Brenda's Got A Baby – English Lyrics

• By: 2Pac

Lyrics & Translation

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
pregnancy /ˈprɛɡnənsi/ B2	noun - the condition of having a baby inside the body
adolescent /ˌædə'lesənt/ B1	noun - a young person in the stage of developing from a child to an adult
community /kəˈmjuːnəti/ B1	noun - a group of people living in the same area or with common interests
poverty /ˈpɒvərti/ B2	noun - the state of being extremely poor
addiction /əˈdɪkʃən/ B2	noun - a condition of being unable to stop doing something harmful
crack /kræk/ B2	noun - a form of cocaine made into small crystals
prostitute /ˈprɒstɪtjuːt/ C1	noun - a person who has sex in exchange for money
abuse /əˈbjuːs/ B2	verb - to use something wrongly or improperly noun - cruel or violent treatment of a person or animal
criminal /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/ B2	noun - a person who commits a crime
poverty /ˈpɒvərti/ B2	noun - the state of being extremely poor
desperate /ˈdɛspərət/ B2	adjective - having an urgent need or despair
struggle /ˈstrʌɡəl/ B2	verb - to try hard to do or achieve something difficult noun - a difficult effort to do something

Key Grammar Structures

• I hear Brenda's got a baby

  ➔ Present Simple with Possessive ('s')

  ➔ The line uses the present simple tense to state a fact and the possessive "'s" to indicate that Brenda has a baby. "Brenda's" is a contraction of "Brenda has".

• The girl can hardly spell her name

  ➔ Adverb of Degree (hardly)

  ➔ "Hardly" is an adverb of degree which means "almost not" or "barely". It indicates that the girl has very little ability to spell her name. The sentence uses it to emphasize the lack of education of Brenda.

• Just 'cause you're in the ghetto, doesn't mean you can't grow

  ➔ Subordinate Clause (Just 'cause), Negative Contraction (doesn't)

  ➔ The line starts with "Just 'cause," a shortened form of "just because," introducing a subordinate clause expressing a reason. "Doesn't" is a negative contraction of "does not".

• Now let's watch the joy end

  ➔ Imperative Mood (let's)

  ➔ "Let's" is a contraction of "let us" and is used to make a suggestion or invitation, forming an imperative mood.

• She's twelve years old and she's having a baby

  ➔ Present Continuous (is having)

  ➔ The use of the present continuous "is having" suggests that the pregnancy is ongoing at the time of speaking. It emphasizes that the event is in progress.

• She wrapped the baby up and threw him in a trash heap

  ➔ Past Simple (wrapped, threw)

  ➔ The verbs "wrapped" and "threw" are in the past simple tense, indicating actions that were completed in the past. They describe the immediate actions taken by Brenda after giving birth.

• Momma say you making me lose pay

  ➔ Present Continuous (making) - Non-Standard English

  ➔ The phrase "Momma say you making me lose pay" uses "making" in a way that is grammatically non-standard. A more standard construction would be "Momma says you are making me lose pay" or "Momma says you make me lose pay". This usage reflects informal or dialectal speech.

• Prostitute found slain

  ➔ Past Participle as Adjective (slain)

  ➔ The word "slain" is the past participle of "slay" and is used here as an adjective to describe the prostitute. It conveys that the prostitute was murdered. It creates a concise and impactful statement.