What Was That

• By: Lorde

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town or urban area
cover /ˈkʌvər/ A2	verb - to place something over or in front of something else noun - something that is put over or on top of something else
smoke /smoʊk/ A2	noun - the cloud of black, gray, or white gases and dust that is produced by burning something verb - to inhale and exhale the smoke of burning tobacco or a drug
wedding /ˈwedɪŋ/ A2	noun - a marriage ceremony and any celebrations associated with it
meal /miːl/ A1	noun - an occasion when food is eaten
street /striːt/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town
garden /ˈɡɑːrdən/ A1	noun - a plot of ground, usually near a house, used for growing flowers, vegetables, or fruit
pupil /ˈpjuːpl/ B1	noun - the dark circular opening in the center of the iris of the eye, through which light passes to the retina
cigarette /ˌsɪɡəˈret/ A2	noun - a thin cylinder of finely cut tobacco rolled in paper for smoking
haze /heɪz/ B2	noun - a slight obscurity in the air
sandstorm /ˈsændstɔːrm/ B2	noun - a storm of wind carrying sand through the air in a desert region
dream /driːm/ A1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep verb - to experience a dream
friends /frendz/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
faces /ˈfeɪsɪz/ A1	noun - the front part of the head, from the forehead to the chin
reality /riˈæləti/ B2	noun - the state of things as they actually exist
problem /ˈprɒbləm/ A2	noun - a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome

Grammar:

• I cover up all the mirrors, I can't see myself yet

  ➔ Modal verb 'can't' for inability

  ➔ The sentence indicates the speaker's current emotional state prevents them from facing their own reflection. 'Can't see' expresses a present inability.

• And all the things we used to do

  ➔ 'Used to' + infinitive to describe past habits or states

  ➔ 'Used to do' signifies actions or routines that were habitual in the past but are no longer practiced.

• Well baby, what was that?

  ➔ Simple Past Tense in a question form

  ➔ The question refers to a past event or experience that is now being reflected upon with a sense of uncertainty or confusion.

• This is the best cigarette of my life

  ➔ Superlative adjective 'best' with the present simple tense

  ➔ The sentence uses a superlative adjective to express the highest degree of a quality (goodness) related to the cigarette in that moment.

• I didn't know then that you'd never be enough for me

  ➔ Past Simple ('didn't know'), Past Perfect Conditional ('you'd never be enough')

  ➔ Expresses a realization in the present about a past lack of knowledge. 'You'd never be enough' uses a conditional perfect structure to describe a hypothetical situation that could not be changed in the past.

• Since l was seventeen, I gave you everything

  ➔ Present Perfect Simple ('I have given') implied with 'Since' indicating a period from the past to the present

  ➔ Although the verb form is in the simple past, the 'since' clause implies a continuous action or state from that point until now, making the present perfect a suitable alternative. The sentence could also be written as "Since I was seventeen, I have given you everything."

• Do you know you're still with me When I'm out with my friends?

  ➔ Present Simple in Main and Subordinate Clauses indicating a present state and a habitual action

  ➔ 'Do you know' inquires about the other person's awareness of their lingering presence in the speaker's life. 'When I'm out with my friends' sets the context for this lingering presence.

• Whatever has to pass through me, pass through

  ➔ Imperative mood ('pass through') within a 'whatever' clause acting as a noun clause

  ➔ This uses the imperative 'pass through' twice – first as part of the 'whatever' clause functioning as the subject, and then as the main verb of the sentence, issuing a command to allow experiences or emotions to flow freely without resistance. "Whatever has to pass through me" refers to anything inevitable or necessary that must be experienced.