80. Break Free
Ariana Grande Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

If you want it, take it
I should've said it before
Tried to hide it, fake it
I can't pretend anymore

I only wanna die alive
Never by the hands of a broken heart
I don't wanna hear you lie tonight
Now that I've become who I really am

This is the part when I say I don't want ya
I'm stronger than I've been before
This is the part when I break free
'Cause I can't resist it no more
This is the part when I say I don't want ya
I'm stronger than I've been before
This is the part when I break free
'Cause I can't resist it no more

You were better, deeper
I was under your spell, yeah
Like a deadly fever, yeah, babe
On the highway to hell, yeah

I only wanna die alive
Never by the hands of a broken heart
I don't wanna hear you lie tonight
Now that I've become who I really am

This is the part when I say I don't want ya
I'm stronger than I've been before
This is the part when I break free
'Cause I can't resist it no more
This is the part when I say I don't want ya



I'm stronger than I've been before
This is the part when I break free
'Cause I can't resist it no more

No more, baby, ooh
Thought of your body, I came alive
It was lethal, it was fatal
In my dreams, it felt so right
But I woke up every time
Oh, baby

This is the part when I say I don't want ya
I'm stronger than I've been before
This is the part when I break free
'Cause I can't resist it no more
This is (this is) the part when I say I don't want ya
I'm stronger than I've been before
This is the part when I break free
'Cause I can't resist it no more

Overall Meaning

In "Break Free," Ariana Grande addresses the end of a relationship and the empowerment that comes with it. She admits to having feelings for her partner, but keeping them hidden, pretending and denying the truth. Ultimately, she decides to break free from her partner and the toxic relationship, which has been making her feel like she was on a highway to hell. Ariana asserts herself as an independent and empowered woman who doesn't need anyone to hold her back. She celebrates the newfound strength she has gained from recognizing her own worth and asserts her right to live her life on her own terms. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the point of her breaking free from the painful relationship.


The song's lyrics are recognizable in its message of empowerment, despite being a common theme in many songs. It is rumored that "Break Free" is about Ariana's break-up with Nathan Sykes, a fellow musician with whom she collaborated on "Almost is Never Enough”. However, Ariana has not confirmed or denied this assertion. It is not uncommon to hear "Break Free" as a pump-up song for women building their careers, as well as on playlists for workouts and even in a few action movie trailers.


Line by Line Meaning

If you want it, take it
I used to pretend that I didn’t want you, but the truth is, if you want me, you can have me.


I should have said it before
I wish I was honest with you from the beginning.


Tried to hide it, fake it
I tried to hide my feelings for you and pretend like they didn’t exist.


I can't pretend anymore
I can’t keep pretending that I don’t have feelings for you.


I only want to die alive
I don’t want to give into a broken heart and let it kill me. I want to live my life to the fullest.


Never by the hands of a broken heart
I don’t want my heart to be broken because of someone else.


I don't wanna hear you lie tonight
I don’t want to hear you tell me lies anymore.


Now that I've become who I really am
I’ve finally become comfortable with who I am, and I won’t let anyone try to change me.


This is the part when I say I don't want ya
This is the moment where I admit that I don’t want you in my life.


I'm stronger than I've been before
I’ve grown stronger and more confident in myself.


This is the part when I break free
This is the moment where I break free from the spell you had on me.


'Cause I can't resist it no more
I can’t keep fighting my feelings for you anymore.


You were better, deeper
You had qualities that I found attractive and enchanting.


I was under your spell
I was in love with you and couldn’t see myself with anyone else.


Like a deadly fever, yeah, babe
My feelings for you were like a deadly fever that consumed me.


On the highway to hell
My feelings for you were leading me down a dark path that I didn’t want to go down.


Thought of your body, I came alive
Thinking about your body made me feel alive and passionate.


It was lethal, it was fatal
My feelings for you were so strong that they consumed me and threatened to destroy me.


In my dreams it felt so right
In my dreams, being with you felt like the perfect way to live my life.


But I woke up every time
But in reality, every time I thought about being with you, I realized it wasn’t what I truly wanted.


Oh baby
I still care for you deeply, but I know that being with you would be wrong for me.


(No more, baby, ooh)
I’m moving on from these feelings for you and I won’t let myself be consumed by them any longer.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Anton Zaslavski, Max Martin, Savan Kotecha

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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