How They Want Me to Be
Best Coast Lyrics
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Ask me where my money is
Where does it go once I've spent it?
But I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
Even my own mother asks me a lot of questions
I tell her I don't wanna talk
But she doesn't stop, she's just wondering
But I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
I want you, you, you, you
I want you, you, you, you
Cause when I wake up in the morning or the middle of the night
I wonder who's there, and what they've said
Yeah, when I wake up in the morning or the middle of the night
I wonder who's there, and what they've said
But when I wake up in the morning or the middle of the night
I look at you and I know it's alright
I wake up in the morning or the middle of the night
I look at you and I know it's alright
Cause you don't want me to be
How they want me to be
You don't want me to be
How they want me to be
And I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
You don't want me to be how they want me to be
I don't want me to be how they want me to be
In Best Coast's song "How They Want Me to Be", the lyrics describe a person's struggle to be true to themselves in the face of societal expectations and pressure from friends and family. The song's protagonist is bombarded with questions about their finances and personal choices but chooses to resist conforming to those expectations. This is highlighted by the repeated refrain, "I don't want to be how they want me to be". The only comfort the singer finds is in a romantic partner who accepts them for who they truly are, rather than how others want them to be.
Overall, the song speaks to the universal experience of feeling pressured to conform to societal norms, and the struggle to stay true to oneself in the face of such pressure. The lyrics also speak to the power of finding acceptance in a loving relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
All of my friends stick up their noses
My friends judge me and turn their noses up towards me.
Ask me where my money is
They inquire about my finances and where my money goes after I spend it.
Where does it go once I've spent it?
I myself wonder where my money goes after I spend it.
But I don't want to be how they want me to be
I refuse to conform to their expectations of me.
I want you, you, you, you
I desire you endlessly, you are all I want and need.
Cause when I wake up in the morning or the middle of the night
Whenever I wake up from sleep or during the night when I'm awake,
I wonder who's there, and what they've said
I get anxious and curious about who could have possibly said something about me.
Yeah, when I wake up in the morning or the middle of the night
Even when I wake up during morning or middle of the night,
I look at you and I know it's alright
Seeing you by my side reassures me that everything is okay.
Cause you don't want me to be how they want me to be
You don't impose your expectations for me like my surroundings do.
And I don't want to be how they want me to be
I refuse to conform to meet societal expectations.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BETHANY COSENTINO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hunter
[Verse 1]
All of my friends stick up their noses
They ask me where my money is
And where does it go once I've spent it
[Chorus]
But I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
[Verse 2]
And even my own mother asks me a lot of questions
I tell her I don't wanna talk
But she doesn't stop, she's just wondering
[Chorus]
But I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
I want you, you, you, you
I want you, you, you, you
Aah, aah, aah, aah
Aah, aah, aah, aah
[Bridge]
Cause when I wake up in the morning
Or the middle of the night
I wonder who's there, and what they've said
Yeah, when I wake up in the morning
Or the middle of the night
I wonder who's there, and what they've said
But when I wake up in the morning
Or the middle of the night
I look at you and I know it's alright
I wake up in the morning
Or the middle of the night
I look at you and I know it's alright
[Pre-Chorus]
Cause you don't want me to be
How they want me to be
You don't want me to be
How they want me to be
[Chorus]
And I don't want to be how they want me to be
I don't want to be how they want me to be
You don't want me to be
How they want me to be
I don't want me to be
How they want they want me to be
Adilenelol
i just love this band so much, best songs for people in love, out of love, or lonely
Renato Furtado
I am not in any of these situations, still I fell in love with this band from all of a sudden.
MrTchupam
or people..
HadenXCharm
This song creates such a dreamy mood, I feel like I'm stepping into an old sad high school movie.
Luke Rowe
Such an underrated singer and songwriter.
meg
This song is about me and my cat.
☆*Dr3amer's L0unge*☆
@Megan Franken lol cute :)
Cristian Loza
Such a beautiful song!
Alex Gomez
This song is depressing as hell; I love it. Idk how to be me and I hate who I pretend to be
Betelgeuse3x
I really hope I can see them in Huntington Beach in August :3 Best Coast fills all the voids in my life.