ZEN – English Lyrics

• By: JENNIE
• Album: Ruby

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into JENNIE's "Zen," a powerful and introspective song that offers a unique window into self-discovery and resilience. Through its commanding lyrics and genre-bending sound, you can explore expressions of inner strength and unwavering confidence in English. Its artistic depth and cultural allusions make it a compelling piece for understanding nuanced emotions and contemporary musical storytelling.

[English]

I tell 'em, "Down, now"

On that energy, yes

I am what you think about me

Cross me, please, I'ma keep it Z

Zen, presence, bless

Money can't buy sixth sense

Baddest, 'kay, so make me better

Fire aura, quiet chatter

Shoot, shoot, shoot, I make them scatter

They can't move my matter

Nobody gon' move my soul, gon' move my aura, my matter

Nobody gon' move my light, gon' touch my glow, my matter

Nobody gon', all this power make 'em scatter

No, nobody gon' touch my soul, gon' match my glow, like, I dare you (hey)

(Ah, ah) shake me

(Ah, ah) hey

(Ah, ah)

Thick skin layer like chains on chains on chains

Wear the pressure on my neck and rings

Rain, midnight bloom

In the dark, I grew

Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot (freeze)

Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot (gleam)

Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot (one hunnid, one hunnid), shoot, shoot (ten)

Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot (one hunnid)

Money cannot buy no real friends

Baddest, they can't make me badder

Fire aura, quiet chatter

Shoot, shoot, shoot, I make 'em scatter

They can't move my matter

Nobody gon' move my soul, gon' move my aura, my matter

Nobody gon' move my light, gon' touch my glow, my matter

Nobody gon', all this power make 'em scatter

No, nobody gon' touch my soul, gon' match my glow, like, I dare you (hey)

(Ah, ah) shake me

(Ah, ah) hey

(Ah, ah)

(Ah, ah) can't be two of one

Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot

(Ah, ah) can't be two of one

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
zen /zɛn/ B2	noun - a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition
presence /ˈprɛzəns/ A2	noun - the state or fact of existing, occurring, or being present in a place or thing
bless /blɛs/ A2	verb - to confer divine favor upon
baddest /ˈbædɪst/ B1	adjective - most bad, extreme in negative qualities
scatter /ˈskætər/ A2	verb - to go or cause to go in different directions
matter /ˈmætər/ A1	noun - physical substance in general, as distinct from mind and spirit
aura /ˈɔrə/ B2	noun - a distinctive atmosphere or quality that seems to surround and be generated by a person, thing, or place
glow /ɡloʊ/ A2	noun - a steady radiance of light
shake /ʃeɪk/ A1	verb - to move or cause to move rapidly in opposite directions
layer /ˈleɪər/ A2	noun - a sheet or thickness of material
chains /tʃeɪnz/ A1	noun - a series of linked metal rings
pressure /ˈprɛʃər/ A2	noun - the force applied against an object
bloom /bluːm/ A2	verb - to produce or yield flowers
dark /dɑrk/ A1	adjective - with little or no light
freeze /friːz/ A1	verb - to become hardened by cold
gleam /ɡliːm/ B1	noun - a brief or faint glimmer of light

Key Grammar Structures

• I tell 'em, "Down, now"

  ➔ Imperative verb + direct quotation; informal contraction 'em = them.

  ➔ The speaker uses the verb "tell" as an imperative, followed by the informal object pronoun "'em" (short for "them") and a quoted command ""Down, now"".

• I am what you think about me

  ➔ Linking verb "am" + noun clause as complement.

  ➔ The pronoun "I" is linked to the noun clause "what you think about me" by the verb "am", forming a subject‑complement structure.

• Cross me, please, I'ma keep it Z

  ➔ Imperative "Cross me"; colloquial contraction "I'ma" = "I am going to" (future intention).

  ➔ The first part "Cross me" is a direct command. "I'ma" is a slang contraction of "I am going to", introducing a future action "keep it Z".

• Money can't buy sixth sense

  ➔ Modal verb "can't" + bare infinitive; negative ability.

  ➔ "Can't" is the negative form of the modal "can" and is followed directly by the verb "buy" without "to", expressing inability.

• Nobody gon' move my soul, gon' move my aura, my matter

  ➔ Colloquial future "gon'" = "going to"; repetition for emphasis.

  ➔ "Gon'" is a slang contraction of "going to". The phrase repeats "gon' move" to stress that no one will ever move the speaker's soul, aura, or matter.

• Thick skin layer like chains on chains on chains

  ➔ Simile using "like"; repetition of noun phrase for vivid imagery.

  ➔ The word "like" introduces a simile comparing the "thick skin layer" to "chains on chains on chains", and the repeated "on chains" intensifies the metaphor.

• Shoot, shoot, shoot, I make them scatter

  ➔ Simple present with verb "make" + object + bare infinitive "scatter"; causative construction.

  ➔ "Make" is used causatively: "I make them scatter" means "I cause them to scatter". The verb "scatter" follows directly without "to".

• (Ah, ah) shake me

  ➔ Imperative verb "shake" + object pronoun "me"; parenthetical interjection.

  ➔ The speaker issues a command "shake me". The surrounding "(Ah, ah)" functions as an interjection that adds rhythm but does not affect the grammar of the imperative.

• Money cannot buy no real friends

  ➔ Double negative (cannot ... no); informal/non‑standard usage; modal "cannot" + infinitive.

  ➔ The sentence uses two negatives "cannot" and "no", which is typical of informal speech and results in a non‑standard construction meaning "Money cannot buy real friends".

• Fire aura, quiet chatter

  ➔ Noun phrase with asyndeton (no conjunction) for stylistic effect.

  ➔ Two nouns "Fire aura" and "quiet chatter" are placed side by side without a coordinating conjunction, creating a punchy, lyrical rhythm.