Ana Bakhaf Min El Commitment by JadaL

Aug 22

Ana Bakhaf Min el Commitment (أنا بخاف من الكوميتمنت) is an angsty, Jordanian indie-rock song shares the universal message of being afraid of commitment in a relationship. The lyrics follow the singer’s fears of dependency on his new crush and, later, his regrets over pursuing the relationship at all. The music video is all filmed in Amman so, if you’re familiar with the city, try to spot King Hussein Bridge and other sites about town.

Lyrics and translation

Vocabulary / مفردات

كتاف
Shoulders

مشط
To brush (ones teeth, hair, etc.)

لعن
To curse
Note that this word is sometimes used in strong expletives so proceed with caution

فأس
ًAxe

وقع فأسك براسي
Hit my head with your axe
Used metaphorically in the lyrics

ثواني
Seconds

أختفي
To disappear

أتعود
To return

تدر
To spin/turn around

ضهر
Back
The body part

هرب
To escape

More song posts....

Where to Listen to Arabic Music

Listening to music is a fun and easy way to passively acquire new vocabulary but it can be difficult to find quality playlists through all the clutter. Here are some of our go-to Arabic music playlists ranging in genre from classics to pop to indie.

Istanna Shwai by Autostrad

Istanna Shwai is a classic by the Jordanian alternative rock group, Autostrad. It’s a fun, jazzy song with creative examples of common Levantine Arabic words and phrasing.

Khalini Bil Jaw

Khalini Bil Jaw is a lovely and melancholic song by Maya Nasri, covered more recently by Nina Abdel Malak. The lyrics feature a lot of excellent vocabulary and colloquial Arabic phrases. Listen to the song, read the translation, and review key vocabulary.

Kona Momken Netefeq by Ramy Gamal

Lyrics and English translation of Kona Momken Netefeq, a slightly sad electronic pop song that includes many examples of the conditional tense in colloquial Arabic. While you’re bopping along to the tune, notice how the لو phrase sets up the structure for the following lines.

Law by Elissa

Law is a song about desires and regrets from the point of view of a woman who has had an affair. She reflects on the ordeal and what led up to it, providing many examples of conditional phrases. It’s also the theme song to a moselsel of the same name.

Corona Virus by Mohamed Ramadan

Dance your way into the summer and prevent the spread of coronavirus with this upbeat song by Mohamed Ramadan. You can even brush up on your Arabic medical vocabulary while singing along.

Syrian Cassette Archives

The Syrian Cassette Archives is a growing digital time capsule from the “cassette era” across Syria. Audio recordings cover many genres, towns, and communities in Syria from the 1970s to the early 2000s. Most of the music is in Arabic and all of it is available to listen to for free!

Mafi Mennik by Aziz Maraka

This song provides many examples of ways to use the Arabic word من. And the video features Aziz Maraka playing a tiny guitar :)

Khaberni Keef by Khansa

Khaberni Keef by Khansa is a complex and poetic love song. The lyrics are full of creative vocabulary and examples of Arabic verbs in the command form.

Haollak Eih by Moustafa Amar

Haollak Eih by Moustafa Amar is a fun throwback to the early 2000s. The repetitive lyrics and the catchiness of this song makes it a useful tune for learning new vocabulary.

Tayheen by Ghazall

Tayheen is a Levantine Arabic indie rock song with a lot going on sonically - strong drums and electric guitar, some brass, and rich vocals from lead singer, Yasmina Abu Naser. Now it also has an English translation!

Shim El Yasmine by Mashrou’ Leila

We’re going back this week to listen to Shim el Yasmine, one of Lebanese indie band Mashrou’ Leila’s first songs. Released in 2009 on their self-titled studio album, Shim El Yasmine is an intimate love song about one of lead singer Hamed Sinno’s first relationships.

Nora Charlotte

Ana Bakhaf Min El Commitment by JadaL

Vocabulary / مفردات

Ya Badr by Dina Elwedidi

Je Me Promets by Meryem Aboulouafa