Bad Religion – English Lyrics

• By: Frank Ocean
• Album: channel ORANGE

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the soulful world of Frank Ocean with 'Bad Religion.' This song is a masterclass in emotional storytelling, making it a perfect tool to learn nuanced English vocabulary related to feelings, metaphors, and deep human experiences.

[English]

Taxi driver

Be my shrink for the hour

Leave the meter running

...

It's rush hour

So take the streets if you wanna

Just outrun the demons, could you?

He said, "Allahu akbar"

I told him, "Don't curse me"

"Bo Bo, you need prayer"

I guess it couldn't hurt me

If it brings me to my knees

It's a bad religion (ooh-ooh)

This unrequited love

To me, it's nothing but a one-man cult

And cyanide in my styrofoam cup

I can never make him love me

Never make him love me

Love me

Love me

Love me

Love me

Love me

Love me

Love me

Love me

Love me

Love

Taxi driver, I swear I've got three lives

Balanced on my head like steak knives

I can't tell you the truth about my disguise

I can't trust no one

And you say, "Allahu akbar"

I told him, "Don't curse me"

"Bo Bo, you need prayer"

I guess it couldn't hurt me

If it brings me to my knees

It's a bad religion, oh-oh

Unrequited love

To me, it's nothing but a one-man cult

And cyanide in my styrofoam cup

I can never make him love me

Never make him love me

No, no, ah

It's a, it's a bad religion

To be in love with someone who could never love you

Oh-oh-oh, only bad, only bad religion

Could have me feeling the way I do

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
shrink /ʃrɪŋk/ C1	noun - informal term for a psychiatrist or psychoanalyst
demons /ˈdiːmənz/ B1	noun - evil spirits or internal personal struggles
curse /kɜːrs/ B2	verb - to express anger or use offensive language; to invoke bad luck
prayer /prɛər/ B1	noun - a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God
religion /rɪˈlɪdʒən/ A2	noun - a system of faith and worship
unrequited /ˌʌnrɪˈkwaɪtɪd/ C2	adjective - not returned or rewarded (usually referring to love)
cult /kʌlt/ C1	noun - a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object
cyanide /ˈsaɪənaɪd/ C2	noun - a highly toxic chemical compound
styrofoam /ˈstaɪrəˌfoʊm/ B2	noun - a lightweight, rigid, white plastic foam
balanced /ˈbælənst/ B2	verb - to keep something in steady position
knives /naɪvz/ A2	noun - plural of knife; sharp tools for cutting
disguise /dɪsˈɡaɪz/ B2	noun - something that hides one's true identity verb - to hide the true nature of something

Key Grammar Structures

• Leave the meter running

  ➔ Causative structure (Have/Get/Leave something done)

  ➔ The structure 'leave + object + -ing' expresses keeping an action in progress.

• Take the streets if you wanna

  ➔ First Conditional (Real possibility)

  ➔ Using 'if' with the present tense to discuss a potential choice.

• If it brings me to my knees

  ➔ Zero/First Conditional clause

  ➔ The clause 'if it "brings" me to my knees' uses the present simple for a future consequence.

• I can never make him love me

  ➔ Causative 'make' (force/compel)

  ➔ The pattern 'make + object + bare infinitive' indicates an attempt to force a feeling or action.

• I swear I've got three lives

  ➔ Present Perfect ('have got' as possession)

  ➔ In informal English, 'I've got' is used to mean 'I have' (possession).

• I can't trust no one

  ➔ Double negative (Informal/Emphasis)

  ➔ Standard English requires 'I can't trust anyone', but double negatives are common in informal lyrics.

• To be in love with someone who could never love you

  ➔ Relative clause with modal verb

  ➔ The relative pronoun 'who' introduces a clause defining the person using 'could' for possibility.

• Could have me feeling the way I do

  ➔ Modal perfect / Causative feeling

  ➔ Used here to express a hypothetical or retrospective cause for current feelings.