When You're Mad – English Lyrics

• By: Ne-Yo

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the emotional landscape of relationships with Ne-Yo's "When You're Mad." This R&B track offers a unique perspective on conflict, where anger is viewed through a lens of unexpected attraction and passion. Learning the lyrics to this song can help you explore vocabulary related to emotions, relationships, and expressions of desire, all within the context of a smooth R&B narrative.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fussing /ˈfʊsɪŋ/ B2	verb - to complain or worry about trivial matters
yelling /ˈjɛlɪŋ/ B1	verb - to shout loudly
throwing /ˈθroʊɪŋ/ B1	verb - to propel something through the air with force
disrespect /ˌdɪsrɪˈspɛkt/ B2	noun - lack of respect or courtesy
staring /ˈstɛərɪŋ/ B2	verb - to look fixedly at something or someone
madder /ˈmædər/ B2	adjective - more angry
wrinkle /ˈrɪŋkəl/ B1	noun - a small line or fold in the skin or fabric
anger /ˈæŋgər/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of displeasure or annoyance
face /feɪs/ A1	noun - the front part of the head that includes the eyes, nose, and mouth
face /ˈfeɪs/ A1	noun - the expression displayed by the face
clothes /kloʊðz/ A1	noun - garments worn to cover the body
touch /tʌtʃ/ A2	verb - to come into contact with something or someone
arguing /ˈɑːrɡjuːɪŋ/ B2	verb - to have a heated discussion or disagreement
sex /sɛks/ C1	noun - the biological difference between male and female; sexual activity

Key Grammar Structures

• I just wanna eat you up

  ➔ Informal contraction of "want to" as "wanna"

  ➔ This line uses the colloquial "wanna" instead of "want to," which is common in informal speech and song lyrics. "Eat you up" is an idiom expressing strong affection, not literal cannibalism.

• I don't mean no disrespect

  ➔ Double negative (non-standard)

  ➔ The phrase "I don't mean no disrespect" contains a double negative. In standard English, it should be "I don't mean any disrespect" or "I mean no disrespect." The use of a double negative is common in some dialects and adds to the informal tone of the song.

• Knowing that it makes you madder

  ➔ Comparative adjective "madder"

  ➔ "Madder" is the comparative form of the adjective "mad," indicating a greater degree of anger. This shows a comparison - the subject is becoming *more* mad.

• Could it be the little wrinkle over your nose

  ➔ Inversion for question formation with modal verb "could"

  ➔ The sentence is a question, and it uses inversion to form the question. The modal verb "could" comes before the subject "it" (representing the reason). Standard question formation.

• That makes me wanna just take off all your clothes

  ➔ Causative "make" + object + infinitive without "to" (bare infinitive)

  ➔ The verb "make" is used in a causative structure. It means something is causing another action to happen. The structure is "make someone do something" (without "to" before "do"). Here, the wrinkle/angry face is causing the speaker to want to take off the clothes.

• Could it be the lil' way you storm around

  ➔ Adjective modifying noun ('lil' way')

  ➔ The adjective "lil'" (short for 'little') modifies the noun "way", describing the manner in which the person storms around.

• Baby, I don't know why it's like that

  ➔ Embedded question with "why"

  ➔ This sentence contains an embedded question. "Why it's like that" is a clause functioning as the object of the verb "know". The word order is statement order, not question order (it's like that, not is it like that).