Mockingbird

• By: Eminem

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
cry /kraɪ/ A1	verb - to shed tears noun - an instance of crying
smile /smaɪl/ A1	verb - to express happiness with a smile noun - an expression of happiness
miss /mɪs/ A2	verb - to feel sadness at the absence of someone
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter
tears /tɪərz/ A2	noun - drops of clear salty liquid secreted from glands in the eye
nightmares /ˈnaɪtˌmɛərz/ B1	noun - a frightening or unpleasant dream
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ B1	adjective - mentally deranged
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features.
puzzled /ˈpʌzəld/ B2	adjective - unable to understand something; perplexed
move /muːv/ A1	verb - to go in a specified direction or manner
news /njuːz/ A2	noun - newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent events
dream /driːm/ A2	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep verb - to experience a dream
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
job /dʒɒb/ A1	noun - a paid position of regular employment
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood through the circulatory system
proud /praʊd/ B1	adjective - feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one's own achievements

Grammar:

• I know sometimes things **may** not always make sense to you right now.

  ➔ Modal verb 'may' expressing possibility.

  ➔ Here, 'may' suggests that the situation isn't clear or understandable *at this moment*. It's a soft way to acknowledge that things are confusing.

• I'm **tryin' to** give you the life that I never had.

  ➔ Reduced form 'tryin' to' (trying to) + infinitive. Expressing an intention or effort.

  ➔ 'Tryin' to' is a colloquial contraction of 'trying to'. The structure 'trying to + verb' expresses the effort being made.

• Even when you laugh I **can** see it in your eyes.

  ➔ Modal verb 'can' expressing ability or possibility.

  ➔ Here, 'can' expresses Eminem's *ability* to perceive sadness even when his daughter is laughing.

• Daddy's with you **in** your prayers.

  ➔ Preposition 'in' indicating location or inclusion (figuratively).

  ➔ 'In your prayers' is a common idiom. It means that Daddy is a part of Hailie's thoughts and hopes when she prays.

• We **gonna** pull together through it.

  ➔ Colloquial 'gonna' (going to) + verb. Expressing future intention or prediction.

  ➔ 'Gonna' is a casual contraction of 'going to'. Here it expresses a strong intention to overcome the difficulties together.

• I try to keep you sheltered from it, but somehow it **seems** the harder that I try to do that, the more it backfires on me.

  ➔ The structure 'the + comparative, the + comparative' expressing a proportional relationship. 'Seems' as a linking verb expressing appearance or impression.

  ➔ This is a complex sentence. 'The harder that I try to do that, the more it backfires on me' shows that his efforts to protect his children ironically lead to more negative consequences. 'Seems' suggests that this is his perception of the situation.

• And if you ask me to, Daddy's **gonna** buy you a mockingbird.

  ➔ Conditional sentence (implied 'if'). 'Gonna' (going to) expressing future intention. Use of the apostrophe to indicate omission (Daddy's = Daddy is or Daddy has).

  ➔ The 'if' clause is implied here: 'If you ask me to, Daddy is going to buy you a mockingbird'. 'Gonna' is the shortened, informal version of 'going to.' 'Daddy's' is either 'Daddy is' or 'Daddy has', and in this case 'Daddy is'.

• And if that mockingbird **don't** sing, and that ring don't shine, I'ma break that birdie's neck

  ➔ Conditional sentence. Use of 'don't' (instead of 'doesn't') in the conditional clause for emphasis or colloquial style. 'I'ma' (I'm going to) expressing a future intention.

  ➔ The sentence sets up a condition and a consequence. 'Don't' is grammatically incorrect ('doesn't' is correct for the third person singular), but it's used for emphasis. 'I'ma' is a very informal contraction of 'I'm going to,' indicating what he plans to do.