Too Good At Goodbyes – English Lyrics

• By: Sam Smith

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotion of Sam Smith's "Too Good At Goodbyes," a powerful ballad that beautifully expresses the universal experience of heartbreak and resilience. Through its poignant lyrics and soulful melody, you'll encounter a rich vocabulary for discussing relationships, emotions, and personal growth in English. This song offers a unique opportunity to understand how English conveys deep feelings, making it an excellent and relatable piece for language learners.

[English]

You must think that I'm stupid

You must think that I'm a fool

You must think that I'm new to this

But I have seen this all before

I'm never gonna let you close to me

Even though you mean the most to me

'Cause every time I open up, it hurts

So, I'm never gonna get too close to you

Even when I mean the most to you

In case you go and leave me in the dirt

But every time you hurt me, the less that I cry

And every time you leave me, the quicker these tears dry

And every time you walk out, the less I love you

Baby, we don't stand a chance, it's sad, but it's true

I'm way too good at goodbyes

(I'm way too good at goodbyes)

I'm way too good at goodbyes

(I'm way too good at goodbyes)

I know you're thinking I'm heartless

I know you're thinking I'm cold

I'm just protecting my innocence

I'm just protecting my soul

I'm never gonna let you close to me

Even though you mean the most to me

'Cause every time I open up, it hurts

So, I'm never gonna get too close to you

Even when I mean the most to you

In case you go and leave me in the dirt

But every time you hurt me, the less that I cry

And every time you leave me, the quicker these tears dry

And every time you walk out, the less I love you

Baby, we don't stand a chance, it's sad, but it's true

I'm way too good at goodbyes

(I'm way too good at goodbyes)

I'm way too good at goodbyes

(I'm way too good at goodbyes)

No way that you'll see me cry

(No way that you'll see me cry)

I'm way too good at goodbyes

(I'm way too good at goodbyes) no

...

No, no, no, no, no (I'm way too good at goodbyes)

No, no, no, no

No, no, no (I'm way too good at goodbyes)

(No way that you'll see me cry)

Ah-ah-ah (I'm way too good at goodbyes)

'Cause every time you hurt me, the less that I cry

And every time you leave me, the quicker these tears dry

And every time you walk out, the less I love you

Baby, we don't stand a chance, it's sad, but it's true

I'm way too good at goodbyes

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
goodbyes /ɡʊdˈbaɪz/ B2	noun - acts of parting or saying farewell
hurt /hɜːt/ B1	verb - to cause physical or emotional pain noun - pain or injury
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - deep affection or strong liking verb - to feel deep affection for
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to produce tears as an expression of emotion noun - a loud vocal expression, often of pain or joy
leave /liːv/ A2	verb - to go away from a place or person
chance /tʃɑːns/ B1	noun - possibility of something happening
heartless /ˈhɑːrtləs/ C1	adjective - lacking compassion or feeling
innocence /ˈɪnəs(ɪ)ns/ C1	noun - the quality of being pure and free of guilt
protect /prəˈtɛkt/ B2	verb - to keep safe from danger or harm
stupid /ˈstjuːpɪd/ B1	adjective - lacking intelligence or common sense
fool /fuːl/ B1	noun - a person who acts unwisely or lacks sense
dirt /dɜːrt/ A2	noun - soil or filth; unclean substance
quick /kwɪk/ B2	adjective - fast; moving at a high speed
sad /sæd/ A1	adjective - feeling sorrow or unhappiness
true /truː/ A2	adjective - in accordance with fact or reality
open /ˈəʊpən/ A1	verb - to cause something to become exposed or not closed
close /kloʊz/ A2	verb - to shut something; to bring to an end adjective - near in distance or relationship
way /weɪ/ A1	noun - a method, style, or manner of doing something

Key Grammar Structures

• You must think that I'm stupid

  ➔ Modal 'must' used to express deduction about what the listener believes.

  ➔ In this line, the word 'must' is a modal verb indicating a strong deduction about what the other person believes.

• You must think that I'm a fool

  ➔ Repeated use of modal 'must' for assumption about the listener's view.

  ➔ The line uses 'must' again to express a strong assumption about what the other person thinks.

• I have seen this all before

  ➔ Present perfect 'have seen' to express past experience with present relevance.

  ➔ The line uses the present perfect 'have seen' to show an experience up to now that affects the present.

• I'm never gonna let you close to me

  ➔ Future with 'be going to' (colloquial 'gonna') for intention; negative form with 'never'.

  ➔ The line uses the informal 'gonna' for 'going to' to express a personal intention not to allow closeness.

• In case you go and leave me in the dirt

  ➔ "In case" introduces a precautionary conditional clause; 'go' in present simple to describe a possible future action.

  ➔ The phrase 'in case' signals preparation for a possible future event; the clause uses the present simple 'go' to describe a potential action.

• But every time you hurt me, the less that I cry

  ➔ Correlative comparative structure: the + comparative, the + comparative ('the less ... the...').

  ➔ The sentence uses the correlative 'the less ...' pattern to describe diminishing emotion with repeated hurt.

• And every time you walk out, the less I love you

  ➔ Again, correlative 'the less' construction; present simple for repeated action.

  ➔ This line reinforces the correlative pattern, showing that as one action occurs (walking out), the speaker's love decreases.

• I'm way too good at goodbyes

  ➔ Degree adverb 'too' modifying an adjective; idiomatic 'way too' for emphasis.

  ➔ The word 'too' increases intensity, signaling an extreme degree of being proficient at saying goodbye.

• No way that you'll see me cry

  ➔ Fixed expression 'No way' meaning 'there is no possibility'; followed by a that-clause.

  ➔ The phrase 'No way' expresses strong denial of a possible outcome; the clause 'that you'll see me cry' specifies what is being denied.