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"
Would you mind if I hurt you?
Understand that I need to
Wish that I had other choices
Than to harm the one I love
What have you done now?
I know I'd better stop trying
You know that there's no denying
I won't show mercy on you now
I know I should stop believing
I know there's no retrieving
It's over now, what have you done?
What have you done now?
I, I've been waiting for someone like you
But now you are slipping away
What have you done now?
Why, why does fate make us suffer?
There's a curse between us, between me and you
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done now?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done now?
Would you mind if I killed you?
Would you mind if I tried to?
'Cause you have
Turned into my worst enemy
You carry hate that I don't feel
It's over now, what have you done?
What have you done now?
I, I've been waiting for someone like you
But now you are slipping away
What have you done now?
Why, why does fate make us suffer?
There's a curse between us, between me and you
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done now?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done now?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
I will not fall, won't let it go
We will be free when it ends
I, I've been waiting for someone like you
But now you are slipping away
What have you done now?
Why, why does fate make us suffer?
There's a curse between us, between me and you
I've been waiting for someone like you
But now you are slipping away
What have you done now?
Why, why does fate make us suffer?
There's a curse between us, between me and you
Understand that I need to
Wish that I had other choices
Than to harm the one I love
What have you done now?
I know I'd better stop trying
You know that there's no denying
I won't show mercy on you now
I know I should stop believing
I know there's no retrieving
It's over now, what have you done?
What have you done now?
I, I've been waiting for someone like you
But now you are slipping away
What have you done now?
Why, why does fate make us suffer?
There's a curse between us, between me and you
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done now?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done now?
Would you mind if I killed you?
Would you mind if I tried to?
'Cause you have
Turned into my worst enemy
You carry hate that I don't feel
It's over now, what have you done?
What have you done now?
I, I've been waiting for someone like you
But now you are slipping away
What have you done now?
Why, why does fate make us suffer?
There's a curse between us, between me and you
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done now?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done now?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
I will not fall, won't let it go
We will be free when it ends
I, I've been waiting for someone like you
But now you are slipping away
What have you done now?
Why, why does fate make us suffer?
There's a curse between us, between me and you
I've been waiting for someone like you
But now you are slipping away
What have you done now?
Why, why does fate make us suffer?
There's a curse between us, between me and you
Lyrics submitted by Justanothereject, edited by Darkangel6x3
What Have You Done Lyrics as written by Sharon J. Den Adel Robert Westerholt
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Page
Ed Sheeran
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.
This song reminds me of my relationship with my dad a bit. He was never there for me as a kid, and the part "i've been waiting for someone like you|But now you are slipping away", its just the way i feel. He's finally started coming back into my life which is what I wanted as a child, but he's slipping away and coming back when he wants to.
The Part "would you mind if I killed you?|Would you mind if I tried to?", that's how I feel right now. He really has become my worst enemy, and I do sometimes wish that I could just kill him because of all the hurt he's caused me.
"I wont fall" - I won't cry infront of you and let you see my pain "We'll be free when it's over" - I might be able to respect you as a father once you get over yourself
I've been thinking of a way to try and tell him, and now I think I've found the perfect song.
P.S: Sorry if this comment seems insignificant, but is says 'what does this song mean to you?' and I'm off school today because of something he said yesterday to me so I had to rant somewhere.
Ciao!!
i dont think no comment is insignificant, everyone has different views on songs and your just saying what you think is right :-) <br /> <br /> for me theres an few meanings to this song, one my ex really on what happened to us we both still love each well i know i still do but idk and im going to wait for her, and my dad. <br /> <br /> P.s ranting is good, lets your feelings out