Wantin' Ain't Gettin'
The Association Lyrics

The Association's "Wantin' Ain't Gettin'" is a song that explores the idea that desire does not always lead to fulfillment. The lyrics are presented through a series of surrealistic images that give the listener a sense of confusion and disorientation. The main idea of the song is that no matter how much we may want something, it does not necessarily mean that we will get it. The song's repetitive structure also underscores the idea that wantin' and gettin' are two very different things.

The song's opening lines, "A glad hog doggin' a bone / Knuckle bone and a head of stone," present a strange and surreal image that sets the tone for the entire song. The following lines continue this trend, presenting a variety of disparate and seemingly unrelated images that all convey a sense of desire and the difficulty of achieving what we want. Such images include a two-dollar cop, a runaway mule, a TV screen and a bullfrog croak. The song contrasts these desires with the refrain, "wantin' ain't getting and getting ain't got," emphasizing that getting what we want is often an elusive pursuit.

The song suggests that the world is full of desire, but also full of things that block us from fulfilling those desires. The various images and phrases in the song are like a catalog of the frustrations and disappointments that we all face in our search for happiness and fulfillment. Ultimately, the song seems to be a meditation on the futility of desire and on the fundamental human need to strive for something beyond our reach.