What You Pay For
The F.U.'S Lyrics
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The tinsel-strewn ruins of the old square mall
Past the shuttered bar
I see some throwing stars
Pegged to a corkboard wall
You'd probably want one of those
You might chuck it at me I suppose
But I know what you don't want for Christmas
It's me right
The record shop is run out
The arcade is gone now
It's mostly just dollar stores
And even they never restock
But there's still a kiosk
With cream to clean your pores
You probably need that my friend
I know I get under your skin
But I know what you don't want for Christmas
It's me right
It wasn't always this way
It used to be like a sweet holiday
But our love like this mall's a wasteland
Like the food court is just a pretzel stand
And I know
The greatest gift
That I could
Give to you
Would be if
I didn't exist
So maybe
I won't exist
I hope you
Like your gift
Do you like your gift
I know what you don't want for Christmas
It's me right
The F.U.'S's song "What You Pay For" talks about the decline of a mall and how it resembles the decline of a relationship. The singer wanders through the mall, observing the shops that have closed down and the few remaining ones that hardly restock their items. The record shop and arcade where the singer perhaps spent time in the past are now gone. The singer notes that even the dollar stores hardly restock their products. However, a kiosk with cream to clean your pores remains. The singer recognizes that the cream would be useful, just as they recognize that their presence would not be. The line, "But there's still a kiosk with cream to clean your pores. You probably need that my friend. I know I get under your skin" suggests that the singer's presence may be annoying to the other person, but the cream can help, symbolically suggesting that the other person can find someone else to "clean" their "pores" instead of the singer.
The lyrics also express the singer's realization that the way things are now, both in the mall and in their relationship, is far from what it used to be. The singer reflects on the fact that their love is like the wasteland that the mall has become. The food court, too, is just a pretzel stand - indicating that it has been reduced to something less desirable. The ultimate realization comes with the line, "The greatest gift that I could give to you would be if I didn't exist. So maybe I won't exist. I hope you like your gift." This suggests that the singer has come to terms with the fact that the other person does not want them in their life anymore and that the singer is willing to give them the gift of distance.
Line by Line Meaning
As I wandered on through it
I walked through the ruins of an old mall
The tinsel-strewn ruins of the old square mall
The old mall is decorated for the holidays, but it is abandoned
Past the shuttered bar
I walked past a closed bar
I see some throwing stars
I noticed some throwing stars on a corkboard wall
Pegged to a corkboard wall
The throwing stars were attached to a corkboard on the wall
You'd probably want one of those
You may want a throwing star like the one I saw
You might chuck it at me I suppose
You might throw the star at me
But I know what you don't want for Christmas
I know that you don't want me as a Christmas gift
It's me right
I am the gift you don't want
The record shop is run out
The record shop is out of business
The arcade is gone now
The arcade is no longer there
It's mostly just dollar stores
There are mostly cheap stores in the mall now
And even they never restock
The stores don't replenish their stock
But there's still a kiosk
There is a small stand in the mall
With cream to clean your pores
The kiosk sells cream to clean your skin
You probably need that my friend
You may need the cream from the kiosk
I know I get under your skin
I annoy you
It wasn't always this way
The mall used to be different
It used to be like a sweet holiday
The mall used to feel like a happy occasion
But our love like this mall's a wasteland
Our relationship is like the empty mall
Like the food court is just a pretzel stand
The food court is also empty
And I know
I understand
The greatest gift
The best gift
That I could
What I am capable of
Give to you
Present to you
Would be if
If only
I didn't exist
If I didn't exist, it would be the best gift I could give you.
So maybe
Perhaps
I won't exist
Maybe I'll cease to exist
I hope you
I wish you
Like your gift
Are happy with your present
Do you like your gift
Are you satisfied with your gift?
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Jim Gerdeman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind