Though best known for their instrumental hit "Pick Up the Pieces," the band's strength lies in their consistently accomplished songwriting, stretching across several gold-selling albums and multi-Grammy nominations for Atlantic Records. Despite their Scottish roots, the six-piece band developed their own "authentic" sound influenced by R&B heroes such as Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and Donny Hathaway, which was eagerly adopted by black audiences in the US and elsewhere.
Many of the band's cuts, such as "Cut The Cake" and "Let's Go 'Round Again," attracted chart action as hit singles, while album tracks like "Schoolboy Crush" and "Person to Person" became much-sampled "rare" grooves. Other tunes like "Cloudy," "A Love Of Your Own," and "Nothing You Can Do" stand alongside some of the finest soul album tracks ever recorded.
The current lineup of the band, with noted US musicians alongside founding members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre, continues to delight audiences and critics alike in its wide-ranging touring. The musical energy and trademark sound are remarkably true to the original, and with constant revisitation and re-workings of AWB's, and others' classics in the mix, it is no surprise that the Average White Band is now a multi-generational attraction and a perennial fixture with many of the top music venues.
Whatcha' Gonna do for Me
Average White Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's all in a day's work;
Tryin' hard to defend
The time that I spend alone
The ground that you lose exploiting
The blues
Won't get the job done;
Still, as deep as it bites,
Whatcha gonna for me
What are you gonna do for me
Whatcha gonna do for me, when
The chips are down
In the cool of the night, when
Nothing seems right
The feeling can take you;
Strange as it seems,
You make your own dreams
Come true
If you try to conceal the way
That you feel
You're askin' for trouble;
Just as sure as you'll cry,
I'm keepin' my eye on you
You don't have to tell me I'm
To blame for this
The thing you hold against me,
Is the thing that I miss
The lyrics to Average White Band's song Whatcha' Gonna do for Me explores themes of perseverance, self-reflection, and expectations in a relationship. The first verse describes the singer's commitment to their work and defending their personal time, while also acknowledging the other person's attempts to exploit their emotional vulnerabilities. Despite the pain caused by this exploitation, the singer remains steadfast in their focus on the other person.
The chorus, "Whatcha gonna do for me, what are you gonna do for me, whatcha gonna do for me when the chips are down," is a direct challenge to the other person's commitment to the relationship. The phrase "when the chips are down" suggests that there may be difficult times ahead and the singer is asking what the other person is willing to do to support the relationship during these times.
The second verse touches on the power of positive thinking to shape one's reality. The singer acknowledges that sometimes things seem hopeless, but encourages the other person to pursue their dreams despite any difficulties that may arise. The line "if you try to conceal the way that you feel, you're asking for trouble" suggests that communication and honesty are key to a successful relationship.
The final line, "you don't have to tell me I'm to blame for this, the thing you hold against me is the thing that I miss," indicates that the singer is aware of their shortcomings in the relationship but also acknowledges their value to the other person.
Overall, the lyrics to Whatcha' Gonna do for Me highlight the importance of commitment, communication, and self-reflection in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
All night and all day, just chippin' away
I am constantly working and putting in effort throughout the day and night.
It's all in a day's work;
This amount of effort is expected and routine for me.
Tryin' hard to defend
I am putting up a strong effort to protect and maintain something important to me.
The time that I spend alone
I value and make time for solitude.
The ground that you lose exploiting
You will not achieve success by taking advantage of others.
The blues
Sadness or misery.
Won't get the job done;
Being sad or miserable will not lead to success.
Still, as deep as it bites,
Despite the difficulty and pain of a situation,
I'm keepin' my sights on you
I am focused on you and your actions.
Whatcha gonna for me
What actions will you take to benefit me
What are you gonna do for me
What specific actions will you take to benefit me
Whatcha gonna do for me, when
What actions will you take to benefit me, in the event that
The chips are down
A difficult situation arises.
In the cool of the night, when
During a calm or peaceful moment.
Nothing seems right
Things seem to be going wrong.
The feeling can take you;
Emotions can be overwhelming.
Strange as it seems,
As unusual or unexpected as it may appear,
You make your own dreams
The power to achieve your aspirations is within yourself.
Come true
Realization of those dreams and goals is possible.
If you try to conceal the way
If you attempt to hide your emotions or feelings,
That you feel
Those emotions or feelings that are present within you,
You're askin' for trouble;
You will create difficulties for yourself.
Just as sure as you'll cry,
Without a doubt, when challenges arise and emotions surface,
I'm keepin' my eye on you
I am observing your actions and intentions.
You don't have to tell me I'm
It is unnecessary for you to inform me that
To blame for this
I am responsible for this situation.
The thing you hold against me,
The issue or criticism you have of me,
Is the thing that I miss
Is something that I deeply desire or regret losing.
Contributed by Sarah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DZAP 194
All night and day
Just chippin' away
It's all in a day's work
Tryin' hard to defend
The time that I spend alone
The crown that you lose
Exploiting the blues
Won't get the job done
As hard as it bites
I'm keepin' my sights on you
What cha' gonna do for me
What cha' gonna do for me
What cha' gonna do for me
When the chips are down
In the cool of the night
When nothing seems right
The feeling can take you
Strange as it seems
You make your own dreams come true
If you try to conceal
The way that you feel
You're asking for trouble
Just as sure as I cry
I'm keeping my eye on you, yeah
What cha' gonna do for me
What cha' gonna do for me
What cha' gonna do for me
When the chips are down
What cha' gonna do for me
What cha' gonna do for me
What cha' gonna do for me
When the chips are down
You don't have to tell me
I'm to blame for this
'Cause what you hold against me
Is what I miss
What cha' gonna do for me
What cha' gonna do for me
What cha' gonna do for me
What cha' gonna do for me
What cha' gonna do for me
What cha' gonna do for me
What cha' gonna do for me
Aah, what cha' gonna do for me
Precious Baby Doll
There is definitely nothing average about these guys. Their terrific.
gtmobayer
Yes they are! I found that out in 1982, while watching them on a music show-I think it was "Solid Gold?"
kIng Carters Wisdom
Never knew this was originally sung by these cool dudes . Learned something new 👍🏼
Ro
Me either! Pretty cool indeed
Rohli Estrada
Me too! This Average White Band guys have souls, baby!
demfak •
check out i love you so by junko ohashi, quite similar
Rohli Estrada
@demfak • hey, I just listened to the Japanese version of it.... it's not bad. I like it!
Mr. Cuber
Lmao, there are so many covers of this song. The absolute original song is "Empty Heart" by the Japanese band Pazz from their album "Bananafish".
hardlines4
Great classic written by Hamish Stuart
Solara 🙏🏼Matthew 24
Gosh! Seems like yesterday when I first listened to this song on the radio. Thirty two years later, and it still sounds good. Chaka Khan’s version is nice too! 😊