There Are Worse Things I Could Do
Soundtrack Lyrics
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Than go with a boy or two
Even though the neighborhood
Thinks I'm trashy and no good
I suppose it could be true
But there are worse things I could do
I could flirt with all the guys
Press against them when we dance
Make them think they stand a chance
Then refuse to see it through
That's a thing I'd never do
I could stay home every night
Wait around for Mr.Right
Take cold showers every day
And throw my life away
On a dream that won't come true
I could hurt someone like me
Out of spite or jealousy
I don't steal and I don't lie
But I can feel and I can cry
A fact I'll bet you never knew
But to cry in front of you
That's the worst thing I could do-oo
The lyrics to Soundtrack’s song “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” tell the story of a woman who is being judged by her community for her behavior with men. Despite this, she argues that there are worse things she could do than going out with a boy or two. She then lists three things that she could do that would be worse than her current behavior. First, she could flirt with all the guys and lead them on, but never see it through. This would be deceitful and lead to hurt feelings. Second, she could wait around for Mr. Right to come along, but this would be a waste of her life. Finally, she could hurt someone else because of her own negative emotions, but she doesn’t do that either. The worst thing she admits to doing is crying in front of others, but even that is not so bad.
Overall, the lyrics convey the idea that the woman in question is being unfairly judged by her community. She argues that there are many ways in which she could be worse, and her behavior should not be so harshly criticized. At the same time, she is confident in the choices she has made and doesn’t feel the need to change for others.
Line by Line Meaning
There are worse things I could do
I have made some questionable choices, but I could have done far worse things.
Than go with a boy or two
Going out with a few guys isn't such a big deal.
Even though the neighborhood
Despite what the neighbors may say,
Thinks I'm trashy and no good
their opinion of me is negative and perhaps unfairly harsh.
I suppose it could be true
I acknowledge that their assessment may have some merit,
But there are worse things I could do
even if that were true, there are still worse ways I could behave.
I could flirt with all the guys
I could lead men on by flirting with them excessively.
Smile at them and bat my eyes
I could use coy tactics to manipulate their feelings.
Press against them when we dance
I could give the impression of intimacy when dancing with them.
Make them think they stand a chance
I could give them false hope of a relationship.
Then refuse to see it through
I could then reject them and break their hearts.
That's a thing I'd never do
However, that kind of behavior goes against my standards.
I could stay home every night
I could forego dating entirely and isolate myself socially.
Wait around for Mr. Right
I could hold out for the perfect person to come along.
Take cold showers every day
I could deny myself pleasure and indulgence.
And throw my life away
I could waste my life pursuing an unrealistic fantasy.
On a dream that won't come true
A dream that is unlikely to materialize or that may not even be worthwhile.
I could hurt someone like me
I could lash out against someone who shares my qualities or background.
Out of spite or jealousy
Out of resentment or envy.
I don't steal and I don't lie
I am not a thief or a liar.
But I can feel and I can cry
But I am capable of experiencing emotions and expressing them.
A fact I'll bet you never knew
This may surprise you, but it's true.
But to cry in front of you
However, showing my vulnerability to you would be the worst thing I could do.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JACOBS, JIM / CASEY, WARREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind