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Nah 00:17
Starting a war, screaming, "Peace" at the same time 00:18
All the corruption, injustice, the same crimes 00:21
Always a problem if we do or don't fight 00:25
And we die, we don't have the same right 00:28
What is a gun to a man that surrenders? 00:32
What's it gonna take for someone to defend her? 00:35
If we all agree that we're equal as people 00:38
Then why can't we see what is evil? 00:42
I can't breathe 00:46
You're taking my life from me 00:49
I can't breathe 00:53
Will anyone fight for me? 00:56
01:01
How do we cope when we don't love each other? 01:13
Where is the hope and the empathy? (Yeah) 01:17
How do we judge off the color? 01:20
The structure was made to make us the enemy (yeah) 01:23
Prayin' for change 'cause the pain makes you tender 01:28
All of the names you refuse to remember 01:31
Was somebody's brother, friend 01:34
Or a son to a mother that's crying, singing 01:36
I can't breathe 01:42
You're taking my life from me 01:45
I can't breathe 01:48
Will anyone fight for me? (Yeah) 01:52
01:58
Will anyone fight for me? 02:06
02:10
(For me) 02:22
Trying times all the time 02:22
Destruction of minds, bodies, and human rights 02:25
Stripped of bloodlines, whipped and confined 02:28
This is the American pride 02:31
It's justifying a genocide 02:33
Romanticizing the theft and bloodshed 02:35
That made America the land of the free 02:37
To take a black life, land of the free 02:40
To bring a gun to a peaceful fight for civil rights 02:42
You are desensitized to pulling triggers on innocent lives 02:46
Because that's how we got here in the first place 02:50
These wounds sink deeper than the bullet 02:53
Your entitled hands could ever reach 02:55
Generations and generations of pain, fear, and anxiety 02:58
Equality is walking without intuition 03:03
Saying the protector and the killer is wearing the same uniform 03:05
The revolution is not televised 03:10
Media perception is forced down the throats of closed minds 03:12
So it's lies in the headlines 03:16
And generations of supremacy resulting in your ignorant, privileged eyes 03:18
We breathe the same and we bleed the same 03:24
But still, we don't see the same 03:26
Be thankful we are God-fearing 03:28
Because we do not seek revenge 03:30
We seek justice, we are past fear 03:32
We are fed up eating your shit 03:35
Because you think your so-called "Black friend" 03:38
Validates your wokeness and erases your racism 03:40
That kind of uncomfortable conversation 03:44
Is too hard for your trust-fund pockets to swallow 03:46
To swallow the strange fruit hanging from my family tree 03:49
Because of your audacity 03:53
To say all men are created equal in the eyes of God 03:55
But disparage a man based on the color of his skin 03:58
Do not say you do not see color 04:02
When you see us, see us 04:05
We can't breathe 04:09
04:10

I Can't Breathe – English Lyrics

✨ Open the app to fully understand the lyrics of "I Can't Breathe" – learning English has never been this fun!
By
H.E.R.
Viewed
2,496,602
Language
English
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Lyrics & Translation

Dive into 'I Can't Breathe' by H.E.R., a powerful R&B protest song that offers a profound understanding of the English language through its direct and emotionally charged lyrics. This Grammy-winning track not only highlights critical social issues but also showcases how music can be a potent tool for conveying deep human experiences and driving conversations around justice and equality. Exploring its verses will allow you to grasp impactful vocabulary and expressions used in discussions about civil rights and social change.

[English]

Nah
Starting a war, screaming, "Peace" at the same time
All the corruption, injustice, the same crimes
Always a problem if we do or don't fight
And we die, we don't have the same right
What is a gun to a man that surrenders?
What's it gonna take for someone to defend her?
If we all agree that we're equal as people
Then why can't we see what is evil?
I can't breathe
You're taking my life from me
I can't breathe
Will anyone fight for me?

How do we cope when we don't love each other?
Where is the hope and the empathy? (Yeah)
How do we judge off the color?
The structure was made to make us the enemy (yeah)
Prayin' for change 'cause the pain makes you tender
All of the names you refuse to remember
Was somebody's brother, friend
Or a son to a mother that's crying, singing
I can't breathe
You're taking my life from me
I can't breathe
Will anyone fight for me? (Yeah)

Will anyone fight for me?

(For me)
Trying times all the time
Destruction of minds, bodies, and human rights
Stripped of bloodlines, whipped and confined
This is the American pride
It's justifying a genocide
Romanticizing the theft and bloodshed
That made America the land of the free
To take a black life, land of the free
To bring a gun to a peaceful fight for civil rights
You are desensitized to pulling triggers on innocent lives
Because that's how we got here in the first place
These wounds sink deeper than the bullet
Your entitled hands could ever reach
Generations and generations of pain, fear, and anxiety
Equality is walking without intuition
Saying the protector and the killer is wearing the same uniform
The revolution is not televised
Media perception is forced down the throats of closed minds
So it's lies in the headlines
And generations of supremacy resulting in your ignorant, privileged eyes
We breathe the same and we bleed the same
But still, we don't see the same
Be thankful we are God-fearing
Because we do not seek revenge
We seek justice, we are past fear
We are fed up eating your shit
Because you think your so-called "Black friend"
Validates your wokeness and erases your racism
That kind of uncomfortable conversation
Is too hard for your trust-fund pockets to swallow
To swallow the strange fruit hanging from my family tree
Because of your audacity
To say all men are created equal in the eyes of God
But disparage a man based on the color of his skin
Do not say you do not see color
When you see us, see us
We can't breathe

Key Vocabulary

Start Practicing
Vocabulary Meanings

breathe

/briːð/

B1
  • verb
  • - to take air into the lungs and then expel it

fight

/faɪt/

B1
  • verb
  • - to use physical force to harm someone or to defend oneself

hope

/hoʊp/

A2
  • noun
  • - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen

change

/tʃeɪndʒ/

A2
  • noun
  • - the act or instance of making or becoming different

justice

/ˈdʒʌstɪs/

B2
  • noun
  • - the quality of being just or fair

pain

/peɪn/

A2
  • noun
  • - physical suffering or discomfort

corruption

/kəˈrʌpʃən/

B2
  • noun
  • - dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power

enemy

/ˈɛnəmi/

B1
  • noun
  • - a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something

freedom

/ˈfriːdəm/

B2
  • noun
  • - the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants

surrender

/səˈrɛndər/

B2
  • verb
  • - to cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority

equal

/ˈiːkwəl/

B1
  • adjective
  • - being the same in quantity, size, degree, or value

fear

/fɪr/

A2
  • noun
  • - an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous

blood

/blʌd/

A1
  • noun
  • - the red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins of humans and animals

media

/ˈmiːdiə/

B2
  • noun
  • - the main means of mass communication

privilege

/ˈprɪvɪlɪdʒ/

C1
  • noun
  • - a special right or advantage granted to a person or group

anxiety

/æŋˈzaɪəti/

C1
  • noun
  • - a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something

“breathe, fight, hope” – got them all figured out?

⚡ Dive into vocabulary challenges in the app and lock in your knowledge right after jamming to "I Can't Breathe"

Key Grammar Structures

  • Starting a war, screaming, "Peace" at the same time

    ➔ Gerund as a subject

    ➔ The phrase uses **Starting** (the gerund of 'start') as the **subject** of the sentence, describing an ongoing action.

  • All the corruption, injustice, the same crimes

    ➔ Noun list with commas for enumeration

    ➔ Uses a list of nouns separated by commas to describe multiple related concepts or items.

  • And we die, we don't have the same right

    ➔ Independent clauses joined by coordinating conjunction 'and'

    ➔

  • What's it gonna take for someone to defend her?

    ➔ Future-in-the-informal with 'gonna' + infinitive

    ➔ Uses the informal contraction **gonna** (going to) with the base form of a verb to express a future intention or action.

  • The revolution is not televised

    ➔ Passive voice: 'is not televised'

    ➔ Uses the passive voice to emphasize that the action **televised** is not happening, often implying that important events are hidden or ignored.

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 H.E.R. - Hard Place

Hard Place

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 Daniel Caesar, H.E.R - Best Part

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