What Can I Do
Uriah Heep Lyrics


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I wish you'd stop and
Give a helping hand
For I guess I'm only half a man
I feel the only way for me to leave
Is just to give you
Everything I can give

'Cause without you, without you
What can I do

I will give you all the love I have
Just to know you stop me
Being so sad
I hope you won't think
So badly of me
'Cause I had to tell you
This could break myself in

Being helpless is a habit of mine
No one else can understand
You are the one to
Help me to survive
If you're any friend of mine

Yesterday you gave a helping hand
To some one you'll
Never understand
Though I tried to tell you of this way
You said I had nothing
Constructive to say





But without you, without you
What can I do...

Overall Meaning

The song What Can I Do by Uriah Heep is about someone who is feeling helpless and incomplete without their significant other. The lyrics talk about wishing their partner would offer a helping hand and how they feel like they are only "half a man". The singer believes that the only way for them to leave their partner is to give them everything they have to offer. The chorus emphasizes the fact that without their partner, they feel lost and hopeless.


In the second verse, the singer talks about how they are willing to give all the love they have to offer to their partner to make them happy and stop feeling sad. However, they worry that telling their partner about their feelings may cause them to think badly of them. The bridge emphasizes their feeling of helplessness and how their partner is the only one that can understand them and help them survive.


The last verse talks about how their partner helped someone yesterday, but when the singer tried to tell them about their situation, they were dismissed. The song ends by repeating the chorus, emphasizing how lost and incomplete the singer feels without their partner.


Line by Line Meaning

I wish you'd stop and
I hope you would pause and


Give a helping hand
Offer me some support


For I guess I'm only half a man
I feel incomplete and powerless


I feel the only way for me to leave
I believe that the only escape for me


Is just to give you
Is to give everything I can to you


Everything I can give
All I have to offer


'Cause without you, without you
Because in your absence


What can I do
I feel helpless and lost


I will give you all the love I have
I will show you all the affection within me


Just to know you stop me
To stop me from feeling so low


Being so sad
To cease the sorrow within me


I hope you won't think
I desire that you won't perceive


So badly of me
Poorly of me


'Cause I had to tell you
Because I must confess to you


This could break myself in
This can cause me significant emotional harm


Being helpless is a habit of mine
I am accustomed to feeling inadequate


No one else can understand
No one else is capable of comprehending


You are the one to
You are the person who


Help me to survive
Assist me to endure


If you're any friend of mine
If you consider yourself my friend


Yesterday you gave a helping hand
You aided someone in need yesterday


To some one you'll
To someone you will


Never understand
Never comprehend their circumstances


Though I tried to tell you of this way
Even though I attempted to explain my situation to you


You said I had nothing
You suggested I had nothing to offer


Constructive to say
That would contribute positively to the conversation


But without you, without you
However, in your absence


What can I do...
I am uncertain of how to proceed




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BYRON, LEE KERSLAKE, MICHAEL BOX

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@nikakalichava7741

Wow this is great man thak you so much 👏👏

@aleksandrebibilashvili8727

you're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the music.

@Marctull66

It was a B-side actually. That we find on the expanded remaster. Not essential but interesting.

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