Please Me Like You Want To
Ben Harper / Jack Johnson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Don't do me any favors
Matter of fact why don't you do yourself a few
Your presence, it ain't nobody's blessing
I've got plenty of other things that I could do

Oh no, not another excuse
Your tired silly games
For me are just no use
And now it's plain for me to see
You're with somebody
That you don't want to be

So won't you
Please please me like you want to
Not like you have to
Or won't you just go on and leave me
You know leaving me is the least that you could do
You know leaving me is the least that you could do

You could have spared me so much misery
And told me you just wanted a friend
Believe me there is a difference
When you mean it
And when you pretend
Or was I just your habit
'Cause I know a habit is a hard thing to break

But won't you spare me, a little mercy
There's only so much that I can take

So won't you
Please please me like you want to
Not like you have to
Or won't you just go on and leave me
You know leaving me is the least that you could do




Leaving me is the least that you could do
I said leaving me is the least that you could do

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ben Harper's song "Please Me Like You Want To" discuss a dysfunctional relationship where one person is not fully invested and the other is left feeling unsatisfied. The first stanza sets the tone for the song, with the singer telling his partner that he doesn't need any favors, and that they can do themselves a few. He acknowledges that their presence is not a blessing, which indicates that he is unhappy with the relationship.


The second stanza expresses frustration with the partner's games and excuses. The singer can see that his partner is not invested in the relationship, and may even be with someone they don't want to be. He pleads with them to put in effort and please him like they want to, not like they have to, or to just leave him if they are not willing to do so.


The final stanza shows the singer grappling with the realization that the relationship may have been one-sided, and questioning whether he was just a habit for his partner. He pleads for a little mercy, knowing that he can only take so much.


Overall, the lyrics convey feelings of frustration, dissatisfaction, and the need for honesty and effort in a relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

Don't do me any favors
Don't try to do good things for me if you don't truly mean it


Matter of fact why don't you do yourself a few
Instead of doing things for me, why don't you do things that benefit yourself


Your presence, it ain't nobody's blessing
Your being here is not a blessing to anyone


I've got plenty of other things that I could do
I have plenty of other things to do besides dealing with your unwanted presence


Oh no, not another excuse
I don't want to hear another excuse from you


Your tired silly games
I'm tired of your childish and pointless games


For me are just no use
Your games serve no purpose for me


And now it's plain for me to see
It's now obvious to me


You're with somebody
You're with someone else


That you don't want to be
You're not happy with them


So won't you
I'm requesting that you


Please please me like you want to
Treat me kindly and lovingly as you would truly want to


Not like you have to
Don't do it out of obligation, but because you truly want to


Or won't you just go on and leave me
If you can't please me the way I deserve to be pleased, you should just leave me


You know leaving me is the least that you could do
If you don't truly want to be with me, the least you could do is leave me alone


You could have spared me so much misery
You could have saved me from a lot of pain and suffering


And told me you just wanted a friend
You could have been honest with me and told me you only wanted a platonic friendship


Believe me there is a difference
There is a distinct difference between friendship and a romantic relationship


When you mean it
When you truly feel it


And when you pretend
Vs. when you're pretending to feel something you don't


Or was I just your habit
Was I just someone you were used to being around, regardless of your feelings for me?


'Cause I know a habit is a hard thing to break
I understand it can be difficult to end a habit, but you need to be honest with yourself and with me


But won't you spare me, a little mercy
Please show me a bit of kindness and mercy


There's only so much that I can take
My emotional limit has been reached


Leaving me is the least that you could do
If you really can't be honest or kind to me, then at least leave me alone


I said leaving me is the least that you could do
Reiterating that leaving me alone is the best course of action if you can't treat me with respect and kindness




Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: BEN C HARPER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@TracyGreenwood

2020 and I still can't get enough of this arrangement.

@joannanurmis3472

Tracy Greenwood same man, same.

@ambm_4

Same 💚

@Soraeon

For sure

@ricardomartins3578

hahah it also happens to me!

@lacyhart2043

Same

11 More Replies...

@flaviacampos7296

A voz de Ben Harper é simplesmente magnífica 😍

@JakeBiggers86

It is such an honest song with true feelings. I have felt this in my life and it really has true meanings for me. Thank you Ben for putting your heart into your music.

@diodiotrindade6810

Nunca me canso de escutar esta música! Combinação perfeita esses dois! 😍

@marcinperlinski8932

Nie ma to jak piękna współpraca pomiędzy dwoma znakomitymi muzykami. Cudownie się tego słucha.

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