Lyrics & Translation
Learning a language through music can be a deeply emotional journey, and Taylor Swift's 'Ruin the Friendship' offers a perfect example. The song's narrative structure and heartfelt lyrics about love and loss can help you connect with English on a more personal level. Its storytelling style makes it special for learners, as it clearly conveys a sequence of events and the emotions tied to them, making the language both understandable and memorable.
Key Vocabulary
Vocabulary | Meanings |
---|---|
glistening /ˈɡlɪs.nɪŋ/ B2 |
|
neon /ˈniːɒn/ B1 |
|
invitation /ˌɪn.vɪˈteɪ.ʃən/ B1 |
|
kiss /kɪs/ A2 |
|
convenient /kənˈviː.ni.ənt/ B2 |
|
awkward /ˈɔː.kwəd/ B2 |
|
friendship /ˈfrɛnd.ʃɪp/ B1 |
|
regret /rɪˈɡret/ B1 |
|
whisper /ˈwɪs.pər/ B2 |
|
grave /ɡreɪv/ B1 |
|
shiny /ˈʃaɪ.ni/ A2 |
|
wilted /ˈwɪl.tɪd/ C1 |
|
corsage /kɔːˈsɑːʒ/ C1 |
|
prom /prɒm/ B1 |
|
disco /ˈdɪs.kəʊ/ B1 |
|
cheap /tʃiːp/ A2 |
|
smile /smaɪl/ A1 |
|
overpass /ˈəʊ.və.pæs/ B2 |
|
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Key Grammar Structures
-
Should've kissed you anyway
➔ Modal verbs in past conditional
➔ "Should've" is a contraction of "should have," expressing regret about a past action that didn't happen, suggesting a missed opportunity in a hypothetical scenario.
-
Watching the game from your brother's Jeep
➔ Present continuous for descriptive statements
➔ "Watching" uses the present continuous to describe an ongoing action in the past, creating a vivid, narrative effect to immerse the listener in the memory.
-
Over his shoulder, I catch a glimpse
➔ Prepositions for location and motion
➔ "Over" indicates physical position relative to another object, combining with "his shoulder" to show a directional glance in a descriptive scene.
-
Might piss your ex off, lately we've been good
➔ Modal verbs for possibility and politeness
➔ "Might" expresses possibility and adds a cautious tone, softening the statement about potential consequences in a relational context.
-
Staying friends is safe, doesn't mean you should
➔ Ellipsis for brevity in contrastive clauses
➔ The verb and subject are omitted after the comma in "doesn't mean you should," implying "it doesn't mean you should," creating a concise contrast for emphasis.
-
When I left school, I lost track of you
➔ Past simple in time clauses
➔ "Left" and "lost" in past simple refer to completed actions, with "when" introducing the clause to show sequence and causality in the narrative.
-
Don't make it awkward in second period
➔ Imperative mood with negation
➔ "Don't make" is an imperative advising caution, using negation to instruct avoidance of a social situation for relational harmony.
-
With so much left to say
➔ Prepositional phrases for emphasis
➔ "With so much" uses a prepositional phrase to emphasize unfinished emotions, adding emotional depth to the reflective statement.
-
But I whispered at the grave
➔ Past simple for sequence in narrative
➔ "Whispered" indicates a single, emotional action in the past, contrasting with prior inaction to build narrative tension.
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