"What Will You Do (When the Money Goes)?" is a song by Sheffield indie rock… Read Full Bio ↴"What Will You Do (When the Money Goes)?" is a song by Sheffield indie rock band Milburn. It was released on September 17, 2007 as the first single taken from their second album, "These Are the Facts". On September 23, 2007 it entered the UK Singles Chart at #44 on downloads alone.

What Will You Do ?
Milburn Lyrics

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I can see a darker side,
I can see it in your eyes,
Maybe things have happened in your life,
And maybe that's the reason why,
You're playing for a one-man side,
It's alright when you're winning though,
But, when you lose, you lose alone.

So, what will you do when the money goes?
What will you do when the money goes?
What will you do when the money goes?
What will you do when the money goes?

Would you ever want to know my name?
If we hadn't met this way,
Do you seriously think i believe you,
When you say,
you're looking out for everyone,
But that can't be much fun,
Considering you never have before,
So now your intentions must come into question.

What will you do when the money goes?
What will you do when the money goes?
What will you do when the money goes?
What will you do when the money goes?

When our house disappears (What will you do when the money goes?)
And nothing left but souvenirs, (What will you do when the money goes?)
Will that be the moment when you realise?
Will that be the moment when you realise?
Will that be the moment when you realise that you,
Had better change your ways.

I can see a darker side,
I can see it in your eyes,
Maybe things have happened in your life,
And maybe that's the reason why,
You're playing for a one-man side,
It's alright when you're winning though,
But, when you lose, you lose alone.

You lose alone.

You lose alone!

You lose alone!

You lose alone!

You lose alone!

You lose alone.

You lose alone.

Always alone.

You lose alone.

You lose alone.

Overall Meaning

The song "What Will You Do?" by Milburn appears to be a commentary on a particular character or persona that the singer is addressing, who has been betrayed by or alienated from everyone, and is steadily losing everything they have or stand for. The singer seems to be intimately familiar with this character's past and present, saying "I can see a darker side, I can see it in your eyes, Maybe things have happened in your life, And maybe that's the reason why, You're playing for a one-man side."

The chorus, which repeats the phrase "What will you do when the money goes?" emphasizes the central concern of the song: how will this person respond when everything they have is gone and they are forced to confront the consequences of their choices? The lyrics suggest that this person may have a history of exploiting others, pretending to care about people ("you're looking out for everyone, But that can't be much fun, Considering you never have before"), and generally being a fair-weather friend. By threatening their material possessions, the song suggests that the moment of crisis may finally reveal the true nature of this person's character.

Overall, "What Will You Do?" appears to be a cautionary tale about the consequences of selfishness and the dangers of building a life on a foundation of deception and self-aggrandizement. It brutally warns that such characters will ultimately be left alone to face the consequences of their actions.

Line by Line Meaning

I can see a darker side,
I notice that there is a gloomy side to your personality.

I can see it in your eyes,
I can perceive that gloomy side through the expression in your eyes.

Maybe things have happened in your life,
It's possible that you've experienced some challenging situations in your life.

And maybe that's the reason why,
Perhaps that is the reason behind your gloomy personality.

You're playing for a one-man side,
You're living a solitary life, disconnected from the rest of the world.

It's alright when you're winning though,
It feels okay to be alone when everything is going in your favour.

But, when you lose, you lose alone.
However, when you lose in life, you feel that pain all by yourself.

What will you do when the money goes?,
When you run out of wealth, how will you cope?

Would you ever want to know my name?,
Do you genuinely have interest in knowing me as a person?

If we hadn't met this way,
If our paths had crossed differently,

Do you seriously think I believe you,
I have doubts if your intentions are genuine.

When you say, you're looking out for everyone,
You claim to be considerate about everyone's interests.

But that can't be much fun,
How satisfying is it to always pretend to care about others and not yourself?

Considering you never have before,
I have never seen you display concern for anyone apart from yourself.

So now your intentions must come into question.
Therefore, I have doubts about the sincerity of your motives.

When our house disappears (What will you do when the money goes?),
If we end up losing everything we own, how will you react?

And nothing left but souvenirs, (What will you do when the money goes?),
If we are left only with memories, how would you respond?

Will that be the moment when you realise?,
Would that be the wake-up call for you to realize?

That you, had better change your ways.
That it’s high time for you to change your lifestyle.

You lose alone.
When you lose in life, you bear that pain by yourself.

You lose alone!
It's just you that experiences the downfall.

You lose alone!
You face the consequences of losing all alone.

You lose alone!
It's only yourself that suffers the pain of defeat.

You lose alone!
You deal with the aftermath of failure by yourself.

You lose alone.
Being solitary is your fate when you lose in life.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOSEPH CARNALL, LOUIS IAN CARNALL, JOSEPH THOMAS GREEN, THOMAS LEE ROWLEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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