What’s a Boy to Do?

Song Meaning

This track opens with a raw, almost frantic confession of obsession, immediately setting a tone of internal chaos. The narrator declares a desire to impart a "lesson" to "little girls," a statement that feels both grandiose and deeply troubled, hinting at a complex, perhaps unhealthy, dynamic. The immediate pivot to "Dick deep in depression, social Armageddon" paints a picture of overwhelming despair, not just personal but societal. It’s a world collapsing, and the narrator feels trapped within it, desperately needing "space to get my shit together." The lyrics then escalate into apocalyptic imagery: "locusts and blood," "Rivers of corpses earthquakes and floods." This isn't just a bad day; it's a biblical-level catastrophe, mirroring the narrator's internal state. The line "I ain't no doctor but I play one on TV" suggests a performative aspect to their struggles, a facade of control or expertise that doesn't match reality. This is juxtaposed with a crude boast, "I ain't no boner but I think you'll get a load of me," which injects a jarring, almost desperate sexuality into the overwhelming dread. The core tension emerges in the repeated question, "what's a boy to do?" This refrain is triggered by feeling pushed, by an inability to stop trusting despite recognizing the other person's destructive nature. The narrator feels cornered, forced into actions they don't want to take, lamenting, "I didn't wanna do this but you're making me." The phrase "you're a real motherfucker" is a stark, visceral expression of this frustration and betrayal, underscoring the feeling of being trapped in a toxic cycle. The final verse introduces a sense of "isolated and it's great, sometimes I hate it," a classic push-and-pull of solitude. The arrival of someone "late" is a small victory, yet the "slate is everchanging," implying instability. The narrator sees themselves as an "empty hearted dead-eyed satellite," drifting through a vast, indifferent "galaxy." This powerful image captures a profound sense of detachment and loneliness, a soul adrift in the cosmic void, a stark contrast to the initial, intense obsession.