Dudley
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Lyrics

The song "Dudley" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs is a reflection on the vicissitudes of life and love, with a focus on the ever-shifting balance of power between individuals. The first verse describes the intensity of life's experiences, particularly the ups and downs of emotions. The lyrics express a sense of exhaustion ("Hot cold season gonna sink in my sweat...no one isn't ever gonna make it there yet"), but also a realization that others can and will take what is ours if we are not strong enough to hold on ("If you can't even cope with it / Then you'll pass me by / You'll take it over / And make it mine").

The second verse builds on this same theme, emphasizing the ways in which our own flaws and limitations can hold back our progress in life ("Fast slow living is a holding me back / Wishing that my baby never told me that / I can't even cope to make it last"). The repetition of the phrase "Then you want it a want it a want it again" speaks to the cyclical nature of desires and ambitions, and the way in which we are often driven to pursue the same things over and over again.

The chorus deepens the emotional complexity of the song. In the first half of the chorus, Karen O addresses someone she cares about ("My dear, you've been used / I'm breaking the news"). She expresses a sense of mutual understanding with this person, remarking "I'm thinking like you / I'm thinking of you / Love follows near us / Can love really steer us?". However, in the second half of the chorus she turns back to her own struggles, questioning whether she is capable of making a change ("Lost all reason after playing your game / Better quit staring cause your looking the same / I can't even cope to make a change"), and ending on a melancholy note.

Overall, the lyrics of "Dudley" are poetic and introspective, evoking a range of emotions and struggles that many listeners will find relatable.