What You Want
Laura Shay Lyrics

Laura Shay's song "What You Want" is a poignant exploration of the feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt that can arise when we try to live up to someone else's expectations. The opening lines, "Where do I go from here / How do I find my way back home / Where do I go from here / How do I unlearn all I've known," convey a sense of confusion and disorientation, as though the singer has lost their way and is struggling to find a way forward. The repetition of the phrase "Where do I go from here" underscores the singer's sense of being lost and directionless, and their desire to find a path towards understanding and self-acceptance.

The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "All the times I couldn't be what you want / What you want," highlights the core theme of the song: the singer's sense that they have somehow fallen short of someone else's expectations. This could refer to a romantic partner, a family member, a friend, or even a societal expectation - the specific nature of the relationship is left open-ended. However, the key emotion is one of disappointment and self-recrimination, as the singer grapples with the sense that they have let someone down.

As the song progresses, the singer reflects on their past attempts to meet the other person's expectations. They acknowledge that they have "failed" and "lost" multiple times, but they continue to struggle to live up to the image of the "perfect thing" that the other person desires. Through it all, they are haunted by memories of their past mistakes, as expressed in lines like "And so I'm here remembering." The final lines of the song, with their emphasis on the singer's repeated attempts to be what the other person wants, suggest a sense of resignation and weariness: they know that they cannot change who they are, yet the pressure to conform to someone else's ideals continues to weigh heavily on them.

Overall, "What You Want" is a raw and authentic exploration of the complex emotions that arise when we try to be someone we're not in order to please another person. Its lyrics are both introspective and relatable, and Laura Shay's soulful voice imbues the song with a sense of deep emotion and authenticity.