back in rehab – English Lyrics

• By: blackbear
• Album: in loving memory

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the raw and honest storytelling of blackbear's "back in rehab." This song offers a powerful opportunity to learn English vocabulary related to emotions, relationships, and personal struggles. Its direct and candid lyrics make it a compelling piece for understanding how music can be a vehicle for expressing complex personal narratives.

[English]

I love what I don't have 'til I have it, then I hate it

You trashed everything that I once held sacred

Let the pendulum swing, now back and forth, oh

You fill me up with love, but love's overrated

And I'm just five minutes away

From burning this whole shit down

You don't know your limits

Wanna run away, man, fuck this town

'Cause your depression could fill up a room

And my anxiety could pop a balloon

I'ma end up back in rehab just for fuckin' with you

Or six feet under ground

'Cause of what you put me through

Oh, oh, oh

We're a beautiful mess

That's the ugly truth

You smile like my ex, and that freaks me out

But something 'bout the sex just keeps me 'round

L.A. is a place people go to forget who they are

Your heart is a place nobody's allowed

And I'm just five minutes away

From burning this whole shit down

You don't know your limits

Wanna run away, man, fuck this town

'Cause your depression could fill up a room

And my anxiety could pop a balloon

I'ma end up back in rehab just for fuckin' with you

Or six feet under ground

'Cause of what you put me through

Oh, oh, oh

We're a beautiful mess

That's the ugly truth

And I'm just five minutes away

From burning this whole shit down

You don't know your limits

Wanna run away, man, fuck this town

Key Grammar Structures

• I love what I don't have 'til I have it, then I hate it

  ➔ Noun Clause as Object

  ➔ The phrase "what I don't have" functions as a noun, specifically the direct object of the verb "love." Noun clauses often begin with words like "what," "who," "that," "whether," or "if," and contain a subject and a verb. Here, "what" acts as both a pronoun within the clause and the connector.

• You trashed everything that I once held sacred

  ➔ Defining Relative Clause

  ➔ "that I once held sacred" is a defining relative clause. It provides essential information about "everything," specifying which "everything" is being referred to. It cannot be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. "That" is a relative pronoun.

• Let the pendulum swing, now back and forth, oh

  ➔ Causative Verb "Let"

  ➔ The causative verb "let" is used to say that you allow or permit someone or something to do something. It is followed by the object ("the pendulum") and then the base form of the verb (without "to"), which is "swing." This indicates permission for the action.

• From burning this whole shit down

  ➔ Gerund after Preposition

  ➔ A gerund (the -ing form of a verb used as a noun) often follows prepositions. In this line, "burning" is a gerund acting as the object of the preposition "from." This structure indicates the action that the subject is moving "away from."

• 'Cause your depression could fill up a room

  ➔ Modal Verb "Could" (Hypothetical Possibility)

  ➔ "Could" is used here to express a hypothetical or imagined possibility, suggesting that the speaker's partner's depression is so overwhelming that it *might* metaphorically fill a room. It's not a definite statement but a strong possibility in a figurative sense.

• Wanna run away, man, fuck this town

  ➔ Informal Contraction "Wanna"

  ➔ "Wanna" is an informal contraction of "want to." It is very common in spoken English and casual writing but should generally be avoided in formal contexts. Other similar contractions include "gonna" (going to) and "I'ma" (I am going to), which also appears later in the song.

• people go to forget who they are

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The infinitive form of a verb (to + base verb) is used here to express the purpose or reason for the action. "to forget" explains *why* people go to L.A. This structure answers the question "Why?"

• love's overrated

  ➔ Passive Voice with Contraction

  ➔ "love's overrated" is a contraction of "love is overrated." This is an example of the passive voice (be + past participle), where the subject ("love") receives the action ("overrated"). The agent (who or what overrates love) is not specified, implying it's a general opinion or widely held belief.

• 'Cause of what you put me through

  ➔ Phrasal Verb "Put (someone) through"

  ➔ "Put (someone) through" is an idiomatic phrasal verb meaning to cause someone to experience a difficult, unpleasant, or painful situation. In this context, it refers to the emotional hardship or suffering the other person has caused the speaker.

• You smile like my ex, and that freaks me out

  ➔ Preposition "Like" for Comparison

  ➔ The preposition "like" is used here to make a comparison, indicating similarity. The person's smile is being compared to the smile of the speaker's ex-partner, suggesting a resemblance that causes discomfort. It's important to distinguish this usage from the verb "to like."