ANTI

• By: Rihanna
• Album: ANTI

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
screaming /ˈskriːmɪŋ/ B1	verb - to utter a loud, piercing cry
ashamed /əˈʃeɪmd/ B1	adjective - feeling shame or embarrassment
important /ɪmˈpɔːrtənt/ A2	adjective - of great significance or value
hurts /hɜːrts/ A2	verb - to cause pain or distress
hopeless /ˈhoʊpləs/ B2	adjective - feeling or causing despair about the possibility of change or improvement
save /seɪv/ A2	verb - to rescue someone or something from danger or harm
wished /wɪʃt/ B1	verb - feel or express a strong desire or hope for something that is not easily attainable
bad /bæd/ A1	adjective - of poor quality or low standard
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - of high quality
diamonds /ˈdaɪəməndz/ B1	noun - a precious stone consisting of a clear and colorless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest naturally occurring substance.
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.
shadow /ˈʃædoʊ/ B1	noun - a dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living; not dead.
feeling /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ A2	noun - an emotional state or reaction.
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection.
shine /ʃaɪn/ A2	verb - give out a bright light.
open /ˈoʊpən/ A1	adjective - allowing access, passage, or a view.
heartbeat /ˈhɑːrtbiːt/ B1	noun - the pulsation of the heart.

Grammar:

• It's like you're screaming and no one can hear.

  ➔ Present Continuous for actions happening at the moment of speaking/perception.

  ➔ The phrase "you're screaming" uses the present continuous tense, indicating the act of screaming is happening *now* or at this perceived moment. It emphasizes the ongoing nature of the unheard cry.

• that without them you feel like nothing.

  ➔ Subordinate clause with "without" expressing a conditional situation.

  ➔ The clause "without them you feel like nothing" illustrates a condition. *Without* the presence of those individuals, the subject experiences a feeling of worthlessness. The use of "without" creates a sense of dependency.

• so that you could have the good.

  ➔ Purpose clause introduced by "so that" + modal verb "could" to express possibility or a past general ability.

  ➔ "So that" introduces a purpose. The modal verb "could" suggests a *past potential* or a *general ability in the past*. The narrator wishes to have the bad times back to experience the good times again.

• What it takes to come alive

  ➔ Noun clause using "what" as a subject complement. "Take" here means to require.

  ➔ "What it takes to come alive" is a noun clause functioning as the subject. "What" refers to the *necessary actions or elements*. "Takes" implies *requires*. It discusses the necessary effort to feel truly alive.

• It's the way I'm feeling I just can't deny

  ➔ Cleft sentence with "It's...that/who" structure focusing on the way the speaker is feeling. Use of "can't deny" (negative + verb of belief) for emphasis.

  ➔ This sentence is a slightly modified cleft sentence. The core idea is emphasized: *the way I'm feeling*. The "can't deny" emphasizes the *strength* and *irresistibility* of the feeling.

• But I've gotta let it go

  ➔ "Gotta" is a colloquial contraction of "got to", expressing obligation or necessity. Present perfect continuous: "I've (have) gotta let it go."

  ➔ "Gotta" indicates a *strong sense of obligation*. It's a shortened and informal version of "have got to". "Let it go" implies releasing something or someone. The contraction "I've" implies a continuous action up to this point.

• We found love in a hopeless place

  ➔ Simple Past Tense: Describing a completed action in the past. "Hopeless place" is a noun phrase with an adjective modifying the noun.

  ➔ "Found" is the simple past tense of "find," indicating a completed action in the past. "Hopeless place" is where the improbable discovery was made.

• Love and life I will divide

  ➔ Future Simple (will) with subject-verb inversion for emphasis. The subject is placed after the auxiliary verb "will".

  ➔ Normally, the sentence structure would be "I will divide love and life". Inverting the subject and verb places emphasis on the action of *dividing*. It creates a poetic and dramatic effect.