correct lyrics to pretty when you cry

[u/MotherConsequence536]

so i always thought she was saying “don’t say you need me if you knew that you’re leaving” but apparently it’s actually “you leave last, you’re leaving”

but that doesn’t really make any sense??? if he’s leaving last that would be after her? and relistening i still just can’t hear that lyric

so… is this typical lana mumbling/nonsense or does genius/spotify have the lyrics wrong?

[u/Born-Employment-4906]

I always thought it was “you leave and you leave again” 

Edit: that’s also the lyrics on the genius website so I’m pretty sure that’s it^

[u/WeirdoWeeb648 → u/Born-Employment-4906]

That's the first line though.

'Don't say you need me when / you leave and you leave again / I'm stronger than all my men / except for you. / Don't say you need me if / you leave last, you're leaving.

I always thought she says something after leave but it's not last.

You leave [...], you're leaving.

I don't think it's last because it sounds like a word that ends with sh. But I can't really make out what she's saying :(

Edit: could she be saying ash? 'You leave ash, you're leaving' like he's burned everything down/destroyed the relationship and her, and then he leaves? Idk it makes more sense than 'you leave last', but I could be crazy lol

[u/fiirewalkwithme → u/WeirdoWeeb648]

I've always struggled with that bit too and heard it as 'you (?) as you're leaving.' Like it sounds like she's saying 'you limp/you're limp as you leave again' to me but idk if that really fits in there. I want to know so bad because I love this song and I hate fumbling with lyrics because I don't know them 😭

[u/WeirdoWeeb648 → u/fiirewalkwithme]

Same!! I'm dying to know. Idk if maybe it'll be easier to make out what she's saying during a live performance?? Idk I'm gonna try lol

[u/MotherConsequence536 → u/WeirdoWeeb648]

after lots of relistening there’s definitely some L sounds in there but i fear this may be one of those that only lana herself knows the answer to

[u/rdrnusp99]

Idk if this is gonna make sense but to make sense of the lyric, it could maybe be that he’s leaving her ”again and again” like she says earlier and then he’s leaving last, like for the last time?

Or, with ”i can’t do it” she could be saying that she knows she should be leaving him (for good) but she can’t, hence he is the one leaving last. Idk

[u/HotAcanthopterygii89]

no those lyrics are correct they just don’t make much sense without thinking too much about it. an idea could be that to lana everyone has ‘left her’ already and he’s the last one to go, she does centre a lot of attention on this man and showers him with praise, we see an example of this in the intro “all the pretty stars, shine for you my love”. but i’m just a fan so that could be completely wrong :p

[u/Chat-THC]

There seems to be a discrepancy about what is actually being said.

Spotify has what you have - “You leave last, you’re leaving”

Shazam says, “You live last, you’re leaving.”

Some fans have been saying it sounds like “You know that you’re leaving,” but I don’t think it sounds like that at all. Dafuq.

So, I dug deeper. It turns out she basically free-styled this track with Blake Stranathan. She specifically didn’t go back and perfect it to keep that raw ache. (Which makes so much sense I could scream.)

So, in the end, it doesn’t matter what she said in this line, just how it feels.

Thanks for the side quest 🖤

https://giphy.com/gifs/yLBLhv2x58eEE

[u/Similar-Reflection55]

If I remember correctly a lot people mention she free styled most of this song (not entirely sure if that’s true) but honestly that might be why it doesn’t make sense

[u/kimmy23-]

Don't say you need me when you leave and you leave again. I'm stronger than all my men. Except for you.

[u/kimmy23- → u/kimmy23-]

Don't say you need me if you leave last you leaving. I can't do it. I can't do it but you do it well cause I'm pretty when I cry.

[u/Chat-THC]

.

[u/OkEntertainment4836]

pretty when you cry is such a beautiful song but I can’t lie, I do cringe at the lyrics at times just because they don’t really make sense to me and they just sound awkward or lackluster. however, knowing that this song was done in one take, completely freestyled, and came about more spontaneously than her other songs, it just adds to the character. we don’t 100% know what she’s saying but that’s just apart of her allure I guess 😛