Who Cares?
Gnarls Barkley Lyrics


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Basically I'm complicated
I have a hard time taking the easy way
I wouldn't call it schizophrenia
But I'll be in these two here today
If that's ok

An I could go on an on an on
But who cares?

It's deep how you can be so shallow
An I'm afraid coz I have no fear
An I didn't believe in magic
Until I watched you disappear
I wish you were here

An I could go on an on an on
But who cares?

You see, everybody is somebody
But nobody wants to be themselves
Ooh
And if I ever wanted to ever understand me
I'd have to talk to someone else
Coz every little bit helps

An I could go on an on an on
But who cares?

It feels like
The surreal life
But it's still nice
Wish I could live twice
An I still might
If these wounds heal right




I see a lil' light
Even though it's still night

It feels like
The surreal life
But its still nice
Wish I live twice
An I still might
If these wounds heal right
I see a lil' light
Even though it's still night

And I could go on an on an on
But who cares?

And I can go on an on an on
But who cares?

Overall Meaning

In "Who Cares?" by Gnarls Barkley, the singer is expressing their complicated nature, proclaiming that they have a hard time choosing the easy path, and that they seem to exist between two different versions of themselves. The singer then dismisses this self-analysis, wondering why anyone should care about their inner turmoil when the world is full of surface-level people who care little about depth or meaning. The song goes on to discuss the singer's unwillingness to be themselves, suggesting that everyone is somebody but nobody wants to be themselves. The singer seems to suggest they need help to fully understand themselves, suggesting that every little bit helps. The song ends by returning to the idea that the world is surreal, though there is still some hope in the darkness.


The lyrics in "Who Cares?" ultimately express a sense of frustration with the superficiality of the world, and the singer's own struggle to reconcile their own complexity with the simplicity demanded by society. They suggest that they are trapped between two different versions of themselves, neither of which feels entirely authentic. However, they also seem to suggest that this interiority is ultimately meaningless, and that the world will continue to be superficial and surreal regardless of their own self-analysis.


Some interesting facts about the song include:


Line by Line Meaning

Basically I'm complicated
I'm not easy to understand


I have a hard time taking the easy way
I often choose to do things the hard way


I wouldn't call it schizophrenia
I don't have a severe mental disorder


But I'll be in these two here today
I can be in two different emotional states at the same time


If that's ok
I hope others can accept my emotional complexity


And I could go on an on an on
I could continue talking about my emotions indefinitely


But who cares?
However, it seems that no one really cares about my emotions


It's deep how you can be so shallow
It's surprising how someone can appear deep but actually be superficial


And I'm afraid coz I have no fear
I'm scared because I don't know what I should fear


And I didn't believe in magic
I used to be skeptical about the unknown or unexplainable


Until I watched you disappear
But then I experienced something seemingly magical when I saw you vanish


I wish you were here
Even though I don't fully understand what happened, I miss you


You see, everybody is somebody
Everyone has their own unique personality and identity


But nobody wants to be themselves
However, many people wish they were someone else


And if I ever wanted to ever understand me
If I ever wanted to understand myself


I'd have to talk to someone else
I'd have to seek advice or guidance from others


Coz every little bit helps
Because even small amounts of understanding can make a difference


It feels like the surreal life
My life seems strange and unreal


But it's still nice
But I still appreciate the good things in my life


Wish I could live twice
I wish I had more time to experience life


An I still might
And maybe I will get another chance


If these wounds heal right
If I can recover from my emotional or physical wounds


I see a lil' light
I see some hope for the future


Even though it's still night
Even though my life is still difficult at the moment




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brian Burton, Thomas DeCarlo Callaway, Keith Mansfield

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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