ANTI – English Lyrics

• By: Rihanna
• Album: ANTI

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a journey of artistic evolution with Rihanna's "ANTI." This album offers a rich tapestry of genres and raw emotional depth, providing a unique opportunity to explore contemporary English through its authentic lyrics and diverse vocal styles. Delve into the nuances of modern language and expression as Rihanna defies conventions and presents a truly personal body of work.

[English]

- [Narrator] It's like you're screaming

and no one can hear.

(somber music)

You almost feel ashamed

that someone could be that important,

that without them you feel like nothing.

No one will ever understand how much it hurts.

You feel hopeless

like nothing can save you.

And when it's over and it's gone, you almost wished

that you could have all that bad stuff back

so that you could have the good.

(thunder roaring)

(upbeat electro music)

♪ Yellow diamonds in the light ♪

♪ Now we're standing side by side ♪

♪ As your shadow crosses mine ♪

♪ What it takes to come alive ♪

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

♪ But I've gotta let it go ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

(upbeat electro music)

♪ Shine a light through an open door ♪

♪ Love and life I will divide ♪

♪ Turn away 'cause I need you more ♪

♪ Feel the heartbeat in my mind ♪

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

♪ But I've gotta let it go ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

(upbeat electro music)

♪ Yellow diamonds in the light ♪

♪ Now we're standing side by side ♪

♪ As your shadow crosses mine ♪

♪ Mine, mine, mine ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

(upbeat electro music)

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

♪ We found love in a hopeless place ♪

Key Vocabulary

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.

Key Grammar Structures

• 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.