This Love – English Lyrics

• By: Taylor Swift
• Album: 1989

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the lyrical depths of Taylor Swift's "This Love," a stunning synth-pop ballad from her *1989* album. This song offers a beautiful opportunity to explore English through rich, evocative metaphors, particularly its use of oceanic imagery to describe the ebb and flow of a turbulent romance. Its wistful melody and introspective lyrics make it a perfect piece for understanding nuanced emotions and poetic expression in English.

[English]

Clear blue water, high tide came and brought you in

And I could go on and on, on and on, and I will

Skies grew darker, currents swept you out again

And you were just gone and gone, gone and gone

In silent screams, in wildest dreams

I never dreamed of this

This love is good, this love is bad

This love is alive back from the dead

These hands had to let it go free

And this love came back to me

Oh

Oh

Oh

Tossing, turning, struggled through the night with someone new

And I could go on and on, on and on

Lantern, burning, flickered in my mind for only you

But you were still gone, gone, gone, gone

In losing grip, on sinking ships

You showed up just in time

This love is good, this love is bad

This love is alive back from the dead

These hands had to let it go free

And this love came back to me

Oh, this love, this love, this love, this love

Oh, this love, this love, this love, this love

Oh, this love, this love, this love, this love

Oh, this love, this love, this love, this love

Your kiss, my cheek, I watched you leave

Your smile, my ghost, I fell to my knees

Even though you're young, you just arrived

But I could tell, you'd leave

This love is good, this love is bad

This love is alive back from the dead

These hands had to let it go free

And this love came back to me

Oh, this love, this love, this love, this love

Oh, this love, this love, this love, this love

Oh, this love, this love, this love, this love

Oh, this love, this love, this love, this love

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
water /ˈwɔːtər/ A1	noun - a clear, colorless, odorless, and tasteless liquid, essential for most animal and plant life
tide /taɪd/ A2	noun - the alternate rising and falling of the sea, usually twice in each lunar day at a particular place, due to the attraction of the moon and sun.
skies /skaɪz/ A1	noun - the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth.
darker /ˈdɑːrkər/ A2	adjective - with little or no light
currents /ˈkʌrənts/ B1	noun - a body of water or air moving in a definite direction, especially through a surrounding body of water or air.
screams /skriːmz/ B1	noun - a long, loud, piercing cry expressing extreme emotion or pain. verb - to utter a long, loud, piercing cry expressing extreme emotion or pain.
dreams /driːmz/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep. verb - to indulge in daydreams or fantasies about something greatly desired.
hands /hændz/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist, including the palm, fingers, and thumb.
tossing /ˈtɔːsɪŋ/ B2	verb - throw (something) somewhere lightly or casually.
turning /ˈtɜːrnɪŋ/ A2	verb - move in a circular direction wholly or partly around an axis or point.
lantern /ˈlæntərn/ B1	noun - a lamp with a transparent case protecting the flame or bulb
burning /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ A2	verb - be on fire
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.
grip /ɡrɪp/ B2	noun - a firm hold on something. verb - to seize and keep a firm hold of something.
sinking /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/ B1	verb - descend gradually into water
ships /ʃɪps/ A2	noun - a large boat for transporting people or goods by sea.
kiss /kɪs/ A1	noun - an act of touching with the lips as a sign of love, sexual desire, or greeting. verb - to touch with the lips as a sign of love, sexual desire, or greeting.
cheek /tʃiːk/ A1	noun - the area of the face below the eye and between the nose and ear.
smile /smaɪl/ A1	noun - a pleased, kind, or amused facial expression. verb - to form one's features into a pleased, kind, or amused expression.
ghost /ɡoʊst/ A2	noun - an apparition of a dead person which is believed to appear or become manifest to the living, typically as a nebulous image.
knees /niːz/ A1	noun - the joint between the thigh and the lower leg in humans.
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - having lived or existed for only a short time.

Key Grammar Structures

• And I could go on and on, on and on, and I will

  ➔ Modal verbs (could, will)

  ➔ The phrase "I could go on and on" uses the modal verb "could" to express a possibility.

• In silent screams, in wildest dreams

  ➔ Prepositional phrases (in silent screams, in wildest dreams)

  ➔ The phrases "in silent screams" and "in wildest dreams" describe states or conditions using prepositions.

• This love is good, this love is bad

  ➔ Simple present tense (is)

  ➔ The phrase "This love is good" uses the simple present tense to state facts about love.

• These hands had to let it go free

  ➔ Past perfect tense (had to let)

  ➔ The phrase "These hands had to let it go free" uses the past perfect tense to indicate an action that was completed before another past action.

• But you were still gone, gone, gone, gone

  ➔ Past continuous tense (were still gone)

  ➔ The phrase "you were still gone" uses the past continuous tense to describe an ongoing state in the past.

• Your kiss, my cheek, I watched you leave

  ➔ Simple past tense (watched)

  ➔ The phrase "I watched you leave" uses the simple past tense to describe a completed action in the past.

• Even though you're young, you just arrived

  ➔ Present simple (you're), past simple (arrived)

  ➔ The phrase "you're young" uses the present simple tense, while "you just arrived" uses the past simple tense to contrast states.