Til It Happens To You – English Lyrics

• By: Lady Gaga
• Album: THE HUNTING GROUND

Lyrics & Translation

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
happen /ˈhæpən/ A2	verb - To occur; take place.
know /nəʊ/ A1	verb - To have information, understanding, or skill as a result of experience or education.
feel /fiːl/ A2	verb - To experience an emotion or sensation. noun - A sensation or emotion.
real /rɪəl/ A2	adjective - Actually existing as a thing or occurring in fact; not imagined or supposed.
better /ˈbetər/ A1	adjective - Of a more excellent or effective type or quality; improved. (Comparative of "good").
pull /pʊl/ B1	verb - To exert force on (someone or something) so as to cause movement toward oneself or in a particular direction. verb - To regain control of one's emotions or behavior. (Used in "pull oneself together")
hell /hel/ B1	noun - (Informal, often with 'the') used as an intensifier or to express anger, annoyance, or frustration. (e.g., "What the hell?") noun - (In some religions) the place where evil people are punished after death.
strong /strɒŋ/ A2	adjective - Having the power to resist strain, force, or attack; robust. Mentally or morally powerful.
fall /fɔːl/ B1	verb - To move downward, typically rapidly and freely without control, from a higher to a lower level. verb - To succumb to a difficult situation or defeat; to fail. noun - An act of falling or collapsing; a descent.
get /ɡet/ A1	verb - To obtain, receive, or acquire. verb - To stand up after sitting or lying down; to rise. (Used in "get up")
move /muːv/ B1	verb - To change position or place. verb - To continue or proceed to the next stage or action. (Used in "move on")
talk /tɔːk/ A1	verb - To speak in order to give information or express ideas or feelings. noun - Conversation or discussion.
walk /wɔːk/ B2	verb - To move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn, never having both feet off the ground at once. verb - To experience a situation or way of life, especially a difficult one. (Used in "walk where I walk")
world /wɜːld/ A2	noun - The earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features. noun - An individual's life, experience, or sphere of activity. (Used in "your world burns")
burn /bɜːn/ B1	verb - To be or cause to be consumed by fire or heat. verb - To feel a strong, painful, or intense sensation, often associated with intense emotion or stress.
crash /kræʃ/ B1	verb - To hit something hard, causing damage or noise. To fail suddenly and disastrously. noun - A sudden loud noise, as of something breaking or hitting something else. A sudden, drastic failure.
rope /rəʊp/ B2	noun - A length of strong cord made of twisted strands of fiber. noun - The limit of one's endurance or resources; a desperate situation. (Used in "at the end of your rope")
shoes /ʃuːz/ B2	noun - Coverings for the feet, typically made of leather or synthetic material, with a sturdy sole and not reaching above the ankle. noun - Someone's situation or circumstances, especially regarding their difficulties. (Used in "in my shoes")
stand /stænd/ B1	verb - To have or maintain an upright position, supported by one's feet. verb - To be in a particular situation or state. (Used in "standing in my shoes")
head /hed/ B1	noun - The upper part of the human body, or the front or upper part of an animal's body, containing the brain, mouth, and sense organs. noun - One's composure, dignity, or courage. (Used in "hold your head up")

Key Grammar Structures

• You tell me it gets better

  ➔ Reported Speech (Indirect Statement)

  ➔ The verb "tell" introduces an indirect statement, where "it gets better" reports what someone else said without using direct quotation marks. The tense (present simple) is maintained as it's a general truth or belief.

• Tell me what the hell do you know?

  ➔ Imperative + Emphatic Wh-question

  ➔ "Tell me" is an imperative verb. "What the hell" is an informal intensifier added to a wh-question to express strong frustration, anger, or disbelief, making the question more forceful.

• How could you know?

  ➔ Modal Verb 'Could' for Impossibility/Doubt

  ➔ The modal verb "could" is used here to question the possibility or likelihood of someone possessing certain knowledge, implying doubt or the perceived impossibility of them knowing.

• 'Til it happens to you

  ➔ Temporal Clause with 'Til (Until)

  ➔ "'Til" is a common informal contraction of "until." It introduces a subordinate clause that specifies a time condition that must be met for the main action or state (e.g., 'you don't know') to be true.

• You don't know how it feels

  ➔ Embedded Question (Noun Clause)

  ➔ The direct question "How does it feel?" is transformed into a subordinate noun clause "how it feels," which functions as the object of the verb "know" in the main sentence. The word order is like a statement, not a question.

• You gotta get up

  ➔ Informal Contraction 'Gotta' (Have to/Got to)

  ➔ "'Gotta" is an informal, spoken contraction of "have to" or "got to." It expresses necessity or strong obligation, similar to 'must,' but is commonly used in everyday conversation and song lyrics.

• 'Cause until you walk where I walk

  ➔ Multiple Subordinating Conjunctions

  ➔ This line demonstrates the use of multiple subordinating conjunctions: "'Cause" (informal for because) introduces a reason, "until" introduces a time condition, and "where" introduces a place clause, creating a complex sentence structure.

• I don't wanna hear nothing from you

  ➔ Informal Contraction 'Wanna' & Double Negative

  ➔ "'Wanna" is an informal contraction of "want to." The phrase "don't wanna hear nothing" is an example of a double negative, which, while grammatically incorrect in standard English, is used for emphasis in informal speech.