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 (truncated form)

  ➔ This is a shortened, somewhat archaic form of "I will be damned," used to express surprise or shock. It's a passive construction where "I" is the recipient of the action of being 'damned'.

• Hearing a voice I'd known

  ➔ Past Perfect (implied) in a Relative Clause

  ➔ The phrase "I'd known" is a shortened form of "I had known" (past perfect). The full sentence implies, "Hearing a voice that I had known."

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

  ➔ Comparative adjective with 'than'

  ➔ "Bluer than robin's eggs" is a comparative adjective. "Bluer" is the comparative form of "blue," and "than" is used to compare the color of the eyes to the color of robin's eggs.

• We both know what memories can bring

  ➔ Noun Clause as Direct Object

  ➔ "What memories can bring" is a noun clause acting as the direct object of the verb "know." It functions as a single noun phrase within the larger sentence.

• You strayed into my arms And there you stayed

  ➔ Intransitive verb

  ➔ The verb "stayed" is used intransitively here, meaning it doesn't take a direct object. It simply describes the state of remaining.

• The Madonna was yours for free

  ➔ Subject Complement

  ➔ The phrase "yours for free" acts as a subject complement, providing more information about the subject "The Madonna." Specifically, "yours" is a possessive pronoun, and "for free" is an adverbial phrase modifying it.

• We both could have died then and there

  ➔ Modal perfect (could have + past participle)

  ➔ "Could have died" expresses a possibility in the past that did not happen. It suggests that the situation was so intense that they might have died, but they did not.

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

  ➔ Mixed Conditional Sentence (Type 3/Type 2)

  ➔ This is a mixed conditional sentence. The 'if' clause refers to a present condition ("if you're offering") using the present continuous. The main clause expresses a result in the present that is a consequence of a past action ("I've already paid"), using the present perfect. It implies that because the speaker already suffered, the offer is not relevant now.