Satisfied
various artists Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

We work our bodies weary to stay alive
There must be more to living than nine to five
Why should we wait for some better time?
There may not even be a tomorrow
Ain′t no sense in losing your mind
I'm gonna make it worth the ride
Don′t you know?
I won't give up until I'm satisfied
Don′t you know?
Why should I stop until I′m satisfied? ...
Ignore the hesitation, that ties your hands
Use your imagination, and take a chance
I won't let my moment of truth pass me by
I′ve gotta make my move now or never
And if they turn me loose on this town
They're gonna have to hold me down
Don′t you know?
I won't give up until I′m satisfied
Don't you know?
Why should I stop until I'm satisfied? ...
Don′t you know?
Ain′t gonna stop until we're satisfied
Don′t you know?
We shouldn't stop until we′re satisfied
Don't you know?
Ain′t gonna stop until I'm satisfied
Don't you know?




We won′t give up until we′re satisfied ...
Why should I stop until I'm satisfied?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Satisfied" address the desire for more than just mundane existence, for more than just working to stay alive. The opening lines express the sentiment that there must be more to life than the typical nine to five grind. The chorus emphasizes the determination to not give up until satisfaction is reached. The singer is unwilling to wait for a "better time" because there might not be a tomorrow. By ignoring the hesitation that ties their hands and using their imagination to take a chance, the singer intends to make their move now or never. They won't allow their moment of truth to pass them by.


The song is a call to action for the listener to also strive for satisfaction and not settle for less than what they want or deserve. It's about seizing the moment and going after what one desires. This message can be applied to different areas of life, whether it's pursuing a dream career or a fulfilling relationship, or even just finding happiness in everyday life.


Various artists have interpreted these lyrics in their own ways, adding their unique styles and twists to the song. For example, Taylor Dayne's version is an upbeat pop/rock song, while Tom Waits' version has a bluesy feel with his signature raspy vocals. Other artists who have covered "Satisfied" include Rita Coolidge, Prince, and Richard Marx.


Line by Line Meaning

We work our bodies weary to stay alive
We exhaust ourselves to survive


There must be more to living than nine to five
Life should be more than just work


Why should we wait for some better time?
Why put off living for the future?


There may not even be a tomorrow
The future is uncertain


Ain′t no sense in losing your mind
There's no point in stressing out


I'm gonna make it worth the ride
I'll make my life meaningful


Don′t you know?
Haven't you realized?


I won't give up until I'm satisfied
I won't settle until I'm content


Why should I stop until I′m satisfied? ...
What's the point in stopping before I'm fulfilled?


Ignore the hesitation, that ties your hands
Don't let fear hold you back


Use your imagination, and take a chance
Be creative and take risks


I won't let my moment of truth pass me by
I won't miss my opportunity


I′ve gotta make my move now or never
I need to act now or possibly lose my chance


And if they turn me loose on this town
If given the chance to succeed


They're gonna have to hold me down
They'll have to physically stop me


Ain′t gonna stop until we're satisfied
We won't quit until we're content


We shouldn't stop until we′re satisfied
We should continue until we're happy


Ain′t gonna stop until I'm satisfied
I won't abandon my journey to happiness


We won′t give up until we′re satisfied ...
We won't quit until we're content


Why should I stop until I'm satisfied?
Why give up before reaching contentment?




Writer(s): Prince Rogers Nelson

Contributed by Noah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@Zephirite.

I heard once that an artist is never satisfied, because we’re comparing our creation to the overwhelming, awe-inspiring we see in our heads.

But other people are impressed because they don’t have that fantasy to compare it to. To them, it looks like we made something out of nothing.

And we did. We collected bits of the art and world that inspires us, and channeled into something that didn’t exist—because the idea of forgetting it was worse than not getting it right.

Remember; no one was born able to hold a pencil, or even what a pencil was. When you see someone good at drawing faces, or hands, or composing—all you know is that they’re good at that one thing.
As far as you know they could be less ‘happy’ than you, not have close friends. Because the time spent towards mastery didn’t come from nothing—every choice to stay inside and draw required taking that time from other hobbies and interests.

We are standing on a collection of the works of engineers who built our drawing tablets, papers that were pulped from trees, crushed pigments—processes that only exist because someone had an idea and cared less about it being prefect than about what they could do if it existed.

All ideas change the world, just slightly.
Your ideas could end up inspiring others, make them smile—or at least, let you rest a bit easier knowing one piece of yourself will survive, no matter what.

We’re all just so obsessed with giving credit to ONE that we forget you can translate the genealogy of every ‘genius’ to a dozen of their mentors, family, culture, and coworkers.

The only way to guarantee you don’t improve is to never try.



@JayArr96

This hit me like a truck. I couldn't help but swell into tears for a second. I've been working on a story since I was 18. Next year, it'll have been a decade. Yet, I've only just decided it's not good enough. It's not even the kind of story I want to make. It lacks the depth I require to feel moved at this stage of my life.

I'll be honest, I suppose I'm only an "artist" in ambition. My biggest "works" are a couple shitty drawings of some anime characters I like. People claim they're good, but I can never accept it. It feels more like they're patronizing me than complementing my art. Like it ISN'T good, but they pity me actually being bad at the thing I want to do with my life.

I want to create Manga. Originally I wanted to make a Shonen, but as I've grown, as I've jumped headfirst into the field of philosophy, I've decided Shonen isn't good enough. Berserk, Vinland, Vagabond, even S4 of AoT is Seinen, in my opinion. They attack mature themes. Themes of hopelessness, depression, failure, aimlessness, dissociation and detachment. All things I know intimately. I struggle with mental health, which makes me struggle in life, which makes me feel so inadequate to do any art, that it disgusts me just to look at a dumbass sketch I made.

I've frequently been told I'm too hard on myself, but sometimes I feel like I'm not hard enough. Like I need to push harder and go further. To hear words that not only encourage me that I'm not alone in feeling this way, they tell me that I might be onto something. That I might genuinely be making magic. I just want to make something that moves people and provokes thought, same as art has moved me. Fictional characters have taught me more about how to be a good human than any actual human ever has. I just hope that one day, I can touch a few hearts the same.

You've done that with this video. Thank you.



All comments from YouTube:

@DSLRguide

I made a new video about the shame & snobbery that surrounds making art: https://youtu.be/7MaMOGZw-0c

@henrykb.7808

Gonna watch this right after it.
Your video really inspired me.
Thank you so much for this!

@drgus8042

dont care

@henrykb.7808

@dr gus
You cared enough to leave a comment

@drgus8042

@Henryk B. didnt ask about your opinion

@henrykb.7808

@dr gus
Alright troll

9 More Replies...

@oikawaslusciouslashes8422

the problem with making art is that you know that art is a reflection of yourself. Art is the essence of who you are. So when you see your art, and decide it’s not good enough, it’s the same as knowing that YOU are not good enough.

@BlueSpadesArt

Perfectly said

@ruryumi

woah well spoken

@mutationa3944

But when you decide that your art isn’t good enough, then you’re the only one who decides. Can the artist judge themself and their art rightfully? When is something or someone not good enough? I think if you say to yourself; “my art isn’t good enough, and so am I”, you can better say “I think that I and my art isn’t good enough yet”

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