we can't be friends (wait for your love) – English Lyrics

• By: Ariana Grande
• Album: Eternal Sunshine

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the emotional depth of Ariana Grande's "we can't be friends (wait for your love)," a song that masterfully blends personal reflection with broader commentary on fame and relationships. By exploring its layered lyrics and cultural references, you'll gain insight into the nuances of expressing complex emotions and the art of turning personal experiences into relatable anthems.

[English]

[MUSIC PLAYING AND PEOPLE CHATTING]

[PHONE RINGING] [MUSIC CONTINUE PLAYING]

[CLICK FROM OPENING DOOR]

[NURSE] PEACHES?

[PEACHES] OH ME

[NURSE] THE DOCTOR IS READY FOR YOU

[PEACHES] THANK YOU

[BACKGROUND MUSIC CONTINUES]

[WHOOSH]

[HEART PULSE] [INDISTINCT CHATTING]

[WHOOSH]

♪ I DIDN’T THINK YOU’D UNDERSTAND ME ♪

♪♪♪

♪ HOW COULD YOU EVER EVEN TRY ♪

♪ I DON’T WANT TO TIPTOE ♪

♪ BUT I DON’T WANNA HIDE ♪

♪ BUT I DON’T WANT TO FEED THIS ♪

♪ MONSTROUS FIRE ♪

♪ JUST WANT TO LET THIS STORY DIE ♪

♪ AND I’LL BE ALRIGHT ♪

♪ WE CAN’T BE FRIENDS ♪

♪ BUT I’D LIKE TO JUST PRETEND ♪

♪ YOU CLING TO YOUR PAPERS AND PENS ♪

♪ WAIT UNTIL YOU LIKE ME AGAIN ♪

♪ WAIT FOR YOUR LOVE ♪

♪ LOVE ♪

♪ I’LL WAIT FOR LOVE ♪

♪♪♪

♪ ME AND MY TRUTH WE SIT IN SILENCE ♪

♪ MMM, BABY GIRL IT’S JUST ME AND YOU ♪

♪ CAUSE I DON’T WANNA ARGUE ♪

♪ BUT I DON’T WANNA BITE ♪

♪ MY TONGUE YEAH I THINK I'D RATHER DIE ♪

♪ YOU GOT ME MISUNDERSTOOD BUT AT LEAST I LOOK THIS GOOD ♪

♪ WE CAN’T BE FRIENDS ♪

♪ BUT I’D LIKE TO JUST PRETEND ♪

♪ YOU CLING TO YOUR PAPERS AND PENS ♪

♪ WAIT UNTIL YOU LIKE ME AGAIN ♪

♪ WAIT FOR YOUR LOVE LOVE LOVE, LOVE ♪

♪ I’LL WAIT FOR LOVE (LOVE LOVE, LOVE LOVE) ♪

♪ I’LL WAIT FOR LOVE (LOVE LOVE) LOVE ♪

♪ I’LL WAIT FOR LOVE (LOVE LOVE, LOVE LOVE) ♪

♪ KNOW THAT YOU MADE ME ♪

♪ I DON’T LIKE HOW YOU PAINT ME ♪

♪ YET I’M STILL HERE HANGING ♪

♪ NOT WHAT YOU MADE ME ♪

♪ SOMETHING LIKE A DAYDREAM ♪

♪ BUT I FEEL SO SEEN IN THE NIGHT ♪

♪ SO FOR NOW IT’S ONLY ME ♪

♪ AND MAYBE THAT’S ALL I NEED ♪

[WHOOSHING]

♪ WE CAN’T BE FRIENDS ♪

♪ BUT I’D LIKE TO JUST PRETEND ♪

♪ YOU CLING TO YOUR PAPERS AND PENS ♪

♪ WAIT UNTIL YOU LIKE ME AGAIN ♪

♪ WAIT FOR LOVE (LOVE LOVE) LOVE ♪

♪ I’LL WAIT FOR LOVE (LOVE LOVE, LOVE LOVE) ♪

♪ I’LL WAIT FOR LOVE (LOVE LOVE) LOVE ♪

♪ I’LL WAIT FOR LOVE (LOVE LOVE, LOVE LOVE) ♪

♪ I’LL WAIT FOR LOVE (LOVE LOVE, LOVE LOVE) ♪

♪ I’LL WAIT FOR LOVE (LOVE LOVE, LOVE LOVE) ♪

♪ I’LL WAIT FOR LOVE (LOVE LOVE, LOVE LOVE) ♪

♪ I’LL WAIT FOR LOVE (LOVE LOVE, LOVE LOVE) ♪

♪ I’LL WAIT FOR LOVE ♪

♪♪♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
wait /weɪt/ A1	verb - to remain inactive or in a state of expectancy
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to feel deep affection for someone
friends /frɛndz/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
pretend /prɪˈtɛnd/ B1	verb - to behave as if something is true when it is not
story /ˈstɔːri/ A1	noun - an account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment
die /daɪ/ A1	verb - to stop living
truth /truːθ/ B1	noun - the quality or state of being true
silence /ˈsaɪləns/ B1	noun - the state of being quiet
argue /ˈɑːrɡjuː/ B1	verb - to give reasons or cite evidence in support of an idea, action, or theory, typically with the aim of persuading others to share one's view
tongue /tʌŋ/ B1	noun - the fleshy muscular organ in the mouth
paint /peɪnt/ A2	verb - to apply paint to
daydream /ˈdeɪdriːm/ B2	noun - a series of pleasant thoughts that distract one from one's present reality
need /niːd/ A1	verb - require (something) because it is essential or very important.
hanging /ˈhæŋɪŋ/ B1	verb - to be suspended from above

Key Grammar Structures

• I DIDN’T THINK YOU’D UNDERSTAND ME

  ➔ Conditional Type 3 (mixed) – Implied Conditionals

  ➔ The contraction "'d" can mean "would" or "had". Here, in the context of "didn't think," it's likely short for "would" implying a mixed conditional. The sentence suggests "If I had thought you would understand me, I wouldn't have acted this way."

• HOW COULD YOU EVER EVEN TRY

  ➔ Modal verb "could" for expressing disbelief/questioning an action.

  ➔ The use of "could" here isn't about ability but about expressing disbelief that someone would even attempt something. The "ever" and "even" add emphasis to this disbelief.

• I DON’T WANT TO TIPTOE

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose (to + base verb)

  ➔ "To tiptoe" expresses the purpose or reason for not wanting something. It implies a desire to be direct and not cautious or secretive.

• BUT I DON’T WANNA HIDE

  ➔ Informal contraction "wanna" (want to) - common in spoken English and song lyrics.

  ➔ "Wanna" is a colloquial shortening of "want to". It's grammatically acceptable in informal contexts like songs but should be avoided in formal writing.

• JUST WANT TO LET THIS STORY DIE

  ➔ Causative "let" (to allow something to happen). "Let" + object + base form of verb.

  ➔ "Let this story die" means to allow the story to end naturally or to stop trying to keep it alive.

• AND I’LL BE ALRIGHT

  ➔ Future Simple with "will" (contracted to 'll) expressing a prediction or statement of fact.

  ➔ "I'll be alright" is a statement of confidence that the speaker will recover from the situation. It expresses a hope and a belief in future well-being.

• YOU CLING TO YOUR PAPERS AND PENS

  ➔ Present Simple tense to describe a habitual action.

  ➔ The sentence suggests that the other person regularly holds onto their writings, possibly indicating a reliance on them for comfort, security, or expression.

• KNOW THAT YOU MADE ME

  ➔ Past Simple tense: describing a completed action in the past.

  ➔ "Made me" refers to the other person's influence in shaping the speaker's identity or current state. It's implying a significant impact the other person had.

• YET I’M STILL HERE HANGING

  ➔ Use of "yet" as a conjunction to introduce a contrasting idea.

  ➔ "Yet" connects the idea that the speaker was shaped by the other person (possibly in a negative way, based on the previous line) with the contrasting fact that they are still present, "hanging on".