♪ NEVER ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER, WE MADE A PACT ♪

♪ SOMETIMES WHEN I MISS YOU I PUT THOSE RECORDS ON, WHOA ♪

♪ SOMEONE SAID YOU HAD YOUR TATTOO REMOVED ♪

♪ SAW YOU DOWNTOWN SINGING THE BLUES ♪

♪ IT'S TIME TO FACE THE MUSIC, I'M NO LONGER YOUR MUSE ♪

♪ BUT IN ANOTHER LIFE ♪

♪ I WOULD BE YOUR GIRL ♪

♪ WE'D KEEP ALL OUR PROMISES ♪

♪ BE US AGAINST THE WORLD ♪

♪ IN ANOTHER LIFE ♪

♪ I WOULD MAKE YOU STAY ♪

♪ SO I DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU WERE ♪

♪ THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY ♪

♪ THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY ♪

♪ THE ONE ♪

♪ THE ONE ♪

♪ THE ONE ♪

♪ THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY ♪

♪ ALL THIS MONEY CAN'T BUY ME A TIME MACHINE, NO ♪

♪ CAN'T REPLACE YOU WITH A MILLION RINGS, NO ♪

♪ I SHOULD'VE TOLD YOU WHAT YOU MEANT TO ME, WHOA ♪

♪ 'CAUSE NOW I PAY THE PRICE ♪

♪ IN ANOTHER LIFE ♪

♪ I WOULD BE YOUR GIRL ♪

♪ WE'D KEEP ALL OUR PROMISES ♪

♪ BE US AGAINST THE WORLD ♪

♪ IN ANOTHER LIFE ♪

♪ I WOULD MAKE YOU STAY ♪

♪ SO I DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU WERE ♪

♪ THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY ♪

♪ THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY ♪

♪ THE ONE ♪

♪ THE ONE ♪

♪ THE ONE ♪

♪ IN ANOTHER LIFE ♪

♪ I WOULD MAKE YOU STAY ♪

♪ SO I DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU WERE ♪

♪ THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY ♪

♪ THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY ♪

(CAR CRASHING)

(LIGHT GUITAR MUSIC)

♪ I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU ♪

♪ AND MADE YOU HAPPY ♪

♪ AND NOTHING ELSE ♪

♪ COULD COME BETWEEN ♪

♪ BUT NOW YOU'VE LEFT ME ♪

♪ TO LOVE ANOTHER ♪

♪ YOU HAVE SHATTERED ALL OF MY DREAMS ♪

♪ YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE, MY ONLY SUNSHINE ♪

♪ YOU MAKE ME HAPPY WHEN ♪

(CRICKETS CHIRPING)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
summer /ˈsʌmər/ A1	noun - the warmest season of the year
school /skuːl/ A1	noun - an institution for educating children
birthday /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/ A1	noun - the anniversary of the day on which a person was born
parents /ˈperənts/ A1	noun - a person's father or mother
roof /ruːf/ A2	noun - the covering top of a building
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
promises /ˈprɒmɪsɪz/ A2	noun - declarations assuring that one will do something
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries and people
Cash /kæʃ/ NA	noun - Johnny Cash
pact /pækt/ B2	noun - a formal agreement between individuals or parties
music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ A1	noun - vocal or instrumental sounds combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion
tattoo /tæˈtuː/ B1	noun - a permanent mark or design made on the skin by pricking it and inserting an indelible dye verb - to mark (someone or something) with tattoos
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
machine /məˈʃiːn/ A2	noun - an apparatus using or applying mechanical power and having several parts, each with a definite function and together performing a particular task
rings /rɪŋz/ A1	noun - a circular band, especially one of precious metal worn on a finger as jewellery or a symbol of marriage or engagement
price /praɪs/ A2	noun - the amount of money expected, required, or given in payment for something

Key Grammar Structures

• Summer after high school when we first met

  ➔ Relative clause with "when"

  ➔ The word "when" introduces a relative clause that specifies the time the main action (we first met) occurred. It acts as an adverb of time.

• We'd make out in your Mustang to Radiohead

  ➔ Modal verb "would" for habitual past actions

  ➔ "We'd" is a contraction of "we would", and it's used here to describe a recurring action in the past. 'Make out' is a phrasal verb.

• Never planned that one day I'd be losing you

  ➔ Past perfect "had planned" implied, Subjunctive mood with "would"

  ➔ The sentence implies "I never had planned that one day I would be losing you". "Would" expresses a conditional or hypothetical situation in the past.

• In another life, I would be your girl

  ➔ Second conditional (unreal/hypothetical situation)

  ➔ This sentence describes a hypothetical situation. If the condition (in another life) were true, the result (I would be your girl) would follow.

• So I don't have to say you were the one that got away

  ➔ Past Simple "got" in the relative clause.

  ➔ Here, 'got away' is a phrasal verb. The relative clause identifies which 'one' is being talked about: the 'one' who escaped, or 'got away'.

• I was June and you were my Johnny Cash

  ➔ Simple Past Tense of verb "to be" (was, were) for stating facts

  ➔ Uses the past tense of the verb "to be" to express a past state of being or identity. The sentence uses a metaphoric comparison.

• Sometimes when I miss you I put those records on, whoa

  ➔ Conditional clause with "when", simple present tense for habitual action

  ➔ The "when" clause sets the condition: 'when I miss you'. The main clause uses the simple present 'I put' to describe a habitual action that happens when the condition is met.

• All this money can't buy me a time machine, no

  ➔ Modal verb "can't" for expressing inability

  ➔ "Can't" is a contraction of "cannot" and indicates an impossibility or lack of ability to do something. In this case, money is unable to buy a time machine.

• I should've told you what you meant to me, whoa

  ➔ Modal verb "should have" + past participle for regret

  ➔ "Should've" is a contraction of "should have" and is followed by the past participle "told". This structure expresses regret about something that did not happen in the past.