What Would You Have Me Do?

Local H

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Hopelessly outdated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


Lyrics submitted by Stoney

What Would You Have Me Do? Lyrics as written by David Scott Lucas Brian W.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

What Would You Have Me Do? song meanings
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5 Comments

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  • +2
    General CommentPersonally, coming from a small town like Scott I know where he's coming from with these lyrics. To this day the song still gives me chills.

    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.
    bcforn2000on February 12, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General CommentFirst of all - Local H in general is SO underappreciated. They take hard rock and metal and puts brains back into it. This band revived my taste for rock when I was starting to think it was all going to just suck for years to come. They prove that you CAN fucking rock without being total idiots.

    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.)
    kkeeneon March 18, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI've gotta go with kkeene's interpretation -- it's always been a creepy song about killing the singer and someone else to me. Great song, though.
    cbake76on January 08, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentThis song reminds me of the incident in PA circa '95 where that football player got beaten down on the steps of a church. It's a vague connection but it exists.
    nihilisticalon August 28, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General CommentIt seems like there is an eternity at the end of the song with an occasional guitar burst. I only heard this song on Spotify though, so not sure if on the original recording. I have spaced out and kept it on a few times, seems like there is urban noise and an ambulance or siren of some sort. Anybody know any story behind this? Thought it might be what the victim after the cyanide hears
    superfreak30328on December 05, 2018   Link

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