Illmerica

• By: Wolfgang Gartner

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
open /ˈoʊpən/ A1	verb - to allow access, passage, or a view through an aperture adjective - not closed, fastened, or restricted
head /hed/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck where the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and brain are
child /tʃaɪld/ A1	noun - a young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority
born /bɔːrn/ A2	verb - brought into life
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living, not dead
crying /ˈkraɪɪŋ/ A2	verb - shedding tears
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs used for seeing
take /teɪk/ A1	verb - to get into one's possession or control
down /daʊn/ A1	adverb - in or toward a lower place or position
falter /ˈfɔːltər/ B2	verb - to hesitate or waver in action, purpose, intent, etc.
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole
secret /ˈsiːkrət/ A2	noun - something kept hidden or unexplained
desperate /ˈdespərət/ B2	adjective - feeling, showing, or involving a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with
lies /laɪz/ B1	noun - statements that are not true verb - to make an untrue statement
hold /hoʊld/ A2	verb - to grasp, carry, or support (something) with one's hands
high /haɪ/ A1	adjective - of great vertical extent
fall /fɔːl/ A1	verb - to come down freely from a higher to a lower position
waters /ˈwɔːtərz/ A1	noun - the liquid that descends from the clouds as rain, forms streams, lakes, and seas, and is a major constituent of all living matter
rushing /ˈrʌʃɪŋ/ B1	verb - move with urgent speed

Grammar:

• A child *born alive*, crying with no eyes

  ➔ Past Participle as Adjective (reduced relative clause)

  ➔ The phrase "born alive" uses the past participle "born" to describe the child. It's a shortened form of "A child *who was born* alive..."

• Time *has come*, the secret's out

  ➔ Present Perfect Simple

  ➔ "Has come" is the present perfect simple tense. It indicates that the time to act is now, resulting from something that happened in the past.

• Desperate times you *cut your teeth on* everyone's lies

  ➔ Idiomatic Verb: 'cut your teeth on'

  ➔ "Cut your teeth on" is an idiom meaning to gain initial experience in a particular field or activity, often a difficult one. It implies learning through tough experiences.

• Like we *could* never fall

  ➔ Modal Verb 'Could' for Hypothetical Situation/Unreal Conditional

  ➔ "Could" expresses a hypothetical situation or a possibility that is unlikely or untrue. In this context, it suggests that their belief that they can't fall is unrealistic.

• And let the waters *come rushing in*

  ➔ Causative 'Let' + Base Form Verb

  ➔ The structure "let + object + base form of the verb" indicates permission or allowing something to happen. In this case, it means allowing the waters to rush in.

• The signing of the times, her writing *is defined*

  ➔ Passive Voice (Present Simple)

  ➔ "Is defined" is in the passive voice, indicating that the writing is being acted upon, rather than acting. It suggests that something is shaping or determining its meaning.