☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a past relationship that didn't work out.
- It's about the memories of a summer love that started in high school.
- The singer regrets losing someone who was very important to her.
- She imagines what her life would be like if they had stayed together.
- The song describes the sadness and loss when you lose someone who was important.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song "The One That Got Away" by
Katy Perry are about a past relationship that didn't work out. It's about the memories of a summer love that started in high school. The two spent time together, made out, and dreamed of a future together. But over time, things changed and the relationship fell apart.
In the chorus of the song, the singer laments losing someone who was very important to her. She imagines what her life could have been like if they had stayed together. She wishes they had kept their promises and fought against the world together.
In the second verse, Katy Perry reminisces about her ex-partner, whom she refers to as her "Johnny Cash". They had a special connection and had big plans for the future. But she had to realize that reality was different. She sees him by chance in the city and realizes that she is no longer the muse she once was to him.
In the last part of the song, Katy Perry realizes that all the money in the world doesn't give her the opportunity to change the past. She regrets not telling him how much he meant to her. Now she has to pay the price.
Overall, the lyrics of the song describe the sadness and loss one feels when losing someone who was important. Katy Perry expresses her wishes of how things could have been and regrets not being able to retrieve the one who got away.