What Hurts The Most – English Lyrics

• By: Rascal Flatts

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on an emotional journey with Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts The Most," a powerful country pop ballad that speaks to the universal pain of lost love and unspoken words. Learning English through this song offers a unique opportunity to grasp nuanced expressions of regret and longing, enriching your vocabulary with heartfelt language that resonates deeply. Its clear vocals and relatable narrative make it an excellent choice for understanding emotional storytelling in English music.

[English]

(daughter sniffling)

(clothes thudding)

- It's not true.

(daughter sniffling)

It's not true. (crying)

You did this.

You made him leave.

I hate you.

Say it, say you hate him,

Say it.

You made him leave. (sobbing)

- [Father] Shh, shh.

- Liar.

Liar.

Liar!

(daughter screaming)

(daughter crying)

(solemn country music)

♪ I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house ♪

♪ That don't bother me ♪

♪ I can take a few tears now and then ♪

♪ And I just let 'em out ♪

♪ I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while ♪

♪ Even though goin' on with you gone still upsets me ♪

♪ There are days every now and again ♪

♪ I pretend I'm okay ♪

♪ But that's not what gets me ♪

♪ What hurts the most ♪

♪ Was being so close ♪

♪ And havin' so much to say ♪

♪ And watchin' you walk away ♪

♪ And never knowin' ♪

♪ What could've been ♪

♪ And not seein' that lovin' you ♪

♪ Is what I was tryin' to do ♪

(solemn country music continues)

- What's wrong?

Is it your dad?

- No.

No.

Do you ever think about the future?

What do you see?

- What do you see?

- I'm serious.

- (sighing) You.

I see you.

(couple kissing)

(daughter chuckling)

- What do you see?

(door closing)

(solemn country music continues)

♪ It's hard to deal with the pain of losin' you ♪

♪ Everywhere I go ♪

♪ But I'm doin' it ♪

♪ It's hard to force that smile ♪

♪ When I see our old friends and I'm alone ♪

♪ Still harder gettin' up, gettin' dressed ♪

♪ Livin' with this regret ♪

♪ But I know if I could do it over ♪

♪ I would trade, give away ♪

♪ All the words that I saved in my heart ♪

♪ That I left unspoken ♪

♪ What hurts the most ♪

♪ Was being so close ♪

♪ And havin' so much to say ♪

♪ Much to say ♪

♪ And watchin' you walk away ♪

♪ And never knowin' ♪

♪ What could've been ♪

♪ And not seein' that lovin' you ♪

♪ Is what I was tryin' to do ♪

♪ Oh ♪

♪ Hey, yeah ♪

♪ What hurts the most ♪

♪ Was being so close ♪

♪ And havin' so much to say ♪

♪ Much to say ♪

♪ And watchin' you walk away ♪

♪ And never knowin' ♪

♪ What could've been ♪

♪ And not seein' that lovin' you ♪

♪ Is what I was tryin' to do ♪

♪ Not seein' that lovin' you ♪

♪ That's what I was tryin' to do ♪

♪ Ooh ♪

- (sniffling) I saw you.

I saw you.

(thunder rumbling)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hurt /hɜːrt/ A1	verb - to cause physical pain or emotional distress
close /kloʊz/ A1	adjective - near in space, time, or relationship
walk /wɔːk/ A1	verb - to move on foot at a slower pace than running
say /seɪ/ A1	verb - to speak words
watch /wɑːtʃ/ A1	verb - to look at something or someone carefully
pain /peɪn/ A1	noun - physical suffering or discomfort
lose /luːz/ A1	verb - to no longer have something or someone
regret /rɪˈɡrɛt/ B1	noun - a feeling of sadness or disappointment over something that happened or was done
pretend /prɪˈtɛnd/ A2	verb - to behave as if something is true when it is not
upset /ʌpˈsɛt/ A2	adjective - feeling sad or worried
force /fɔːrs/ A2	verb - to make something happen by effort or pressure
trade /treɪd/ B1	verb - to exchange one thing for another
unspoken /ʌnˈspoʊkən/ B2	adjective - not said aloud or expressed in words
solemn /ˈsɒləm/ B2	adjective - serious and somber, often in a dignified manner
deal /diːl/ A2	verb - to cope with or handle a situation

Key Grammar Structures

• I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house

  ➔ Present Simple for habitual actions

  ➔ The verb 'can take' is in the Present Simple, indicating a habitual ability or situation.

• And never knowin' what could've been

  ➔ Present Continuous for future actions in the past

  ➔ 'Never knowin'' is a contraction of 'never knowing,' using the Present Continuous to express a future action from a past perspective.

• What hurts the most was being so close

  ➔ Past Continuous for a past action that was ongoing

  ➔ 'Was being' is the Past Continuous, emphasizing that the action of 'being so close' was ongoing in the past.

• I would trade, give away all the words that I saved in my heart

  ➔ Conditional for hypothetical situations

  ➔ 'Would trade' and 'would give' are used in the conditional mood to express hypothetical actions.

• That's what I was tryin' to do

  ➔ Past Continuous for an action in progress in the past

  ➔ 'Was tryin'' is the Past Continuous, indicating that the action of 'tryin' to do' was in progress in the past.