Anti-Hero

• By: Taylor Swift
• Album: Midnights

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
problem /ˈprɒbləm/ A2	noun - a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome.
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
mirror /ˈmɪrər/ A2	noun - a reflective surface, now typically of glass backed with a metallic coating.
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that provides light and heat to Earth
hero /ˈhɪəroʊ/ A2	noun - a person admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
monster /ˈmɒnstər/ B1	noun - a large, ugly, and frightening imaginary creature.
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep. verb - to experience a dream.
meaning /ˈmiːnɪŋ/ B1	noun - what is meant by a word, text, concept, or action.
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town or urban area.
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system by rhythmic contraction and dilation.
shift /ʃɪft/ B1	noun - a period of working time.
graveyard /ˈɡreɪvjɑːrd/ B2	noun - a burial ground; a cemetery.
exhausting /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪŋ/ B2	adjective - making someone feel very tired.
screaming /ˈskriːmɪŋ/ B1	verb - to give a loud, piercing cry.
wiser /ˈwaɪzər/ B1	adjective - having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

Grammar:

• I HAVE THIS THING WHERE I GET OLDER BUT JUST NEVER WISER

  ➔ Relative clause with 'where'

  ➔ Here, "where" doesn't refer to a physical location but introduces a situation or circumstance. "I have this thing" - a tendency is the thing.

• MIDNIGHTS BECOME MY AFTERNOONS

  ➔ Metaphor; Subject-Verb agreement

  ➔ "Midnights" becoming "afternoons" is a metaphor illustrating a shift in sleeping schedule. The plural "midnights" requires the plural verb "become".

• I SHOULD NOT BE LEFT TO MY OWN DEVICES

  ➔ Modal verb "should" + passive voice

  ➔ The modal verb "should" expresses advice or expectation. The passive voice "be left" emphasizes that the speaker doesn't want others to leave her alone.

• TALE AS OLD AS TIME

  ➔ Simile with elliptical construction.

  ➔ The complete sentence would be "This is a tale as old as time." The beginning of the sentence is implied. A simile compares something to something else.

• IT MUST BE EXHAUSTING ALWAYS ROOTING FOR THE ANTI-HERO

  ➔ Modal verb "must" + gerund phrase as subject

  ➔ "Must" expresses a strong likelihood or deduction. "Rooting for the anti-hero" is a gerund phrase acting as the subject of the sentence.

• DID YOU HEAR MY COVERT NARCISSISM I DISGUISE AS ALTRUISM LIKE SOME KIND OF CONGRESSMAN

  ➔ Relative Clause with Omission of Relative Pronoun

  ➔ The clause "I disguise as altruism" modifies "covert narcissism." The relative pronoun "that" or "which" is omitted.

• SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY IS A SEXY BABY

  ➔ "Feel like" + clause; subject-verb disagreement for effect

  ➔ "Feel like" is used to express a vague impression or feeling. "Everybody" is grammatically singular and should take "is," but the unusual imagery plays with expectations.

• I WAKE UP SCREAMING FROM DREAMING ONE DAY I’LL WATCH AS YOU’RE LEAVING

  ➔ Gerund "dreaming", future tense "I'll watch", present continuous in future context

  ➔ "Dreaming" is used as a gerund modifying the verb "screaming". "I'll watch" denotes a future action. The use of present continuous "you're leaving" implies a future event that is perceived as already decided.