The song was met with universal acclaim upon its release, with many critics noting it as one of the album's highlights. Pitchfork Media listed "Y Control" as the 213th best song of the decade.
The music video for "Y Control", directed by Spike Jonze, was controversial for its images of children carrying the body of a dead dog, giving the middle finger, and a subtitled portrayal of child mutilation including the chopping of a boy's hand, and another boy disemboweling himself with a knife. MTV and MTV2 agreed to air the video; however, they included a disclaimer from Jonze at the beginning and blurred out some of the video's more offensive material. The unedited version is available on their "Tell Me What Rockers to Swallow" DVD.
Entertainment Weekly gave a negative review of the video, describing it as "a sort of fairy tale gone wrong," and calling it "amateurish." It was put into rotation on MTV and MTV2.
The song reached number 54 on the UK Singles chart. It was the least successful single from Fever to Tell.
Y Control
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Under the fog fog fog
And I will leave them all
Well I'm just a poor little baby
Cause well I believe them all
Oh so while your growing old
Under the gun gun gun
Well I'm just one poor baby
Cause well I believe them all
I wish I could buy back
The woman you stole
Why-control, why-control
You walk, walk, walk, walk, walk my winners
Out of control, out of control
You walk, walk, walk, walk, walk my winners
Out of control, high control
You walk, walk, walk, walk, walk my winners
Out of control, out of control
You walk, walk, walk, walk, walk my winners out
Oh so all my lovin' go's
Under the fog fog fog
And I believe them all
Well I'm just a poor little baby
Cause well I believe them all
The lyrics to Yeah Yeah Yeah's Y Control are cryptic yet emotional. They seem to be about a person who feels helpless in their relationship and is dealing with the fallout of their partner's actions. The first verse talks about how all their love seems to disappear into the fog and how they will have to leave everything behind. The lines "Well I'm just a poor little baby, Cause well I believe them all" reflects the singer’s feeling of being naive and vulnerable, as if they are a child in this situation. They are trying to make sense of what’s happening around them and are struggling to comprehend the actions of those around them.
The second verse has similar themes of powerlessness and disillusionment. The singer feels like they are aging too fast, under the constant pressure and scrutiny of their partner. The lines "I wish I could buy back, The woman you stole" are particularly revealing about the nature of their relationship. It seems like someone has taken away their partner, and they are left feeling helpless and alone.
The chorus brings it all together, expressing the frustration and anger that comes along with feeling out of control. The repetition of "why control" emphasizes the singer's confusion and bewilderment at the situation they find themselves in. The last lines of the chorus "you walk my winners out of control" seem to suggest that someone else is controlling their life, making choices for them, and forcing them onto a path they don't want to follow. Overall, Y Control is a powerful song about being lost, alone, and out of control in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh so all my lovin' go's
My love and affection are misplaced and ignored.
Under the fog fog fog
Amidst confusion and uncertainty.
And I will leave them all
I will abandon these feelings.
Well I'm just a poor little baby
I am vulnerable and weak.
Cause well I believe them all
I trust too easily and am easily deceived.
Oh so while your growing old
As time passes and you age.
Under the gun gun gun
Feeling pressured and stressed.
And I believe them all
I am gullible and easily persuaded.
Well I'm just one poor baby
I am helpless and dependent.
Cause well I believe them all
I am easily fooled and misguided.
I wish I could buy back
I deeply regret losing.
The woman you stole
The woman you took away from me.
Why-control, why-control
Questioning the motives behind controlling behavior.
You walk, walk, walk, walk, walk my winners
You dominate and control my successes.
Out of control, out of control
Losing all sense of balance and reason.
You walk, walk, walk, walk, walk my winners
You continue to exert your influence over me and my achievements.
Out of control, high control
Uncontrollable dominance and power.
You walk, walk, walk, walk, walk my winners
You maintain your hold over what I have accomplished.
Out of control, out of control
Unable to be restrained or limited.
You walk, walk, walk, walk, walk my winners out
You take away what I have achieved and worked for.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Written by: BRIAN CHASE, KAREN LEE ORZOLEK, NICHOLAS JOSEPH ZINNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tudormiller887
Love this band. Probably one of the most underrated bands of the last 20 years. Karen O is a goddess.
@jasonrosas1295
She is ! ❤
@user-bb7po2rv6f
This was really their only great album. The rest were subpar.
@imsgoalie1
Its blitz, particularly the deluxe edition was spectacular. The latest is also pretty good.
@user-kd5zo1px9j
@@user-bb7po2rv6f🙄
@nonesuchone
no one’s cooler than Karen O so, maybe
@cindymanzanarez1250
“I wish I could buy back,the woman you stole” that line hits deep.
@QueenMarieAntoinette-tp1wx
I agree
@arieltraasdahl-xh6ri
No.
@sineadsteverson8728
It really does.