15 Songs About The One That Got Away

(Last Updated On: September 17, 2022)

Through most people’s lives, they end up dating a number of people before finally settling down. However, some relationships are extra special but we may be careless with them and come to regret in the future why we messed up. Here is a list of songs talking about the one that got away:

1. Katy Perry – The One That Got Away


In this track, Katy reminisces about a former lover and promises him that if only things had worked out differently they would have spent their lives together. The two first met in the summer after high school, dated and got matching tattoos on her 18th birthday. However, they didn’t keep their promise of taking on the world together by going their separate ways.

Katy revealed the song is about Josh Groban during a game of “Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts” in James Corden’s show.

 

2. Taylor Swift – Back To December


In this track, Taylor Swift was apologizing to her ex-boyfriend Taylor Lautner for ending their relationship. She says they were in a perfect relationship but her carelessness ruined it. She revealed that this was the first time she had ever apologized to someone in a song.

Taylor wishes she could go back to the night they broke up to make things good again. At the time, she felt insecure about their relationship and didn’t trust Taylor Lautner hence broke up with him. Now in the present, she sees that he was trustworthy all along and wants to go back in time and tell herself to trust him.

 

3. NeYo – Do You


Ne-Yo reminisces about an ex and he is torn by the way things ended. He writes a letter to state how he felt about how everything ended even though she has moved on. He reaches out to his ex because the thoughts of her have been weighing heavily on him. He wants to get some form of closure by telling her that he has not stopped thinking about her.

Ne-Yo ex has already moved and is engaged to someone else. The two just had a baby girl. Ne-Yo makes it clear that he doesn’t want to cause any trouble between the two of them.





 

4. Chris Brown – Should’ve Kissed You


In this song, he is stating that next time he won’t mess up and will actually tell the girl how he feels and kiss her. He wasn’t able to recognize the signals that the girl gave hence the opportunity to kiss her went away.

 

5. Bow Wow – Outta My System

 

Bowwow stated that he is addressing his breakup with Ciara which was rumored to be as a result of Bowwow cheating with Ciara’s friend Ashley R who was also a video vixen. He shares that he misses Ciara and all the things they used to do together. He also tells her that he is finding it too hard to move on with his life and thoughts of her constantly occupy his mind.

The track is the second single in Bow Wow’s fifth studio album The Price Of Fame. It was certified platinum by RIAA on the week of June 15, 2007 and peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

 

6. Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man

The song is from Bruno Mars’ second studio album Unorthodox Jukebox which was released in 2012. It is a piano ballad about a pre-fame heartbreak whereby he regrets letting go of. When they were together Bruno did not give her all the love and attention that she craved. He uses the term ‘should have bought you flowers’ to symbolize the romantic gestures he had oversight on.

Bruno Mars’ ex has not moved on and he hopes that the new man is making her happy the way he should have done. He has stated that this is his most difficult song to perform because of its meaning.





 

7. Ed Sheeran  – Happier

 

The track describes Ed’s mindset after learning that a girl he broke up with has already found a new man. In an interview, he explained that this song is him reflecting on his first girlfriend and meeting the man she’s now with years later. He came to the realization that she looks a lot happier than when she was with him since the new man is more suited to her than he ever was and they were never as happy.

In the track, Ed shares the ups and downs of his previous relationship. He tries to show maturity by wanting her to stay with him since he recognizes their relationship was toxic at times and doesn’t blame her for wanting to be with someone else.

 

8. NeYo – Part Of The List

 

In this track, Ne-Yo lists all of the small things he misses about the woman he used to date. These range from some of the physical traits that are unique to her, mannerisms and things they used to do just the two of them. He states that she will never leave his heart and will never forget her.

 

9. Ali Gatie – Moonlight

This is the second track off Alie Gatie’s debut album YOU. He revealed he wrote it at a time when he was mending his broken heart in hopes it would help him and others around the world navigate through the same type of pain.

Going from being so in love to being out of love left Ali questioning if it was even real. He doesn’t know if she loved him or if he loved her so much he made it feel real.





 

10. Akon – Right Now


Here Akon is singing about how he is regretting breaking up with an ex-girlfriend and his desire to link up with her and makeup. He cherishes her above everyone and she will forever be in his heart.

 

11. Clean Bandit – Baby

This is the sixth single from Clean Bandit’s second studio album What Is Love?. It talks about the bitterness of surviving the marriage of someone you hadn’t let go of completely and the helplessness in the face of this finality.

 

12. Colbie Caillat – I Never Told You

The track is off her second album Breakthrough which was released on February 2010 in the United States. Lyrically, it talks about the love Colbie still has for someone she felt strongly about during their relationship even though it had already ended.





 

13. Adele – Someone Like You


This is the second single off of Adele’s sophomore album, 21 and was aspired by her broken relationship. This is about Adele coming to terms with her former lover moving on. Adele stated this about the song: “It’s just sort of about, you know… I met the love of my life, and I’ll never find anyone like him again, but we just weren’t right for each other then, and I think we just destroyed it too much to ever be able to go back to it again in the future. And it was me sort of imagining being a spinster, and being single forever, and going looking for him and he’s married with kids and stuff like that.”

The song was the first pure-piano ballad to ever top the Billboard Hot 100 and won the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance at the 54th Grammy Awards in 2012.

 

14. Drake – Marvin’s Room

 

The title of the song is a reference to Marvin Gaye’s studio which is popularly known as Marvin’s Room. It is where Drake recorded the track.

In the song, we see Drake deciding to call his ex while drunk to vent the feelings he still has for her. He shares how lonely he is, how in love he is still with her, reminisce the times they had and goes further to try to get her to leave her new man.

 

15. Mariah Carey – Don’t Forget About Us

 

This is the fifth single from her tenth studio album, The Emancipation of Mimi. It topped the Billboard Hot 100, R&B and dance charts.

The song is generally about the emotions that are sometimes felt after losing their relationship. Mariah confesses how much she still thinks about her ex and reveals just how much she wants to reach out to him.