Ghostbusters

• By: Ray Parker, Jr.
• Album: Ghostbusters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
strange /streɪndʒ/ B1	adjective - unusual or surprising; difficult to understand or explain
neighborhood /ˈneɪbərˌhʊd/ A2	noun - the area or region around or near some place or thing
weird /wɪrd/ B2	adjective - suggesting something supernatural; odd
ghost /ɡoʊst/ A2	noun - the soul of a dead person or animal that can appear, in visible form or otherwise, to the living.
see /siː/ A1	verb - perceive with the eyes; discern visually.
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - move at a speed faster than a walk; never having both or all the feet on the ground at the same time.
head /hed/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck where the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and brain are.
invisible /ɪnˈvɪzəbl/ B2	adjective - unable to be seen; not visible to the eye
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human being.
sleep /sliːp/ A1	verb - be in a state of rest when the body and mind are inactive.
bed /bed/ A1	noun - a piece of furniture used for sleeping or resting on.
alone /əˈloʊn/ A2	adjective - having no one else present; solitary.
hear /hɪr/ A1	verb - perceive with the ear the sound made by (someone or something)
dose /doʊs/ B2	noun - a quantity of a medicine or drug taken or administered at one time.
freaky /ˈfriːki/ B2	adjective - very strange or unusual
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - be aware of (something) through touching.
door /dɔːr/ A1	noun - a hinged, sliding, or revolving barrier at the entrance to a building, room, or vehicle; a doorway.

Grammar:

• If there's somethin' strange In your neighborhood

  ➔ Conditional Sentences (Type 1 with ellipsis/contraction)

  ➔ This is a Type 1 conditional ('If + present simple, will + infinitive') but shortened. "If there is something strange..." The 'is' is often contracted to 'there's' in informal speech and song. The second part of the sentence, indicating the result, is implied and clarified in the following line with 'Who ya gonna call?'

• Who ya gonna call?

  ➔ Future with 'gonna' (informal)

  ➔ 'Gonna' is a colloquial shortening of 'going to'. 'Who ya gonna call?' means 'Who are you going to call?'. This is a common informal way to express future intentions.

• I ain't afraid of no ghost

  ➔ Double Negative (non-standard)

  ➔ 'Ain't' is a non-standard contraction for 'am not', 'is not', 'are not', 'has not', or 'have not'. Using 'no' after 'ain't' creates a double negative which, in standard English, would be incorrect and mean 'I am afraid of a ghost'. However, in some dialects and in informal speech/song, it's used for emphasis to mean 'I am not afraid of any ghost'.

• If you're all alone, Pick up the phone And call

  ➔ Imperative mood (implied subject)

  ➔ "Pick up the phone" and "call" are both commands in the imperative mood. The subject ('you') is implied but not stated directly. This gives a direct and urgent feel to the lyrics.

• Let me tell you somethin' Bustin' makes me feel good

  ➔ Gerund as Subject

  ➔ "Bustin'" (short for 'busting') is a gerund (a verb acting as a noun). It functions as the subject of the sentence, describing the activity that makes the speaker feel good.

• Unless you just want some more

  ➔ Subordinating Conjunction 'unless'

  ➔ 'Unless' means 'if not'. The sentence 'Unless you just want some more' means 'If you do not want some more'. It sets up a condition for *not* calling the Ghostbusters.