The BoDeans worked with T-Bone Burnett on their debut album, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, which appeared in 1986 to warm reviews. They recruited another big-name producer, Talking Head Jerry Harrison, to helm 1987's Outside Looking In, which found the band reduced to a trio after the departure of Hoffman. Outside Looking In broke into the Billboard Top 100, and the BoDeans grew their audience by touring alongside U2, appearing on Robbie Robertson's self-titled solo album, and receiving the honor of Best New Band by Rolling Stone magazine. By the time they released their third album, Home, in 1989, keyboardist Michael Ramos and drummer Danny Gayol had joined. This lineup stayed intact for the release of 1991's Black and White, but the BoDeans went without a drummer once again on their next recording, Go Slow Down.
Following the release of a double-disc live album, Joe Dirt Car, the band returned in 1996 with Blend. Around the time of Blend's release, "Closer to Free" -- a song that had originally appeared on 1993's Go Slow Down -- became a hit, due in large part to its exposure as the theme song for the TV show Party of Five. "Closer to Free" eventually cracked the Top 20, becoming the most successful single of the band's career. The BoDeans were arguably more popular than ever, but the band took a break during the late '90s, with both frontmen devoting time to their solo careers.
By 2004, the band had reconvened and signed with a new label, Zoe. Resolution was released that year, followed in 2005 by Homebrewed: Live from the Pabst. Griffin left the group in 2006 and was replaced by Eric Holden, who appeared on 2008's Still. By this point, the bandmates had found a new home on 429 Records, and they remained with that label for the release of Mr. Sad Clown in 2010 and Indigo Dreams in 2011. That same year saw the departure of Llanas, citing "differences of opinion." The band's 11th studio album, American Made, arrived the following year on the band's own Free & Alive label, and was the first with Neumann as sole leader. The BoDeans toured extensively in support of the release, and in 2014 began work on their next studio project. Released in 2015, I Cant Stop featured a new BoDeans lineup anchored by Neumann, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Sam Hawksley, bassist Eric Holden, and drummer Kenny Aronoff, the latter a well-respected journeyman musician who had played on several BoDeans recording sessions in the '90s. In June 2016, the BoDeans brought out a single, "My Hometown," with the release benefiting the Milwaukee County Historical Society. The single was a preview of the group's next album; titled Thirteen, the 11-song set was released in April 2017.
Do What You Want
BoDeans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now you're bending fundamental rules of reality
Can you calm down just for a while
Are you brave enough just staying on safe ground
All I say, do what you want to do
No, don't you lock away your serious heart
Or you would tear my insider ways apart
Well it's foolish misery and foolish pride
All I say, do what you want to do
And I wanna be as close as I can
Wanna hold that burning flame
Won't you let it contain my whole hand
All I say, do what you want to do
The lyrics of BoDeans's "Do What You Want" convey a message that encourages listeners to embrace their true selves, their passions, and their desires. The song suggests that breaking fundamental rules and taking risks can be difficult, but ultimately rewarding. The opening verse, "Yeah there you go in your hard way / Now you're bending fundamental rules of reality," describes the concept of challenging conventional expectations and norms. The following verses urge the listener to be courageous and embrace their inner fire, rather than suppressing it for the sake of fitting in or maintaining safety.
The second verse encourages the listener to follow their heart and not to hide their true nature in order to avoid feeling vulnerable. The lines, "Well it's foolish misery and foolish pride / That can keep that little light locked up deep inside," suggest that it is only through vulnerability that we can truly connect with others and reach our full potential.
The chorus reinforces this message, repeating the phrase "do what you want to do" and emphasizing the importance of pursuing one's passions. The bridge contains lyrics that express a desire for intimacy and connection with the subject of the song, likely a romantic interest. "And I wanna be as close as I can / Wanna hold that burning flame / Won't you let it contain my whole hand" suggests a desire to be as close as possible to the passion and energy that the subject embodies.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah there you go in your hard way
You're stubbornly going about things your own difficult way.
Now you're bending fundamental rules of reality
You're trying to make things work that fundamentally cannot be changed, and it's causing problems.
Can you calm down just for a while
Can you take a step back and relax for a moment?
Are you brave enough just staying on safe ground
Are you willing to play it safe and avoid taking risks?
All I say, do what you want to do
I'm encouraging you to follow your own path and make your own choices.
No, don't you lock away your serious heart
Don't hide your true feelings and emotions.
Or you would tear my insider ways apart
If you don't open up, you'll cause problems in our relationship.
Well it's foolish misery and foolish pride
It's foolish to hold yourself back from happiness and success because of misery or pride.
That can keep that little light locked up deep inside
These negative emotions can prevent you from expressing your true self.
And I wanna be as close as I can
I want to be as close to you as possible.
Wanna hold that burning flame
I want to experience your passion and energy.
Won't you let it contain my whole hand
Will you let me be a part of your life and share in your experiences?
All I say, do what you want to do
Again, I want you to make your own choices and live your life your own way.
Contributed by Lillian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Xennial Miracle
"This is such a dumb song," I said, when I heard this on the radio in the 90s. Welp, it's lived in my head rent-free for 30 years and today I finally came back to hear it again. Well played, BoDeans. You won the long game.
stratslngr
I have that same reaction when I hear any disco song from the 70's. Memories.
Dequane Monroe
My CHILDHOOD MEMORIES BACK IN THE 90'S I WAS 4 YEARS I WAS TRUNING AGE 5 I. 1995
Dequane Monroe
My DISNEY MOIVE IN HEAVYWEIGHTS 1995 FEBRUARY
Herman Pesina
This song sounds like it could be played at the opening of every 90s movie
Mega Sega Fan
Like Heavyweights lol
CuriousBean
β@Mega Sega Fan What's heavyweights?
Larry Hurley
Those of us who were teenager's in the early 90's and came of age in the mid to late 90's are a damn lucky bunch of people. Everything was absolutely perfect about the 90's. It's truly indescribable. You would just have had to lived it like we did to understand how special of a time it was. Long live the Greatest decade in history !!!!
Brandon Moon
Absolutely it was the best time ever
RiverHigurashi
I was just a little kid but man it really was a great time - wish Iβd gotten to experience it as a teenager or adult.