What?

Song Meaning

The lyrics to "What?" plunge us into a state of profound disorientation. The speaker grapples with an overwhelming presence, repeatedly asking "What do I want...?" This isn't just a question; it's a surrender. A powerful, consuming love has utterly reshaped their sense of self. The core tension here lies in the speaker's identity dissolving into another. Each stanza frames a new aspect of this absorption: being "blinded by your light," losing breath, becoming "wed to you." Yet, there's a paradox. Even as the self seems to vanish, the speaker actively chooses this surrender, questioning if they should try to "see through it" or simply embrace the blindness. This isn't a passive victimhood; it's an active, albeit bewildered, embrace of transformation. The most striking craft element is the visceral imagery of consumption and absorption. The beloved has "eaten me, my bride" and their "love swells and pounds me," suggesting a physical, almost elemental force. This isn't gentle affection; it's a powerful, all-encompassing experience that leaves the speaker feeling "Invisible, inside / Dumb and blind." The language blurs the lines between lover and predator, creating a potent sense of being utterly taken over, yet willingly so, as the speaker offers, "Just let me feed you." These lyrics resonate because they articulate the terrifying yet exhilarating loss of self that can accompany intense connection. The constant questioning, followed by declarations of knowing nothing, captures the disorientation of profound change. The final, almost absurd image of "Newborn babies" provides a jarring, yet ultimately hopeful, twist. It suggests that from this complete dissolution and blindness, a new, perhaps simpler or more authentic, self emerges, celebrating its own raw existence.