"What Would You Have Me Do?" as written by and St. Clair David Scott Lucas....
Can you just go home defeated?
Take your pride and eat it
Crawl back beaten
Sources are depleated
Can you take the final hit and admit that you were wrong?
Dont even call it even
Bleedin' is beliving
Former well-being
We're closing for the season
Can you take the final hit and admit that you don't belong?
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday now
You're gonna have to leave it
You know you'll never need it
Wait til you see what we've planned for you
And its heinous
So come on, come on comeupins
You really are the star of the show right now
It's an estrangement
Kinda strange when cliche's are true
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday now
And I am sorry to enjoy this
But, what would you have me do?
What would you have me do?
Can you just go home hated
Half intoxicated
Hopelessly outdated
And not appreciated
Can you take the final blow and know that you fucked up?
Go state the overstated
Keep it complicated
The over educated
That hope you'll never make it
Can you take the final blow and know they won't be shutting up?
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday now
You're gonna have to leave it
You know you'll never need it
Wait til you see what we've planned for you
And its heinous
So come on, come on comeupins
You really are the star of the show right now
It's an estrangement
Kinda strange when cliche's are true
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday now
And I am sorry to enjoy this
But, what would you have me do?
Baby's outta town but I see the light on
What are you up to now?
Headin' for the gun, I can see rock bottom
No one will help you now
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday now
Gonna have to leave it
You know you'll never need it
Everything has been cut and dried for you
And its heinous
So come on, come on comeupins
You really are the star of the show right now
It's an estrangement
Kinda strange when cliche's are true
Yeah
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday now
And I am sorry to enjoy this
But what would you have me do?
Hold tight
It's new years eve
It will be cold tonight
Kill the heat
And shut out all the lights
And cut the phone line too
Alright
We don't need nothing but cyanide
Pulled out teeth won't be identified
What would you have me do?
You got it
Hold tight
It's new years eve
It will be cold tonight
Kill the heat
And shut out all the lights
And cut the phone line too
You got it
Alright
We don't need nothing but cyanide
Pulled out teeth won't be identified
What would you have me do?
You got it
Hold tight
It's new years eve (you got it)
It will be cold tonight
Kill the heat (you got it)
And shut out all the lights
And cut the phone line too (you got it)
You got it
Alright
We don't need nothing (you got it) but cyanide
Pulled out teeth (you got it) won't be identified
(you got it)
What would you have me do?
You got it
You got it
Gimme money, gimme blow
Keep your girlfriend
Yeah, I'm falling fast, I'm not gonna last
Take your pride and eat it
Crawl back beaten
Sources are depleated
Can you take the final hit and admit that you were wrong?
Dont even call it even
Bleedin' is beliving
Former well-being
We're closing for the season
Can you take the final hit and admit that you don't belong?
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday now
You're gonna have to leave it
You know you'll never need it
Wait til you see what we've planned for you
And its heinous
So come on, come on comeupins
You really are the star of the show right now
It's an estrangement
Kinda strange when cliche's are true
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday now
And I am sorry to enjoy this
But, what would you have me do?
What would you have me do?
Can you just go home hated
Half intoxicated
Hopelessly outdated
And not appreciated
Can you take the final blow and know that you fucked up?
Go state the overstated
Keep it complicated
The over educated
That hope you'll never make it
Can you take the final blow and know they won't be shutting up?
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday now
You're gonna have to leave it
You know you'll never need it
Wait til you see what we've planned for you
And its heinous
So come on, come on comeupins
You really are the star of the show right now
It's an estrangement
Kinda strange when cliche's are true
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday now
And I am sorry to enjoy this
But, what would you have me do?
Baby's outta town but I see the light on
What are you up to now?
Headin' for the gun, I can see rock bottom
No one will help you now
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday now
Gonna have to leave it
You know you'll never need it
Everything has been cut and dried for you
And its heinous
So come on, come on comeupins
You really are the star of the show right now
It's an estrangement
Kinda strange when cliche's are true
Yeah
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday
Beaten 6 ways to Sunday now
And I am sorry to enjoy this
But what would you have me do?
Hold tight
It's new years eve
It will be cold tonight
Kill the heat
And shut out all the lights
And cut the phone line too
Alright
We don't need nothing but cyanide
Pulled out teeth won't be identified
What would you have me do?
You got it
Hold tight
It's new years eve
It will be cold tonight
Kill the heat
And shut out all the lights
And cut the phone line too
You got it
Alright
We don't need nothing but cyanide
Pulled out teeth won't be identified
What would you have me do?
You got it
Hold tight
It's new years eve (you got it)
It will be cold tonight
Kill the heat (you got it)
And shut out all the lights
And cut the phone line too (you got it)
You got it
Alright
We don't need nothing (you got it) but cyanide
Pulled out teeth (you got it) won't be identified
(you got it)
What would you have me do?
You got it
You got it
Gimme money, gimme blow
Keep your girlfriend
Yeah, I'm falling fast, I'm not gonna last
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I don't believe this song is about killing somebody, the parts of the song that refer to death refer to losing a part of yourself. A common theme in Local H songs is moving to the city after growing up in a small town community mentality. Many of my friends who have moved to better themselves have only moved back months later in failure. As someone who is currently working on moving to the city it is as Scott is speaking to me personally in this song.
The song is pretty straight forward except when it comes to the second part of the song:
Hold tight
It's New years Eve
we'll be cold tonight
Kill the heat
And shut out all the lights
And cut the phone line too
Alright
We don't need nothing but cyanide
Pulled out teeth won't be identified
What would you have me do?
You got it
New Years Eve refers to the end of an era, and the start of a New Year full of new resolutions which often go unforfilled. In desperation to make it the you have to cut off all ties from your past, not dwell on it and move on. However, your new life is so radically different from your hometown's that you have to "cut off all the heat, and turn off all the lights" as in cutting off ties back home and the warmth and security it provided.
The whole cyinide and pulled out teeth remark refers to the fact that the end result is a cold process in which the people you left behind will no longer recognize you. All points in the song leading up this verse all describe the stress being put on changing yourself and if you fail you'll be the laughing stock of the town.
Now, about this song, this track just STICKS in your head, it is incredible! Very clever, subtle mastery of lyrics (as in most of their songs) deliver a raw song that has this sinister undertone. Then, by the 2nd or 3rd listen, you realize it's very sinister indeed. He's saying to somebody that they've left him no choice but to kill them. Maybe himself too? Wow. I'm guessing it's the whole cheating lover thing, but there's just enough vagueness to keep you guessing, and just enough story to make it an awesome song.
One other note, if you really listen on a good system, there are background pieces of several of the other songs on this album (Here Comes the Zoo). This is the last track on the album, and sort of the master track that ties it all together again at the end.
Note -- Please fix the lyric errors here - the most blatant is that it should say "BEATEN six ways to Sunday" (An old phrase meaning "beat to hell" or "put through the wringer", ya know?) Also, "comeupins" should be spelled "comeuppance", which is when someone finally gets what they deserve (usually punishment of some sort, karma, whatever.)