What’ll I Do?

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of a love that's irrevocably over. The initial lines establish a sense of finality, stating, "'Tis broken and cannot be mended." This isn't a temporary spat; it's a definitive end to something once considered "so divine." The narrator is left with the immediate, crushing reality of separation, acknowledging, "You must go your way and I must go mine." The core of the song lies in the narrator's overwhelming sense of helplessness and disorientation. The repeated, almost desperate question, "What'll I do?" underscores a profound inability to cope with the absence of their former lover. This isn't just about missing someone; it's about facing a future stripped of its most cherished dreams and illusions. The most potent imagery centers on the tangible remnants of the relationship. The idea of having "just a photograph / To tell my troubles to" is a poignant, almost absurd, image of loneliness. It highlights the void left by the departed lover, where even inanimate objects become the sole confidantes for unresolvable pain. The contrast between the cherished memory represented by the photo and the harsh reality of "dreams of you / That won't come true" amplifies the heartbreak. This lyrical construction effectively conveys the raw, disorienting grief of a broken heart. The simple, repetitive questioning and the stark imagery of isolation make the narrator's despair palpable. It’s the feeling of being utterly adrift, with the past a painful memory and the future an unbearable emptiness.