5-minute listening: Practise your English with Bella Poarch’s ‘Living Hell’

1. What two things does the singer not believe in according to verse one?

A. the supernatural and having a deep relationship with others
B. forgiving people who have betrayed her and predicting the future
C. dead people coming back to life and letting others know her secrets
D. none of the above

2. Someone who is “good at letting go” does not …

A. want to disappoint others
B. accept change easily
C. think about what has happened in the past
D. worry too much about the future

3. What do the other people mentioned in verse one assume?

A. that they are unable to do what they want
B. that they have the power to make decisions
C. that they are being controlled by someone else
D. that they are slowly losing their power to make decisions

4. Which of the following lyrics mean to tell someone they should have watched out for signals that something bad might happen?

A. “Wish this was a love you never felt, and you know it’s true, know it’s true”
B. “Well, the good guys don’t always get the glory”
C. “I can make your life a living hell, if I wanted to, wanted to”
D. “Can’t you see the warning signs?”

5. Which word can replace “heavy” in the lyrics “Feels so heavy lying on the bedroom floor”?

A. difficult
B. miserable
C. awkward
D. excessive

6. If you “chew someone up and spit them out”, you …

A. insult them
B. defeat them entirely
C. treat them with disregard
D. all of the above

7. What makes the singer upset according to verse two?

A. the other person not leaving her alone
B. the other person trying to control her
C. the other person being impatient with her
D. the other person expecting her to change over time

8. What is Poarch “haunted” by according to the bridge?

A. what the other person said
B. her troubled past
C. that the people around her are gone
D. the spirits of dead people

9. Based on your understanding of the song, what do the lyrics “I’m only gonna ghost” most likely mean?

A. the singer will probably get back together with the other person
B. the singer is tired of feuding with the other person
C. the singer will suddenly stop all communication with the other person
D. the singer is plotting her revenge on the other person

10. Which of the following words best describes the singer’s tone in this song?

A. overbearing
B. unemotional
C. accusatory
D. none of the above

Denarie Taylor, better known as Bella Poarch, released her new single Living Hell on August 12, together with its music video, which racked up over two million views on YouTube in just two days.

The sinister video shows the 25-year-old singer trapped in a room and waking up from a nightmare to find clothes levitating around her before being dragged into a bathtub filed with yellow paint. The TikTok star revealed that the song tells the story of her traumatic childhood, and that while it was really hard for her “to relive this while shooting the music video”, she said she is no longer defined by the pain inflicted on her as a child.

Verse One

You know I don’t believe in ghosts or
Letting people close
I’m good at letting go
You kiss my lips until they’re colder
Think you’re in control, but
I should let you know

Pre-chorus

Well, the good guys don’t always get the glory
Can’t you see the warning signs?

Chorus

I can make your life a living hell
If I wanted to, wanted to
Wish this was a love you never felt
And you know it’s true, know it’s true
Love me, love me, trust me with that heart of yours
Feels so heavy lying on the bedroom floor
I can make your life a living hell
If I wanted to, wanted to

Verse Two

Chew you up and spit you out
And still you come around
So I can watch you drown
Hate when you tell me that you’ll wait
Like you think that I could change
When I’ve always been this way

Pre-chorus

Well, the good guys don’t always get the glory
Can’t you see the warning signs?

Chorus

I can make your life a living hell
If I wanted to, wanted to
Wish this was a love you never felt
And you know it’s true, know it’s true
Love me, love me, trust me with that heart of yours
Feels so heavy lying on the bedroom floor
I can make your life a living hell
If I wanted to, wanted to

Bridge

I’m haunted by the words you say
When I can’t say that I feel the same
And that you’ll always be alone
And, baby, you should know
I’m only gonna ghost

Chorus

I can make your life a living hell
If I wanted to, wanted to (If I wanted to)
Wish this was a love you never felt
And you know it’s true, know it’s true (And you know it’s true)
Love me, love me, trust me with that heart of yours (Love me)
Feels so heavy lying on the bedroom floor
I can make your life a living hell
If I wanted to, wanted to (If I wanted to)

1. A
2. C
3. C
4. D
5. B
6. B
7. D
8. A
9. C
10. D