Diamonds & Rust

• By: Joan Baez
• Album: Diamonds & Rust

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
ghost /ɡoʊst/ B1	noun - the spirit of a dead person
voice /vɔɪs/ A1	noun - the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song.
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs in the head of humans and animals that receive light and enable sight.
poetry /ˈpoʊətri/ B2	noun - literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm.
memories /ˈmeməriz/ B1	noun - something remembered from the past; a recollection.
diamonds /ˈdaɪəməndz/ B1	noun - a precious stone consisting of a clear and colorless crystalline form of pure carbon, the hardest naturally occurring substance.
rust /rʌst/ B1	noun - a reddish- or yellowish-brown flaking coating of iron oxide formed on iron or steel by oxidation, especially in the presence of moisture.
legend /ˈledʒənd/ B2	noun - a traditional story or myth
vagabond /ˈvæɡəbɒnd/ C1	noun - a person who wanders from place to place without a home or job.
sea /siː/ A1	noun - the expanse of salt water that covers most of the earth's surface and surrounds its landmasses.
leaves /liːvz/ A1	noun - a flattened structure of a higher plant, typically green and blade-like, that is attached to a stem directly or via a stalk.
snow /snoʊ/ A1	noun - atmospheric water vapor frozen into ice crystals and falling in light white flakes or lying on the ground as a white layer.
hotel /hoʊˈtel/ A1	noun - an establishment providing accommodation, meals, and other services for travelers and tourists.
clouds /klaʊdz/ A1	noun - a visible mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere, typically high above the ground.
breath /breθ/ A2	noun - the air inhaled or exhaled when breathing.
vague /veɪɡ/ B2	adjective - of uncertain, indefinite, or unclear character or meaning.

Grammar:

• Well I'll be damned

  ➔ Passive voice with auxiliary verb 'be' + past participle ('damned'). Shortened form of 'I will be damned'.

  ➔ Expresses surprise or shock. The phrase "be damned" is used idiomatically as an exclamation.

• It's just that the moon is full

  ➔ Use of "just that" as a connector to provide an explanation or reason.

  ➔ "It's just that" implies that the moon being full is a sufficient explanation for the ghost's reappearance.

• Hearing a voice I'd known

  ➔ Past perfect tense ('I'd known' - I had known) used in a reduced relative clause (omitted "that" or "which").

  ➔ Describes a voice that the speaker had known at some point in the past, before the present moment of the song.

• As I remember your eyes Were bluer than robin's eggs

  ➔ Comparative adjective "bluer" (more blue) used to compare the color of someone's eyes to robin's eggs.

  ➔ Uses a vivid image and comparison to express the striking color of the person's eyes.

• We both know what memories can bring

  ➔ Use of "what" as a relative pronoun to introduce a noun clause acting as the object of the verb 'know'.

  ➔ The clause "what memories can bring" represents the thing that both the speaker and the listener are aware of.

• Temporarily lost at sea

  ➔ Adverb "temporarily" modifying the past participle "lost". The phrase functions as an adjective phrase describing a state.

  ➔ Indicates that the state of being lost was not permanent or indefinite.

• We both could have died then and there

  ➔ Modal verb 'could have' + past participle 'died'. Expresses a possibility in the past that did not happen.

  ➔ Suggests a moment of intense connection or emotional vulnerability where the speaker felt a sense of finality.

• You, who are so good with words

  ➔ Use of "who" as a relative pronoun to introduce a non-restrictive clause, providing additional information about "you".

  ➔ The clause "who are so good with words" isn't essential to identifying who is being referred to, but provides extra context.

• And if you're offering me diamonds and rust I've alredy paid

  ➔ Mixed conditional sentence (Type 2 and Type 3 elements). "If you're offering me..." (present continuous, Type 2) combined with "I've already paid" (present perfect, referring to a past action with present relevance).

  ➔ Even if the ex-lover is now offering something valuable ('diamonds and rust' – representing both beauty and decay), the speaker feels they have already suffered enough for the relationship.