traitor – English Lyrics

• By: Olivia Rodrigo
• Album: SOUR

Lyrics & Translation

Unlock the raw, relatable language of Gen Z heartbreak with Olivia Rodrigo's "traitor." This powerful indie-pop ballad, celebrated for its vulnerable storytelling, is perfect for learning English emotional vocabulary. You'll grasp authentic phrases about betrayal and emotional conflict, such as the famous line, "Guess you didn't cheat, but you're still a traitor," which showcases how language can express complex feelings beyond simple facts. The clear, heartfelt delivery makes the lyrics easy to follow and deeply memorable.

[English]

♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪

♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪

♪ Brown guilty eyes And little white lies ♪

♪ Yeah, I played dumb But I always knew ♪

♪ That you talked to her maybe ♪

♪ Did even worse ♪

♪ I kept quiet So I could keep you ♪

♪ And ain’t it funny ♪

♪ How you ran to her ♪

♪ The second that we called it quits ♪

♪ And ain’t it funny ♪

♪ How you said you were friends ♪

♪ Now it sure as hell Don’t look like it ♪

♪ You betrayed me ♪

♪ And I know that you’ll Never feel sorry ♪

♪ For the way I hurt, yeah ♪

♪ You talked to her ♪

♪ When we were together ♪

♪ Loved you at your worst ♪

♪ But that didn’t matter ♪

♪ It took you two weeks ♪

♪ To go off and date her ♪

♪ Guess you didn’t cheat ♪

♪ But you’re still a traitor ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Now you bring her around ♪

♪ Just to shut me down ♪

♪ Show her off Like she’s a new trophy ♪

♪ And I know if you were true ♪

♪ There’s no damn way that you ♪

♪ Could fall in love With somebody that quickly ♪

♪ And ain’t it funny ♪

♪ All the twisted games ♪

♪ All the questions You used to avoid ♪

♪ Ain’t it funny ♪

♪ Remember I brought her up ♪

♪ And you told me I was paranoid ♪

♪ You betrayed me ♪

♪ And I know that you’ll Never feel sorry ♪

♪ For the way I hurt, yeah ♪

♪ You talked to her ♪

♪ When we were together ♪

♪ Loved you at your worst ♪

♪ But that didn’t matter ♪

♪ It took you two weeks ♪

♪ To go off and date her ♪

♪ Guess you didn’t cheat ♪

♪ But you’re still a traitor ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪

♪ God I wish that you had Thought this through ♪

♪ Before I went And fell in love with you ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪

♪ When she’s sleeping In the bed we made ♪

♪ Don’t you dare Forget about the way ♪

♪ You betrayed me ♪

♪ ‘Cause I know that you’ll Never feel sorry ♪

♪ For the way I hurt, yeah ♪

♪ You talked to her ♪

♪ When we were together ♪

♪ You gave me your word ♪

♪ But that didn’t matter ♪

♪ It took you two weeks ♪

♪ To go off and date her ♪

♪ Guess you didn’t cheat ♪

♪ But you’re still ♪

♪ You’re still a traitor ♪

♪ Ah, ah, ah, ah ♪

♪ Yeah, you’re still a traitor ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ God I wish that you had Thought this through ♪

♪ Before I went And fell in love with you ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
traitor /ˈtreɪtər/ C1	noun - a person who betrays trust or loyalty
guilty /ˈgɪlti/ B1	adjective - feeling responsible for a wrongdoing
lies /laɪz/ A2	noun - false statements verb - to tell an untrue statement
betrayed /bɪˈtreɪd/ B2	verb - to be disloyal or treacherous to someone
cheat /tʃiːt/ B1	verb - to act dishonestly in order to gain an advantage noun - a person who behaves dishonestly
hurt /hɜːrt/ B1	verb - to cause pain or injury noun - pain or injury
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - deep affection or strong feeling of attachment verb - to feel love for someone
friend /frɛnd/ A1	noun - a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
funny /ˈfʌni/ A2	adjective - causing laughter or amusement
quiet /ˈkwaɪət/ A1	adjective - making little or no noise
paranoid /ˈpærənɔɪd/ C1	adjective - excessively suspicious or mistrustful
twisted /twɪstɪd/ B2	adjective - bent out of shape; perverted or complex
trophy /ˈtrəʊfi/ B1	noun - an object awarded as a prize for a victory or achievement
forget /fərˈɡɛt/ B1	verb - to fail to remember
wish /wɪʃ/ B1	verb - to desire or hope for something that is not present
thought /θɔːt/ B1	noun - an idea or opinion produced by thinking verb - past tense of think; to have considered
sleeping /ˈsliːpɪŋ/ B1	verb - present participle of sleep; being in a state of rest
damn /dæm/ B2	adjective - used to express annoyance or emphasis (informal, mild profanity)
ran /ræn/ A2	verb - past tense of run; moved quickly on foot

Key Grammar Structures

• I played dumb but I always knew

  ➔ Simple Past Tense

  ➔ The verbs "played" and "knew" are in the simple past, used for actions that were completed in the past.

• I kept quiet so I could keep you

  ➔ Modal verb could + infinitive (past ability / possibility)

  ➔ The modal "could" introduces a past ability or possibility: "could keep".

• It took you two weeks to go off and date her

  ➔ It + take + time + infinitive (impersonal construction)

  ➔ "It" is a dummy subject; the verb "took" is followed by an object (you), a time phrase (two weeks) and the infinitive clause "to go off and date her".

• If you were true, there’s no damn way that you could fall in love with somebody that quickly

  ➔ Second conditional (If + past simple, would/could + base verb)

  ➔ The clause "If you were true" uses the past simple to talk about an unreal present situation, and "could fall" shows the possible result.

• Don’t you dare forget about the way you betrayed me

  ➔ Imperative negative with "don’t" + base verb

  ➔ "Don’t" is the negative form of the imperative; it tells the listener not to perform the action "forget".

• God I wish that you had thought this through

  ➔ Wish + past perfect (regret about a past event)

  ➔ "Wish" is followed by the past perfect "had thought" to show regret about something that already happened.

• I know you’ll never feel sorry

  ➔ Future simple (will) in a subordinate clause

  ➔ "Will" forms the future simple in the clause "you’ll never feel sorry", which follows the verb "know".

• You’re still a traitor

  ➔ Present simple with adverb "still" (state)

  ➔ "Are" is the present simple form of "be"; "still" emphasizes that the situation continues up to now.