Tit for Tat – English Lyrics

• By: Tate McRae
• Album: So Close To What

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotions and sharp wit of Tate McRae's 'Tit for Tat,' a compelling pop track that encapsulates the modern language of heartbreak and resilience. Through its relatable lyrics and confident delivery, this song offers a unique window into expressing personal strength and moving on, making it an engaging listen for anyone looking to understand contemporary English expressions of empowerment.

[English]

(Thought I might love you again, I'll see how I feel)

(Now that you're actin' like that, boy, I never will)

(Last night, she answered my call, it sealed the deal)

Right now, I'm not even about you

Thought I might love you again, see how I feel

Now that you're actin' like that, I never will

Last night, she answered my call, it sealed the deal

Right now, I'm not even about you

The day I met you, boy, I thought it was a blessin'

In the heat of it, I always took your side

It's a shame you out here tryna make it messy

Wow, you're messy, damn

We were good, I thought we made it through the endin'

I was hearin' shit I never thought you'd say

Could have picked it up exactly where we left it

Took our future off your plate

Let's go song for song, let's go back to back (back to back)

Let's go tit for tat, boy, you asked for that (asked for that)

That's the best you got, where's the good one at? (Good one at)

I was never as far away as you thought

Thought I might love you again, see how I feel

Now that you're actin' like that, I never will

Last night, she answered my call, it sealed the deal

Right now, I'm not even about you

Thought I might love you again, see how I feel

Now that you're actin' like that, I never will

Last night, she answered my call, it sealed the deal

Right now, I'm not even about you (oh)

I was nothin' but respectful, and you know that (yeah, you know that)

Why you changin' up the narrative to write?

No, I can't do this, you're makin' me do this

If you want to fight

Let's go song for song, let's go back to back (back to back)

Fix your fuckin' self, kiss my ass for that (ass for that)

That's the best you got, where's the good one at? (Good one at)

Should've known you'd be the type to change (oh, yeah)

Thought I might love you again, see how I feel

Now that you're actin' like that, I never will

Last night, she answered my call, it sealed the deal

Right now, I'm not even about you

Thought I might love you again, see how I feel

Now that you're actin' like that, I never will

Last night, she answered my call, it sealed the deal

Right now, I'm not even about you

That looks like it really hurts

That bruise on your ego

I know that it makes it worse

It had to be me, though

Thought I might love you again, see how I feel

Now that you're actin' like that, I never will

Last night, she answered my call, it sealed the deal

Right now, I'm-

Thought I might love you again, see how I feel

Now that you're actin' like that, I never will

Last night, she answered my call, it sealed the deal

Right now, I'm partyin' without you

(Thought I might love you again)

(Now that you're actin' like that) I'm partyin' without you

(Last night, she answered my call)

I'm partyin' without you

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to have a deep affection for someone noun - a deep affection for someone
act /ækt/ A2	verb - to behave in a particular way
messy /ˈmɛsi/ A2	adjective - chaotic or disorganized
blessin /ˈblɛsɪŋ/ B1	noun - a beneficial thing; a blessing
shame /ʃeɪm/ A2	noun - a feeling of guilt or regret
respectful /rɪˈspɛktfəl/ B1	adjective - showing respect
narrative /ˈnærətɪv/ B2	noun - a spoken or written account of connected events
ego /ˈiɡoʊ/ B1	noun - a person's sense of self-importance
bruise /bruːz/ B1	noun - an injury appearing as a purple mark on the skin
seal /sil/ B1	verb - to make something officially final
future /ˈfʊtʃər/ A1	noun - the time or a period that will come
partyin /ˈpɑrtiɪŋ/ A2	verb - to enjoy oneself at a social gathering
type /taɪp/ A1	noun - a category of people or things
hurts /hɜrts/ A1	verb - to cause physical pain or emotional distress
though /ðoʊ/ A2	adverb - however; in spite of that

Key Grammar Structures

• Thought I might love you again, I'll see how I feel

  ➔ Modal verb 'might' expressing possibility; contracted future 'I will' → 'I'll'

  ➔ Modal 'might' shows possibility; 'I'll' is a contraction for 'I will' used for future intention.

• Now that you're actin' like that, boy, I never will

  ➔ Concessive time clause with 'now that'; informal -ing form 'actin'' (acting) gives casual tone

  ➔ The clause starts with 'Now that' to introduce a concessive time condition; 'actin'' is the informal form of 'acting'.

• Last night, she answered my call, it sealed the deal

  ➔ Comma splice: two independent clauses joined by a comma without a conjunction; simple past verbs 'answered' and 'sealed'

  ➔ This is a comma splice, where two independent clauses are joined by just a comma instead of a coordinating conjunction.

• The day I met you, boy, I thought it was a blessin'

  ➔ Time clause introduced by 'The day I met you'; past verbs 'met', 'thought', 'was'

  ➔ The phrase 'The day I met you' is a time clause marking a past moment; the verbs 'met', 'thought', 'was' are all in the past.

• Let's go song for song, let's go back to back

  ➔ Imperative with 'Let's' to propose action; repetition for emphasis

  ➔ The phrase uses inclusive 'Let's' to propose an action, with repetition for emphasis.

• That's the best you got, where's the good one at?

  ➔ Colloquial sentence with contracted forms; 'where's' = 'where is'; final preposition 'at' is common in speech

  ➔ Informal structure with contractions; 'where's' stands for 'where is', and ending with 'at' is common in spoken English.

• I was never as far away as you thought

  ➔ Comparative structure 'as ... as' with 'far away'; past tense 'was'

  ➔ The sentence uses a standard asymmetrical comparison with 'as ... as' and the past form 'was'.

• If you want to fight

  ➔ Conditional clause (type 1) fragment; used in casual speech

  ➔ A conditional clause beginning with 'If' but left incomplete, common in casual speech to imply a consequence.

• Fix your fuckin' self, kiss my ass for that

  ➔ Imperative verb 'Fix'; intensifier 'fuckin''; idiomatic insult 'kiss my ass'

  ➔ An imperative command with a strong intensifier; the phrase 'kiss my ass' is a common insult.

• That looks like it really hurts

  ➔ Verb phrase 'looks like' to express perception or guess; clause 'it really hurts' in present simple

  ➔ Looks like expresses perception or guess; the following clause states a present condition with 'hurts'.