What Do You Wanna Be

Song Meaning

The lyrics present a stark, almost childlike, questioning of identity and desire. The narrator repeatedly asks "What do u wanna be," "What do u wanna feel," and "What do u wanna see," but the responses are a consistent "I don't know" or "I can't tell you." This establishes an immediate sense of uncertainty and a lack of self-definition, setting a tone of hesitant introspection. The simple, direct questions and evasive answers create a feeling of being adrift, unable to articulate core aspects of oneself. The central tension arises from this inability to define oneself, contrasted with a persistent urge to move towards a familiar, perhaps comforting, place: "Just take me down to the watering hole." This suggests a desire for escape or a return to a primal, unthinking state when faced with the overwhelming task of self-discovery. The repetition of the questions and the vague answers underscores the difficulty of articulating one's inner landscape, pushing the narrator towards a more instinctual, less cognitive, destination. The most striking craft element is the stark, almost mantra-like repetition of "Ok, ok, ok, ok, o-k." This could represent a forced acceptance, a resigned agreement to the lack of answers, or a way to fill the silence left by the unanswerable questions. It functions as a sonic placeholder, a way to acknowledge the situation without truly resolving it. The phrase "tiptoe back to the place that i know so" further emphasizes a cautious, almost fearful approach to returning to this familiar space, suggesting it might be a place of comfort but also one that requires careful navigation. Ultimately, these lyrics resonate because they capture a universal feeling of being overwhelmed by the pressure to define oneself. The simple, direct language and the cyclical structure mirror the frustrating loop of introspection without resolution. The shift from abstract questions about being, feeling, and seeing to the concrete, almost primal, image of the "watering hole" provides a powerful emotional release, suggesting that sometimes the answer isn't in knowing, but in simply going where you feel you feel you belong, or perhaps just instinctually, belong.