The One That Got Away
Katy Perry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'd make-out in your Mustang to Radiohead
And on my eighteenth birthday, we got matching tattoos
Used to steal your parents' liquor and climb to the roof
Talk about our future like we had a clue
Never planned that one day I'd be losing you
In another life, I would be your girl
We'd keep all our promises, be us against the world
In another life, I would make you stay
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away
The one that got away
I was June and you were my Johnny Cash
Never one without the other, we made a pact
Sometimes when I miss you, I put those records on, whoa
Someone said you had your tattoo removed
Saw you downtown, singin' the blues
It's time to face the music, I'm no longer your muse
In another life, I would be your girl
We'd keep all our promises, be us against the world
In another life, I would make you stay
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away
The one that got away
The one
The one
The one
The one that got away
All this money can't buy me a time machine, no
Can't replace you with a million rings, no
I should've told you what you meant to me, whoa
'Cause now I pay the price
In another life, I would be your girl
We'd keep all our promises, be us against the world
In another life, I would make you stay
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away
The one that got away
The one (the one)
The one (the one)
The one (the one)
In another life, I would make you stay
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away
The one that got away
The One That Got Away by Katy Perry is a song about a past love that she regrets losing. The song is about a summer fling that Katy had when she was in high school. The couple used to make-out in his Mustang while listening to Radiohead. On Katy's eighteenth birthday, they got matching tattoos. They used to steal his parents' liquor and climb up to the roof to talk about their future together. They thought they would be together forever but never realized that one day they would have to let go of each other, hence her saying "Never planned that one day I'd be losing you."
The chorus of the song talks about how in another life, they would be together and keep all their promises to each other. Katy would make him stay, so she doesn't have to say that he was the one who got away. She compares their love to that of June and Johnny Cash, who were famously in love and never one without the other. She misses him so much that she puts on records that remind her of him. She hears that he had his tattoo removed and saw him downtown, singing the blues, making it clear that it's time to face the music and move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Summer after high school, when we first met
We met during the summer after high school.
We'd make-out in your Mustang to Radiohead
We used to passionately make-out in your car while listening to Radiohead.
And on my eighteenth birthday, we got matching tattoos
We got matching tattoos to commemorate my eighteenth birthday.
Used to steal your parents' liquor and climb to the roof
We used to sneak drinks from your parents and climb onto the roof.
Talk about our future like we had a clue
We used to dream about our future together, even though we didn't really know what it held.
Never planned that one day I'd be losing you
I never thought that one day you would leave and I would be without you.
In another life, I would be your girl
In another reality, we would still be together and happy.
We'd keep all our promises, be us against the world
We would keep all the promises we made to each other and face everything together.
I was June and you were my Johnny Cash
We were a classic and timeless couple, like June Carter and Johnny Cash.
Never one without the other, we made a pact
We were never apart and made a promise to always be together.
Sometimes when I miss you, I put those records on, whoa
Sometimes when I'm feeling nostalgic for our time together, I listen to our favorite records.
Someone said you had your tattoo removed
I heard from someone that you got rid of the tattoo we both got together.
Saw you downtown, singin' the blues
I saw you in the city, looking sad and singing sad songs.
It's time to face the music, I'm no longer your muse
I need to accept that you have moved on and I am no longer the inspiration for your music.
All this money can't buy me a time machine, no
No amount of money can buy me a way to go back in time and fix our relationship.
Can't replace you with a million rings, no
I cannot replace you with any amount of material possessions.
I should've told you what you meant to me, whoa
I regret not telling you how much you meant to me while we were together.
'Cause now I pay the price
Now I am paying the consequences of not expressing my feelings to you when I had the chance.
In another life, I would make you stay
In another reality, I would do everything in my power to make you stay with me.
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away
So I wouldn't have to live with the regret of losing you and thinking of you as 'the one that got away'.
The one that got away
The person that I lost and will never have again.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Katy Perry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mmmm-lg2mj
Ikr? I think this goes well with Bokuaka⬇️
I loved you long before we met
Life was gentle, there was beauty everywhere, in every moment,
Yet my heart was unfulfilled.
In a world of vast contrasts between good and bad,
I pondered on the notion of love.
My beloved, where are you? I often thought,
I would sit under the canopy of a beautiful tree.
Looking at the night sky….
I wondered if you were also looking up at the same stars,
Wondering where I was……Yet we had not met yet.
Like a warm breeze,
I met you some years later,
All I know is I loved you long before we met
@anneesteban2942
When i was a kid i didn't realize what does it feel. Now i am crying
@atakechi5574
Same
@sydnicunningham6926
i understand, there is a cover that makes you cry. It’s soooo sad
@spiraljinxx9891
i am crying rn help
@hmingteimahmingtei3661
Me too😢😭nowadays
@priscillagonmei4302
Same here😪
@anpgl
This Katy era hits different.
@lottieplater4663
It was iconic
@weekndenjoyer
i love her old music :(
@bubub3321
I love her old music and i love her new music...