Thinking of You
Verse 1
Comparisons are easily doneOnce you've had a taste of perfectionLike an apple hanging from a treeI picked the ripest one, I still got the seedPre-Chorus
You said move on, where do I go?I guess second best is all I will knowChorus
'Cause when I'm with him, I amThinking of you (Thinking of you, thinking of you)Thinking of youWhat you would do ifYou were the one who wasSpending the night (Spending the night, spending the night)Oh, I wish that IWas looking into your eyesPost-Chorus
EyesVerse 2
You're like an Indian summer in the middle of winterLike a hard candy with a surprise centerHow do I get better once I've had the best?You said there's tons of fish in the water, so the waters I will testPre-Chorus
He kissed my lips, I taste your mouth, oh (I taste your mouth)He pulled me in, I was disgusted with myselfChorus
'Cause when I'm with him, I amThinking of you (Thinking of you, thinking of you)Thinking of youWhat you would do ifYou were the one who wasSpending the night (Spending the night, spending the night)Oh, I wish that IWas looking intoBridge
You're the bestAnd yes, I do regretHow I could let myself let you go?Now, now the lesson's learnedI touched it, I was burnedOh, I think you should knowChorus
'Cause when I'm with him, I am (Oh)Thinking of you (Oh; thinking of you, thinking of you)Thinking of youOh, what you would do ifYou were the one who wasSpending the night (Spending the night, spending the night)Oh, I wish that IWas looking into yourYour eyesLooking into your eyesLooking into your eyesOh, won't you walk throughAnd bust in the door andTake me away?Oh, no more mistakes'Cause in your eyes, I'd like to stayOutro
StayWhat the song means
The song is about a narrator who cannot stop comparing new partners to someone she has lost. Even while she is with another man, her thoughts keep returning to her ex, and the song makes clear that she is not really moving on. The mood is restless and self-critical: she feels she settled for less and is frustrated with herself for it.
The story develops from comparison to regret to a desperate plea. The early verses use images of a fruit that was perfect but left a lasting seed, and of a rejection that tells her to move on. The middle section shows her kissing someone new and being disgusted, because the memory of the ex is stronger than the present moment. The bridge admits that she let the relationship go and got hurt by the decision. The final chorus turns into a direct wish to be taken back, and the song ends on a single word asking to stay.
The key images carry the emotional weight. The apple suggests that even the best choice leaves something behind. "Indian summer" and the hard candy with a surprise center describe comfort that feels warm and sweet but is unexpected and deceptive. The fishing idiom is dismissive, but she uses it only to show she is testing other options and failing. The repeated image of eyes stands for closeness and recognition, which she feels with her ex and misses with everyone else.
Key phrases explained
- Indian summer
- un veranillo de San Martín, a warm spell in late autumn; here, a sudden warmth in a cold season — The phrase is a figurative image of unexpected warmth that reflects the ex's appeal in a cold, lonely time.
- hard candy with a surprise center
- a sweet with an unexpected filling; here, something that seems simple but hides depth — The image suggests a relationship that looked ordinary but holds more emotion than expected.
- tons of fish in the water
- plenty of other people to date — This idiom is quoted dismissively, and the narrator responds by trying to find someone new.
- I touched it, I was burned
- I got hurt after trying something risky — The line reflects the bridge's point that she learned from a painful experience.
- bust in the door
- to burst in forcefully, here meaning a dramatic return — The slang expresses a fantasy of sudden, passionate rescue by the ex.
Song info
- Release date
- 2008-06-17
- Album
- One of the Boys
- Written by
- Katy Perry
- Produced by
- Butch Walker
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