Watch It Burn – English Lyrics

• By: Katy Perry

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of modern English pop with 'Watch It Burn.' This track is perfect for learners looking to master idiomatic expressions related to destruction and renewal, as well as high-energy vocabulary used to express confidence and independence.

[English]

[BREATHING HARDLY]

[BEEPING]

[BEEPING]

[BREATHING HARDLY]

[AMBIENT NOISE]

♪♪♪

♪ FOR YEARS ♪

♪ YOU FED ME ONLY CRUMBS ♪

♪ YOU PAID ME ONLY DUST ♪

♪ SAID I WAS TOO HARD TO LOVE ♪

♪ OH OH OH ♪

♪ FOR YEARS ♪

♪ I TRIED TO RISE ABOVE ♪

♪ WAS ONLY LIGHT AND LOVE ♪

♪ BUT NOW I’M SHUT THE FUCK UP ♪

♪ OH OH OH ♪

♪ YOU KNOW I GAVE AND I GAVE ♪

♪ NOW I’M GIVING UP ♪

♪ THERE’S NOTHING MORE YOU CAN TAKE, NO ♪

♪ DON’T WANNA CAUSE A SCENE ♪

♪ BUT GIVE ME THE GASOLINE ♪

♪ TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT ♪

♪ I LIGHT A MATCH ♪

♪ THROW IT HARD BEHIND MY BACK ♪

♪ GONNA TRY TO FORGIVE AND FORGET ♪

♪ LIGHT A CIGARETTE ♪

♪ AND WATCH IT BURN ♪

♪ WITH THE PAST ♪

♪ I’MA BREATHE IN THE ASH ♪

♪ GONNA TRY TO FORGIVE AND FORGET ♪

♪ LIGHT A CIGARETTE ♪

♪ AND WATCH IT BURN ♪

[MUSIC STOPS]

[BREATHING HARDLY]

[GLASS SHATTERS]

♪ THANK YOU ♪

♪ FOR SHOWING ME THE PAIN ♪

♪ THIS WAS NOT A MISTAKE ♪

♪ THE MISTAKE WOULD BE TO STAY ♪

[VOCALIZING]

♪ YOU KNOW I GAVE AND I GAVE ♪

♪ NOW I’M GIVING UP ♪

♪ THERE’S NOTHING MORE YOU CAN TAKE, NO ♪

♪ DON’T WANNA CAUSE A SCENE ♪

♪ BUT GIVE ME THE GASOLINE ♪

♪ TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT ♪

♪ I LIGHT A MATCH ♪

♪ THROW IT HARD BEHIND MY BACK ♪

♪ GONNA TRY TO FORGIVE AND FORGET ♪

♪ LIGHT A CIGARETTE ♪

♪ AND WATCH IT BURN ♪

♪ WITH THE PAST ♪

♪ I’MA BREATHE IN THE ASH ♪

♪ GONNA TRY TO FORGIVE AND FORGET ♪

♪ LIGHT A CIGARETTE ♪

♪ AND WATCH IT BURN ♪

♪ I’M GONNA GET WHAT I DESERVE ♪

♪ I’M SORRY I KNOW THAT IT HURTS ♪

♪ FINALLY I PUT MYSELF FIRST ♪

♪ AND WATCH IT BURN ♪

♪ I’M GONNA GET WHAT I DESERVE ♪

♪ I’M SORRY I KNOW THAT IT HURTS ♪

♪ FINALLY I PUT MYSELF FIRST ♪

♪ AND WATCH IT BURN ♪

[MUSIC ENDS]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
crumbs /krʌmz/ B2	noun - small particles of bread, cake, or biscuit
dust /dʌst/ A2	noun - fine powder of dirt or earth
rise /raɪz/ A2	verb - to move from a lower position to a higher one
scene /siːn/ B1	noun - a public display of emotion or anger
gasoline /ˈɡæsəliːn/ B1	noun - refined petroleum used as fuel
match /mætʃ/ A1	noun - a short thin stick used to light a fire
forgive /fəˈɡɪv/ B1	verb - to stop feeling angry toward someone
forget /fəˈɡet/ A1	verb - to fail to remember
cigarette /ˌsɪɡəˈret/ A2	noun - a thin cylinder of tobacco
burn /bɜːrn/ A2	verb - to be on fire or produce flames
ash /æʃ/ B2	noun - the powdery residue left after something has been burned
mistake /mɪˈsteɪk/ A1	noun - an action that is wrong or inaccurate
deserve /dɪˈzɜːrv/ B1	verb - to be worthy of something
hurt /hɜːrt/ A1	verb - to cause pain or injury
finally /ˈfaɪnəli/ A2	adjective - at last; after a long time

Key Grammar Structures

• For years you fed me only crumbs

  ➔ Present Perfect / Past Simple distinction

  ➔ The speaker uses the Past Simple 'fed' for a completed action that happened over a specific duration ('For years') in the past.

• Now I’m giving up

  ➔ Present Continuous for current state

  ➔ The phrase 'I'm giving up' uses the structure 'be + verb-ing' to emphasize an action happening right at this moment.

• There’s nothing more you can take

  ➔ Reduced Relative Clause

  ➔ The relative pronoun 'that' is omitted after 'nothing more'. The full phrase is 'nothing more (that) you can take'.

• Don't wanna cause a scene

  ➔ Informal contraction (want to)

  ➔ In casual speech and songwriting, 'want to' is frequently contracted to 'wanna'.

• Tonight’s the night I light a match

  ➔ Relative clause defining 'the night'

  ➔ The clause 'I light a match' acts as an adjective describing 'the night'. The word 'that/when' is implied.

• The mistake would be to stay

  ➔ Conditional/Hypothetical structure (would)

  ➔ The modal verb 'would' indicates a hypothetical situation: if she were to stay, it would be a mistake.

• I'm gonna get what I deserve

  ➔ Future intention (going to)

  ➔ Using 'gonna' (going to) expresses a strong future determination or intention.

• Finally I put myself first

  ➔ Reflexive pronoun

  ➔ The pronoun 'myself' is used because the person performing the action ('I') is the same as the person receiving the action.