The Rosebuds are an indie rock band from North Carolina. Its current member… Read Full Bio ↴The Rosebuds are an indie rock band from North Carolina. Its current members are Ivan Howard (vocals/guitar) and Kelly Crisp (vocals/keyboard).

Howard and Crisp met while in college in Wilmington, North Carolina. That fall, they moved to nearby Raleigh to form The Rosebuds. Merge Records discovered their demo in early 2003 and released Make Out as a full-length debut album that October.

The Rosebuds Unwind EP, an EP with six songs, was released in April 2005, followed by Birds Make Good Neighbors in September. Night of the Furies was released in April 2007 and "Life Like" in October 2008.

The Rosebuds will release their next album in the summer of 2011 on Merge Records.

What Can I Do
The Rosebuds Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All my friends
Through times and through the very end
Of all were fightin'
I guess my baby, she's so exciting
Oh yeah
And all my friends
They call here, they come again
With all the trouble

I guess my baby, she's on the double
Oh yeah
But at night I tell her
And she turns around over you
Tell me, what can I do?

Oh yeah
So where are you?
Two times you told me what to do
But all were crying
I guess my baby, she's so defying

Oh yeah
And all my friends
They call here, they come again
With all the trouble
I guess my baby, she's on the double
Oh yeah
But at night I tell her

And she turns around over you
Tell me what can I do?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Rosebuds' song What Can I Do seems to be a mixture of confusion and admiration towards the singer's significant other. The opening lines, "All my friends, Through times and through the very end, Of all we're fightin', I guess my baby, she's so exciting," suggests that the friends are a part of some kind of quarrel, but the singer's partner is the one who stands out as exciting. The next few lines allude to the fact that the singer's friends seek comfort and solace in him/her but are surprised by the speed at which the partner resolves their issues "But at night I tell her, and she turns around over you, Tell me, what can I do?".

The chorus lines "Tell me what can I do?" indicate that the singer is asking for advice, either from the significant other or from friends, but feels helpless in a somewhat tumultuous situation. The second verse begins to outline that the significant other is rebellious and not easily swayed by the opinions of others, "Two times you told me what to do, but all were crying, I guess my baby, she's so defying". The overall interpretation of the song seems to suggest that the singer is caught between loyalty to friends and admiration for a partner who comes with their own set of complications.

Line by Line Meaning

All my friends
The people I am closest to

Through times and through the very end
Through all experiences, good and bad, until the end of time

Of all were fightin'
Of all the conflicts and disagreements we have encountered

I guess my baby, she's so exciting
My romantic partner is very alluring and intriguing

And all my friends
The people I am closest to

They call here, they come again
They reach out to me and come back into my life

With all the trouble
Despite all the problems and difficulties

I guess my baby, she's on the double
My romantic partner is quick to act and solve issues

But at night I tell her
However, I confide in my partner during the nighttime

And she turns around over you
She shows concern and empathy for my situation involving someone else

Tell me, what can I do?
Asking for advice and guidance on how to handle the situation