Animate (2004 Remaster) – English Lyrics

• By: Rush
• Album: Counterparts

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Polarize me, sensitize me

Criticize me, civilize me

Compensate me, animate me

Complicate me, elevate me

...

Goddess in my garden

Sister in my soul

Angel in my armor

Actress in my role

Daughter of a demon lover

Empress of the hidden face

Priestess of the pagan mother

Ancient queen of inner space

...

Polarize me, sensitize me

Criticize me, civilize me

...

Compensate me, animate me

Complicate me, elevate me

...

Spirit in my psyche

Double in my role

Alter in my image

Struggle for control

Mistress of the dark unconscious

Mermaid of the lunar sea

Daughter of the great enchantress

Sister to the boy inside of me

Polarize me, sensitize me

Criticize me, civilize me

...

Compensate me, animate me

Complicate me, elevate me

...

My counterpart, my foolish heart

A man must learn to rule his tender part

A warming trend, a gentle friend

A man must build a fortress to defend

...

A secret face, a touch of grace

A man must learn to give a little space

A peaceful state, a submissive trait

A man must learn to gently dominate

...

Polarize me, sensitize me

Criticize me, civilize me

...

Compensate me, animate me

Complicate me, elevate me

...

Complicate me, elevate me

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
animate /ˈænɪmeɪt/ B2	verb - to bring to life; to give motion or activity to something; to make lively or cheerful
polarize /ˈpəʊləraɪz/ C1	verb - to cause people, opinions, etc., to separate into two opposing groups
sensitize /ˈsensɪtaɪz/ C1	verb - to make someone or something more sensitive to something, especially a substance or a situation
civilize /ˈsɪvɪlaɪz/ B2	verb - to educate a person or society to a more advanced stage of social and cultural development; to make more refined or humane
compensate /ˈkɒmpenseɪt/ B2	verb - to give someone something, usually money, because they have suffered injury, loss, or damage; to make up for something unwelcome or unpleasant
elevate /ˈelɪveɪt/ B2	verb - to raise something or lift something to a higher position; to improve someone's mood or spirits; to promote to a higher rank
complicate /ˈkɒmplɪkeɪt/ B2	verb - to make something more difficult or complex
goddess /ˈɡɒdɪs/ B2	noun - a female god; a woman who is greatly admired or adored
psyche /ˈsaɪki/ C1	noun - the human soul, mind, or spirit (often used in psychology)
unconscious /ʌnˈkɒnʃəs/ C1	adjective - not awake and aware of and responding to one's environment; done or existing without one realizing it noun - the part of the mind that is not directly accessible to consciousness but that affects behavior (psychology)
empress /ˈemprəs/ B2	noun - a female ruler of an empire; the wife of an emperor
priestess /ˈpriːstɪs/ C1	noun - a female priest, especially in non-Christian religions or ancient traditions
mermaid /ˈmɜːmeɪd/ B1	noun - a mythical sea creature with the head and torso of a woman and the tail of a fish
enchantress /ɪnˈtʃɑːntrəs/ C1	noun - a woman who uses magic or sorcery, especially to cast spells on people; a woman who is fascinatingly beautiful and charming
counterpart /ˈkaʊntəpɑːt/ C1	noun - a person or thing that corresponds to or has the same function as another person or thing in a different place or situation
fortress /ˈfɔːtrəs/ B2	noun - a military stronghold, especially a strongly fortified town fit for a large garrison; a place that is strong and cannot be easily attacked
submissive /səbˈmɪsɪv/ C1	adjective - ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive
dominate /ˈdɒmɪneɪt/ B2	verb - to have power and influence over; to be the most important or conspicuous element in
trait /treɪt/ B2	noun - a distinguishing quality or characteristic, typically one belonging to a person
grace /ɡreɪs/ B2	noun - polite, kind, and pleasant behaviour; a quality of moving in a smooth, relaxed, and attractive way noun - the free and unmerited favour of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings

Key Grammar Structures

• Polarize me, sensitize me

  ➔ Imperative Verbs + Object Pronouns

  ➔ This construction uses base form verbs ("Polarize", "sensitize") to give commands or make requests. The pronoun "me" acts as the object receiving the action.

• Goddess in my garden

  ➔ Noun Phrase with Prepositional Phrase

  ➔ This is a descriptive noun phrase. "Goddess" is the head noun, and "in my garden" is a prepositional phrase using the preposition "in" and the possessive determiner "my" to specify location.

• Daughter of a demon lover

  ➔ Noun Phrase with "of" for Relationship/Origin

  ➔ The preposition "of" is used here to show a relationship or origin, connecting "Daughter" to "a demon lover" to indicate who the daughter belongs to or comes from.

• A man must learn to rule his tender part

  ➔ Modal Verb "must" + Infinitives

  ➔ "Must" is a modal verb expressing obligation or strong necessity. It is followed by the bare infinitive "learn". "To rule" is a full infinitive acting as the complement of "learn", indicating what the man needs to acquire the skill for.

• A man must build a fortress to defend

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The phrase "to defend" is an infinitive of purpose. It explains *why* a man must build a fortress, indicating the reason or objective of the action. While it could imply 'to be defended' in some contexts, here it strongly suggests the agent (man) will defend it.

• A warming trend, a gentle friend

  ➔ Adjectives Modifying Nouns

  ➔ "Warming" (a present participle acting as an adjective) and "gentle" are adjectives that modify and describe the nouns "trend" and "friend" respectively, providing more specific information about them.

• A secret face, a touch of grace

  ➔ Quantifying Noun Phrase with "of"

  ➔ In "a touch of grace", "a touch" is a quantifying noun used with "of" to indicate a small amount or an element of the abstract noun "grace".

• A man must learn to gently dominate

  ➔ Adverb Modifying an Infinitive

  ➔ The adverb "gently" modifies the infinitive verb "to dominate", describing the manner in which the action of dominating should be performed.

• My counterpart, my foolish heart

  ➔ Possessive Determiners

  ➔ "My" is a possessive determiner (also called a possessive adjective) used before a noun ("counterpart", "heart") to show ownership or close association.