All I Want
░The Offspring░ Lyrics

Day after day your home life's a wreck
Your personal life is a mess and always in chaos.

The powers that be just
The people in charge or authority are always present.

Breathe down your neck
They watch and monitor all your actions.

You get no respect
They don't give you any respect or recognition for your efforts.

You get no relief
You have no freedom, and there is no way to escape that life.

You gotta speak up
You must speak up and express your feelings.

And yell out your piece
You have to shout out your opinions and perspectives.

So back off your rules
Stop imposing your regulations and standards on me.

Back off your jive
Stop your meaningless or insincere talk.

'Cause I'm sick of not living
I'm exhausted and tired of not being able to live freely.

To stay alive
To survive in this oppressive environment.

Leave me alone
I need some space and peace.

I'm not asking a lot
I only want a little independence and freedom.

I just don't want to be controlled
I want to make my own decisions and live life on my own terms.

That's all I want
That's the only thing I'm asking for.

How many times is it gonna take
How many times do I have to say it before somebody listens?

'Til someone around you hears what you say
Until someone around you pays attention to what you have to say.

You've tried being cool
You have attempted to be understanding and patient.

You feel like a lie
But deep down, it feels like you're not being true to yourself.

You've played by their rules
You followed their instructions and obeyed them.

Now it's their turn to try
It's their time to listen and empathize.

I said it before
I mentioned this previously.

I'll say it again
And I'm going to repeat it.

If you could just listen
If you could only hear me out.

Then it might make sense
You might realize the reasons and logic behind my requests.