Til It Happens To You – English Lyrics

• By: Lady Gaga
• Album: THE HUNTING GROUND

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the profound and moving lyrics of Lady Gaga’s “Til It Happens To You.” This powerful ballad offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with deeply emotional English vocabulary and expressions related to empathy, resilience, and advocacy. Its raw honesty and impactful message make it a special song for understanding nuanced English phrasing in the context of human experience and social justice.

[English]

You tell me it gets better

It gets better in time

You say I'll pull myself together, pull it together

You'll be fine

Tell me what the hell do you know?

What do you know?

Tell me how the hell could you know?

How could you know?

'Til it happens to you

You don't know how it feels

How it feels

'Til it happens to you, you won't know

It won't be real

No, it won't be real

Won't know how it feels

You tell me hold your head up

Hold your head up, and be strong

'Cause when you fall, you gotta get up

You gotta get up and move on

Tell me, how the hell could you talk?

How could you talk?

'Cause until you walk where I walk

It's just all talk

'Til it happens to you, you don't know

How it feels

How it feels

'Til it happens to you, you won't know

It won't be real (how could you know?)

No, it won't be real (how could you know?)

Won't know how I feel

'Til your world burns and crashes

'Til you're at the end, the end of your rope

'Til you're standing in my shoes

I don't wanna hear nothing from you

From you, from you

'Cause you don't know

'Til it happens to you

You don't know how I feel

How I feel

How I feel

'Til it happens to you

You won't know

It won't be real (how could you know?)

No, it won't be real (how could you know?)

Won't know how it feels

'Til it happens to you

Happens to you

Happens to you

Happens to you

Happens to you

Happens to you (how could you know?)

'Til it happens to you

You won't know how I feel

...

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.