Released in May, 2013, Young’s Dark Star EP received immediate label interest and blog acclaim upon its release – being featured by the likes of Nylon Magazine, Earmilk, and Noisey, as well as topping the #1 spot numerous times on Hype Machine’s “Most Popular Tracks” list.
Having just finished a North America & UK tour this fall with British indie pop trio London Grammar, Young sets to work on his much anticipated debut album, set to be released in 2014.
What Should I Do
Jaymes Young Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The west coast is colder.
I watch our love start to fade,
Like freckles on your shoulder.
I'm driving this car off the Golden Gate bridge,
Gonna hit the waves.
I'll set the house on fire and watch it burn down
If you go away.
I'll scream and shout, it can't be true.
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
I'll lose my head; I'll make the news.
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
What should I do,
When I wake up without you?
What should I do,
When I wake up without you?
I'm not afraid of dying day,
Love is a madness.
And when it dies, I cut my veins
To break up the sadness.
I'm driving this car off the Golden Gate bridge,
Gonna hit the waves.
I'll set the world on fire and watch it burn down
If you go away.
Oooh, oh
I'll scream and shout, it can't be true.
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
I'll lose my head; I'll make the news.
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
What should I do,
When I wake up without you?
What should I do,
When I wake up without you?
Ooh
Broken glass, broken hearts.
Take me back to the start.
Broken glass, making scars.
Take me back.
I'll scream and shout, it can't be true.
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
I'll lose my head; I'll make the news.
If I wake up and you're gone,
That's what I'll do.
I'll scream and shout, it can't be true.
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
I'll lose my head; I'll make the news.
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
What should I do?
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
What should I do?
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
What should I do?
The song "What Should I Do" by Jaymes Young is a heart-wrenching ballad about the pain of losing love. The opening lines set the scene: "Summertime has gone away, the west coast is colder. I watch our love start to fade, like freckles on your shoulder." The wistful nostalgia of these lines is quickly shattered as Young sings about his extreme reactions to the loss of this love. He sings about driving off the Golden Gate bridge and setting the house on fire, suggesting that he would rather die than live without the person he loves. The chorus then becomes a pleading question: "What should I do when I wake up without you?" The lines "Broken glass, broken hearts. Take me back to the start. Broken glass, making scars. Take me back." suggest that the singer is asking for another chance to start over again with their love, despite the pain.
It is clear that this song is fueled by Young's deep emotional pain. The lyrics speak to his despair and his willingness to take extreme actions to avoid the pain of living without the one he loves. The song ends on this same question, repeated over and over again with increasing desperation: "What should I do if I wake up and you're gone?"
This song is a poignant testament to the power of heartbreak, as well as a plea for reconciliation. It speaks to the universal human longing for love and the deep pain that follows when it is lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Summertime has gone away,
The blissful time we had together is now over,
The west coast is colder.
The relationship we shared has now become colder and strained.
I watch our love start to fade,
I can feel our bond slowly fading away.
Like freckles on your shoulder.
Similar to how the summer freckles on your shoulder have vanished, our love is also fading away.
I'm driving this car off the Golden Gate bridge,
If you decide to depart, I am willing to engage in self-destructive behavior and end everything.
Gonna hit the waves.
I'll crash my car into the ocean below to end my life.
I'll set the house on fire and watch it burn down
I'll destroy everything around us if you leave me.
If you go away.
I can't handle the thought of losing you and will do anything to keep you with me.
I'll scream and shout, it can't be true.
I'll be devastated and in disbelief if I wake up one day and find that you're gone.
What should I do?
I'll be lost and clueless on what to do if you're no longer with me.
I'll lose my head; I'll make the news.
I'll do something outrageous and out of my mind if you leave me and it will make the news.
When I wake up without you?
The prospect of waking up without you is unbearable.
I'm not afraid of dying day,
I am not scared of dying or losing my life.
Love is a madness.
Love can drive people to do crazy things.
And when it dies, I cut my veins
If our love dies, I'll hurt myself.
To break up the sadness.
I'll try to relieve myself of the sorrow and pain of losing you.
Broken glass, broken hearts.
The end of our love will leave both our hearts shattered and broken.
Take me back to the start.
I wish we could go back to the beginning and relive our happier days.
Making scars.
This experience will leave permanent marks and scars on me.
That's what I'll do.
I'll be inconsolable and lost if I wake up to find you gone.
If I wake up and you're gone,
The prospect of you leaving me is unbearable.
What should I do?
I'll be lost and distraught on what to do if you're no longer part of my life.
Contributed by Luke K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@waifuwithknaifu
Summertime has gone away
The west coast is colder
I watch your love start to fade,
Like freckles on your shoulder
I'm driving this car off the Golden Gate Bridge
Gonna hit the waves
I'll set the house on fire, and watch it burn down
If you go away
I'll scream and shout, it can't be true!
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
I'll lose my head, I'll make the news
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
What should I do?
When I wake up (without you)
What should I do?
When I wake up (without you)
I'm not afraid of dying in vain
Love is a madness
And when it dies, I cut my veins,
To break up the sadness
I'm driving this car off the Golden Gate Bridge
Gonna hit the waves
I'll set the world on fire, and watch it burn down
If you go away!
Oooh, oh
I'll scream and shout, it can't be true!
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
I'll lose my head, I'll make the news
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
What should I do?
When I wake up (without you)
What should I do?
When I wake up (without you)
Broken glass,
Broken hearts,
Take me back to the start!
Broken glass,
Making scars,
Take me back!
I'll scream and shout, it can't be true!
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
I'll lose my head, I'll make the news
If I wake up and you're gone,
That's what I'll do
I'll scream and shout, it can't be true!
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
I'll lose my head, I'll make the news
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
What should I do?
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
What should I do?
If I wake up and you're gone,
What should I do?
What should I do?
@iCoreyJames
Best accidental find of the year for me. What a remarkable talent.
@pavstamp8295
+Corey Hughes same here
@redvelvetsayhi4274
same
@asfhavntaxrsfbg8745
Same. I'm in love with his voice and this song
@eliot1014
"I'll be good" drew me to this artist immediately, great stuff.
@Meatislife
Enjoy the rest he only gets better
@marcysade8823
I discovered him by accident, so glad I did
@sarasegador8998
Marcy Sade same! I did from a video.... The first song that I heard from him it was "I'll be good"
@akageyomi
found him from souncloud
@sketchydoodles69
He just poped up in my Daily Remix on Spotify. The song was Stone or Come back for me..both pure perfection