Disturbia – English Lyrics

• By: Rihanna
• Album: ANTI

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in a new culture, and Rihanna's "Disturbia" offers a unique opportunity to explore the English language through its vivid and metaphorical lyrics. The song's clear enunciation and repetitive chorus make it accessible for learners, while its rich vocabulary related to emotions and psychological states provides a great learning challenge. What makes "Disturbia" special is its powerful storytelling, which can help you understand how language is used to express complex feelings in a creative and impactful way.

[English]

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum (what's wrong with me?)

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum (why do I feel like this?)

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum (I'm going crazy now)

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum

No more gas, in the red (can't even get it started)

Nothing heard, nothing said (can't even speak about it)

All my life on my head (don't want to think about it)

Feels like I'm going insane, yeah

It's a thief in the night to come and grab you (ah-ah)

It can creep up inside you and consume you (ah-ah)

A disease of the mind, it can control you (ah-ah)

It's too close for comfort, oh

Put on your brake lights

You're in the city of wonder

Ain't gon' play nice

Watch out, you might just go under

Better think twice

Your train of thought will be altered

So if you must falter, be wise

Your mind's in disturbia

It's like the darkness is the light

Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight? (Your mind is in)

Disturbia, ain't used to what you like

Disturbia, disturbia

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum

Faded pictures on the wall (it's like they talkin' to me)

Disconnected, no one calls (the phone don't even ring)

I gotta get out or figure this shit out

It's too close for comfort, oh

It's a thief in the night to come and grab you (ooh)

It can creep up inside you and consume you (ooh)

A disease of the mind, it can control you (ooh)

I feel like a monster, oh

Put on your brake lights

You're in the city of wonder (city lights)

Ain't gon' play nice

Watch out, you might just go under

Better think twice (think twice)

Your train of thought will be altered

So if you must falter, be wise (be wise)

Your mind is in disturbia

It's like the darkness is the light

Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight? (Oh)

Disturbia, ain't used to what you like (what you like)

Disturbia, disturbia

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum (disturbia)

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum (oh-oh)

Release me from this curse I'm in

Trying to maintain, but I'm struggling

If you can't go, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

I think I'm gonna ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

Put on your brake lights

You're in the city of wonder (woo, yeah)

Ain't gon' play nice

Watch out, you might just go under

Better think twice (better think twice)

Your train of thought will be altered

So if you must falter, be wise (if you must falter, be wise)

Your mind is in disturbia

It's like the darkness is the light (ah, yeah)

Disturbia, am I scaring you tonight? (Ah, yeah)

Disturbia, ain't used to what you like (disturbia, ah)

Disturbia, disturbia

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum (bum-ba-de-da-da)

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum (bum-ba-de-da-da)

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum (oh)

Bum bum be-dum, bum bum be-dum bum (oh)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
wrong /rɔːŋ/ A1	adjective - not correct or true; incorrect
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ B1	adjective - mentally deranged; demented; insane
heard /hɜːrd/ A2	verb - past tense of hear; to perceive with the ear
said /sɛd/ A1	verb - past tense of say; to utter words
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter, including capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
head /hɛd/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck where the brain, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth are
insane /ɪnˈseɪn/ B2	adjective - in a state of mind that prevents normal perception, behavior, or social interaction; seriously mentally ill.
thief /θiːf/ B1	noun - a person who steals another person's property, especially by stealth and without using force or violence.
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
grab /ɡræb/ B1	verb - to seize suddenly and roughly.
creep /kriːp/ B2	verb - to move slowly and carefully in order to avoid being heard or noticed.
disease /dɪˈziːz/ B2	noun - a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury.
mind /maɪnd/ A2	noun - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.
comfort /ˈkʌmfərt/ B1	noun - a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint.
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town or conurbation, usually regarded as a significant economic, political, and cultural centre.
wonder /ˈwʌndər/ B1	noun - a feeling of amazement and admiration, caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar.
darkness /ˈdɑːrknəs/ B1	noun - the state of being dark; absence of light.
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible.
scaring /ˈskɛərɪŋ/ B1	verb - to cause great fear or nervousness in; frighten.
faded /ˈfeɪdɪd/ B1	adjective - having lost freshness or intensity of color or appearance.
pictures /ˈpɪktʃərz/ A1	noun - a painting, drawing, or photograph.
monster /ˈmɒnstər/ B1	noun - a large, ugly, and frightening imaginary creature.
curse /kɜːrs/ B2	noun - a solemn utterance intended to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something.
struggling /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/ B2	verb - to make forceful or violent efforts to get free of restraint or restriction.
altered /ˈɔːltərd/ B2	verb - to change or cause to change in character or composition, typically in a comparatively small but significant way.

Key Grammar Structures

• why do I feel like this?

  ➔ Question formation with 'do/does/did'

  ➔ Uses the auxiliary verb "do" to form a question about a feeling or state. The structure is: Question word (optional) + do/does/did + subject + verb (base form) + ...?

• Feels like I'm going insane, yeah

  ➔ Present Continuous tense ('am going') used to describe an action in progress and a state of mind

  ➔ The phrase "going insane" is a continuous action, suggesting a gradual process. "Feels like" introduces a sensation or impression.

• It's a thief in the night to come and grab you

  ➔ Use of infinitive ('to come and grab') to express purpose

  ➔ "To come and grab" explains why the thief is in the night. The infinitive phrase functions as an adverbial modifier.

• You're in the city of wonder

  ➔ Simple Present tense of the verb 'to be' ('are')

  ➔ States a current condition or state of being. "You're" is the contracted form of "you are."

• Ain't gon' play nice

  ➔ Informal negation ('ain't') and future tense ('gon'')

  ➔ "Ain't" is a colloquial contraction for "am not," "is not," "are not," "has not," or "have not." "Gon'" is a shortened form of "going to," indicating future action. This sentence demonstrates informal language use.

• Watch out, you might just go under

  ➔ Use of modal verb 'might' to express possibility

  ➔ "Might" indicates a weaker degree of certainty than "will" or "must." It suggests that there is a chance of going under, but it is not guaranteed.

• So if you must falter, be wise

  ➔ Conditional sentence with 'if' and use of imperative ('be wise')

  ➔ This is a conditional sentence indicating a consequence. "If you must falter" sets the condition, and "be wise" is the instruction or command to follow if the condition is met. "Be wise" is in the imperative mood.

• Release me from this curse I'm in

  ➔ Relative clause ('I'm in') modifying 'curse'

  ➔ The phrase "I'm in" is a reduced relative clause (where the relative pronoun 'that' or 'which' is omitted). It modifies the noun "curse", specifying which curse the speaker wants to be released from.