What Do You Know?
Ste McCabe Lyrics


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On Fridays we go dancing
To a tacky bar where we get filmed
I break both my legs for now
I walk around in plaster just for some attention

But what the fuck would you know?
Beyond the truth that they don't show
I've seen your eyes and they sure know
Their way to the end of your nose
And here we go....

I bang my head against a wall so
I gain a pretty bruise
Then I can complain to you
I read it in a liberal publication
Where the death of our friends never gets a mention

So what the fuck would you know?
Beyond the truth that they don't show
I've seen your eyes and they sure know
Their way to the end of your nose
And here we go....again...

It doesn't matter at all
One paragraph in the Liverpool Echo




You'll read it nowhere else at all
So what the fuck do you know?

Overall Meaning

In Ste McCabe's song "What Do You Know?", the singer is expressing frustration and anger towards those who claim to understand his experiences and struggles but are actually ignorant and dismissive. The lyrics suggest that the singer engages in self-destructive behavior, such as dancing despite having broken legs and purposefully hurting himself in order to gain attention. These behaviors are motivated by a desire to be seen and understood, but the singer feels that those around him are unable or unwilling to empathize.


The song also touches on themes of media bias and erasure of marginalized voices. The singer mentions reading a "liberal publication" where the deaths of their friends never receive attention. This could be interpreted as a critique of mainstream media outlets that largely ignore the experiences and struggles of marginalized communities, instead prioritizing sensationalist stories and reinforcing dominant narratives.


Overall, "What Do You Know?" is a powerful and incisive critique of the ways in which society fails to understand and support those who are struggling. The song highlights the importance of empathy and genuine understanding, urging listeners to examine their own biases and strive to see the world from others' perspectives.


Line by Line Meaning

On Fridays we go dancing
We regularly go dancing on Fridays


To a tacky bar where we get filmed
We go to a cheap bar where we are filmed


I break both my legs for now
I've broken both my legs temporarily


I walk around in plaster just for some attention
I wear a plaster cast for attention


But what the fuck would you know?
You don't know anything


Beyond the truth that they don't show
There's more to the story than what's being told


I've seen your eyes and they sure know
I can tell from your eyes that you realize


Their way to the end of your nose
That you're willfully ignorant


And here we go....
I'm about to make my point


I bang my head against a wall so
I intentionally hurt myself to get sympathy


I gain a pretty bruise
I have visible wounds as a result


Then I can complain to you
So I can get your sympathy


I read it in a liberal publication
I read something in a left-leaning news source


Where the death of our friends never gets a mention
Where our friends' deaths are ignored


It doesn't matter at all
It's of no importance


One paragraph in the Liverpool Echo
One short article in a newspaper


You'll read it nowhere else at all
It won't be covered by other sources


So what the fuck do you know?
You're ignorant




Contributed by Oliver T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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