Starving – English Lyrics

• By: Hailee Steinfeld, Grey, Zedd

Lyrics & Translation

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
starving /ˈstɑːr.vɪŋ/ B2	verb (gerund/participle of 'starve') - to suffer or die due to lack of food
taste /teɪst/ B1	verb - to experience flavor by eating or drinking noun - the characteristic taste of something
body /ˈbɒd.i/ A2	noun - the physical structure of a person or an animal
feeling /ˈfiː.lɪŋ/ B1	noun - an emotional state or reaction
disaster /dɪˈzɑː.stər/ B2	noun - a sudden event that causes great damage or suffering
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ B1	verb - to become different noun - an alteration or modification
you /juː/ A1	pronoun - the person being addressed
want /wɒnt/ A2	verb - to desire to have or do something
inside /ˈɪn.saɪd/ A2	noun / adjective / adverb - the inner part; the interior
younger /ˈjʌŋ.ɡər/ B2	adjective - comparative of 'young'; lacking in age or maturity
knees /niːz/ A2	noun - the joints connecting the thighs to the lower legs
feet /fiːt/ A2	noun - the plural of foot; the end part of the leg below the ankle

Key Grammar Structures

• You know just what to say, things that scare me

  ➔ Relative Clause: 'that' as a relative pronoun

  ➔ The word "that" introduces a relative clause describing "things". It connects the main clause "You know just what to say" with the clause "things that scare me". The 'that' can also be omitted here.

• I should just walk away, but I can't move my feet

  ➔ Modal verb 'should' expressing advice; 'but' as a conjunction showing contrast

  ➔ "Should" expresses what the speaker thinks is the best action to take. "But" introduces a contrasting idea, showing the speaker wants to leave but is unable to.

• The more that I know you, the more that I want to

  ➔ The... the... structure for expressing parallel increase

  ➔ This sentence uses the "The + comparative adjective..., the + comparative adjective..." structure to show that as one thing increases, another thing increases as well.

• I was so much younger yesterday

  ➔ Past simple tense; 'so much' as an intensifier

  ➔ "Was" is the past tense of "to be". "So much" intensifies the adjective "younger", emphasizing the speaker's feeling of change.

• I didn't know that I was starving till I tasted you

  ➔ Past simple negative ('didn't know'); past continuous ('was starving'); conjunction 'till' indicating time

  ➔ "Didn't know" is the negative form of the past simple. "Was starving" is the past continuous, showing an ongoing state in the past. "Till" connects the two clauses, showing the speaker realized they were starving only after experiencing the other person.

• Don't need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo

  ➔ Double negative ('don't need no'); hyperbole ('the whole damn zoo')

  ➔ "Don't need no" is a double negative, which, while grammatically incorrect in standard English, is used for emphasis. "The whole damn zoo" is a hyperbole, exaggerating the intensity of the speaker's feelings.

• By the way, right away, you do things to my body

  ➔ Present simple tense; adverbial phrases of time ('by the way', 'right away')

  ➔ "Do" is the present simple form of the verb "to do". "By the way" and "right away" are adverbial phrases that add context to the action.