Night Nurse

• By: Gregory Isaacs
• Album: Night Nurse

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
nurse /nɜːrs/ A2	noun - a person trained to care for the sick or injured verb - to care for (a sick or injured person)
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise
quick /kwɪk/ A2	adjective - done with speed
sick /sɪk/ A1	adjective - affected by illness
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood
broken /ˈbroʊkən/ A2	adjective - having been fractured or damaged
emergency /ɪˈmɜːrdʒənsi/ B1	noun - a serious, unexpected, and often dangerous situation requiring immediate action
patient /ˈpeɪʃnt/ A2	noun - a person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment
thirst /θɜːrst/ B2	noun - a feeling of needing or wanting to drink something
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - physical suffering or discomfort
worse /wɜːrs/ A2	adjective - of poorer quality or lower standard
attendance /əˈtendəns/ B1	noun - the action or state of going regularly to or being present at a place or event
prescription /prɪˈskrɪpʃn/ B2	noun - an instruction written by a medical practitioner that authorizes a patient to be provided a medicine or treatment
remedy /ˈremədi/ B2	noun - a medicine or treatment for a disease or injury
hurt /hɜːrt/ A2	verb - cause physical pain or injury to adjective - emotionally wounded
cure /kjʊr/ B1	verb - relieve (a person or animal) of the symptoms of a disease or condition noun - a substance or course of treatment used to relieve a disease or condition

Grammar:

• Tell her try your best, just to make it quick

  ➔ Imperative + Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "Tell her try your best" uses the imperative "tell" to instruct someone. "to make it quick" employs the infinitive "to make" to explain the purpose of trying one's best.

• Woman tend to the sick

  ➔ Imperative (implied) / General Statement

  ➔ This line can be interpreted in two ways: an implied imperative, meaning "Woman, tend to the sick!", or a general statement of purpose/role. The context suggests the former.

• 'Cah there must be something she can do

  ➔ Modal verb of deduction (must) + Relative Clause (she can do)

  ➔ "Must be" expresses a strong deduction or assumption. "Something she can do" is a relative clause modifying "something".

• This heart is broken in two

  ➔ Passive Voice (is broken) + Prepositional Phrase (in two)

  ➔ "Is broken" is the passive form of the verb "break", indicating the heart is the receiver of the action. "In two" is a prepositional phrase indicating the extent of the damage.

• Only you alone can quench this here thirst

  ➔ Modal Verb (can) + Emphasis (Only...alone) + Demonstrative adjective (this here)

  ➔ "Can quench" expresses ability. "Only you alone" adds emphasis, reinforcing that only the person being addressed can satisfy the need. "This here thirst" uses the demonstrative adjective "this" and "here" ( colloquialism) to point directly to the specific thirst the speaker feels.

• I don't wanna see no Doc'

  ➔ Double Negative (non-standard)

  ➔ The phrase "I don't wanna see no Doc'" uses a double negative, which is common in some dialects but considered non-standard English. In standard English, it would be "I don't want to see any doctor," or "I want to see no doctor."

• I need attendance from my nurse around the clock

  ➔ Noun + Prepositional Phrase of Possession (attendance from my nurse) + Prepositional Phrase of Time (around the clock)

  ➔ "Attendance from my nurse" indicates who is providing the attendance. "Around the clock" is an idiom meaning constantly, 24 hours a day.

• No doctor can cure

  ➔ Negative Determiner (No) + Modal Verb (can)

  ➔ "No doctor" acts as the subject, and the negative determiner "no" emphasizes that absolutely no doctor is able to provide a cure. "Can cure" expresses ability (or in this case, inability).