What you want to say
Wait till you get home
I'm sick of communicating over the telephone
But tell me how you feel
For I am lonely too
Need you to know
I'm just as cold and numb as you

But I could fly away
Or I could be no one
And you could be the sunshine falling over the mountains

Or you could come to stay
You could come right home
I don't see why I have to
Live this life all alone

I know there is a way to make up for old mistakes
I know what's happening is for a reason
I
I
I


Lyrics submitted by green1

What You Want Lyrics as written by John Wiltshire-butler

Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Downtown Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

What You Want song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

24 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    in an acoustic vh1 performance, john butler says this song is about being away from the ones you love. my favorite butler song.

    jetercpon July 06, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I have to post again, jeez...

    Anyone else think that this is one of his greatest songs?

    Rocker_92on February 07, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    At first I was taken in by the chords John uses. The 3 or 4 chords he uses in the intro and throughout the song just are so different and really reach a place not much else can. Then I listened to the lyrics...beautiful song.

    srandall6on April 20, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I lived in Fort Worth, Texas and met a girl going to school in Chicago in a very serendipitous way. After only talking in person for about 3 minutes I had to leave. We were able to go 6 months with texts, phone calls and even Skype "courting" one another. I fell in love with her from the moment I laid my eyes on her and never knew if she felt the same. Until one night, 1000 miles away from one another, she told me to download this song and that she thinks about me when she listens to it and cannot stop listening to it herself. I immediately loved the song. Fast forward a year...We live together, I am more in love with her than ever before and every time this song plays on either of our iTunes playlist, be it in the car, out and about or at home, we smile and have such a calming peace knowing that our long distance friendship-turned courtship-turned relationship was worth every second of the pain of being away from each other.

    TheCowboyon May 21, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    forgot one of the verses lol

    there's another verse after the 3rd verse and it goes like this.....

    You could come to stay or you could come right home don't see why i have to live this life all alone.

    i luv this song, i relate to almost every line in this song man, jbt is totally awsome!!

    green1on September 23, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Awesome stuff...John Butler Trio true champion man. I love the instrumentation on this song...its heaps sweet.

    Weishengon November 25, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This whole cd is the tits, I'm so impressed and to think the only reason I even bought the cd was cause I was interested in the music for the upcoming bonnaroo and now I'm even more excited to see them there!! This song is my favorite on the album, the lyrics are unbelievable and his voice makes it that much more meaningful!

    tayzha26on May 11, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This isnt the usual song I listen to, but it is so awesome! The violins in the back really make the difference. JBT Rules!

    Rocker_92on July 07, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is beautiful! Me and my boyfriend broke up and I went out to a party but then couldnt get home as I ran outa money so I called my ex as he lived closest and he came down to walk me home. On our way home I was listening to this song and I made him listen as well, he started to cry and and said that we should just forget about everything that had happened and we should get back together because he still loved me!

    Been together ever since, thanks to this beautiful song! Thanks JB!

    *baby_girl*on July 21, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This in my opinion is JBts Greatest song its so powerful and really makes u think and every1 can relate to it

    RockLovaon February 22, 2006   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him. There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Album art
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Album art
Page
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.