Bad News – English Lyrics

• By: Kanye West
• Album: 808s & Heartbreak

Lyrics & Translation

Learn the nuances of emotional expression in modern English through this track. 'Bad News' offers a masterclass in using concise, repetitive phrasing to convey heavy feelings, making it a perfect study for learners interested in the intersection of poetry, music, and raw human sentiment.

[English]

Didn't you know I was waiting on you?

Waiting on a dream that'll never come true

Didn't you know I was waiting on you?

My face turned to stone when I heard the news

When you decide to break the rules

'Cause I just heard some real bad news

People will talk like it's old news

I played it off and act like I already knew

Let me ask you, how long have you known, dude?

You played it off and act like he's brand new

When you decide to break the rules

'Cause I just heard some real bad news

Real bad news

Real bad news

Real bad news

Oh, you just gon' keep another? No, you won't

Oh, you just gon' keep it like you never knew?

Oh, you just gon' keep another love for you?

Oh, you just gon' keep it like you never knew?

While I'm waiting on a dream that'll never come true

Oh, you just gon' keep it like you never knew?

My face turned to stone when I heard the news

What's on the news?

Channel cruise

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
waiting /ˈweɪtɪŋ/ A1	verb - staying in one place until an expected event happens
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a cherished aspiration or ideal
stone /stoʊn/ A2	noun - hard, solid, non-metallic mineral matter
news /nuːz/ A1	noun - newly received or noteworthy information
decide /dɪˈsaɪd/ A2	verb - to come to a resolution in the mind
rules /ruːlz/ A2	noun - prescribed guides for conduct or action
break /breɪk/ A1	verb - to violate a law or agreement
people /ˈpiːpəl/ A1	noun - human beings in general
played /pleɪd/ A1	verb - acted in a particular way (often deceptive)
brand /brænd/ B1	adjective - completely new
channel /ˈtʃænəl/ B1	noun - a television station or frequency
cruise /kruːz/ B1	verb - to move at a steady speed

Key Grammar Structures

• Didn't you know I was waiting on you?

  ➔ Past Continuous Tense

  ➔ Used here to describe an ongoing action that was happening in the past.

• Waiting on a dream that'll never come true

  ➔ Future Simple (Contraction)

  ➔ "That'll" is the contraction of "that will," used to express a prediction or future certainty.

• My face turned to stone when I heard the news

  ➔ Simple Past (Irregular Verb)

  ➔ "Heard" is the past form of the irregular verb "hear", indicating a completed action in the past.

• I played it off and act like I already knew

  ➔ Past Perfect Tense

  ➔ "Had known" (implied by "already knew") refers to an action finished before another past event.

• Oh, you just gon' keep another? No, you won't

  ➔ Future Simple Negative (Colloquial)

  ➔ "Won't" is the contraction of "will not", used here to express strong denial of a future action.

• Oh, you just gon' keep it like you never knew?

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood (Hypothetical)

  ➔ "Like you never knew" implies a hypothetical state or a pretend scenario.

• How long have you known, dude?

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense

  ➔ "Have you known" asks about a duration starting in the past and continuing to the present.

• When you decide to break the rules

  ➔ Adverbial Clause of Time

  ➔ The clause starting with "when" sets the condition or time for the main action.