Want and Able
Navigating Desire and Constraint: Want and Able by Jack White
Lyrics
Who is the who, telling who what to do?
Questioning authority figures and those dictating actions.
Who is the who, telling who what to do?
Repetition of the query about the identity of those giving instructions.
Who is the who, telling who what to do?
Continued inquiry into the source of directives.
Tell me who, tell me who, tell me who
Expressing the need for information about who is in control.
Well, Want and Able were crossing the road
Introduction of characters "Want" and "Able" facing a situation.
Want had a feeling there was something he was owed
Want feeling entitled, expecting something owed to him.
But Able broke it to him that there's a social code
Able conveying societal norms and rules to Want.
So walk straight down the middle now and do what we're told
Encouragement to conform to social expectations and directives.
Walk straight down the middle now and do what we're told
Reiteration of the instruction to follow societal norms.
Who is the who, telling who what to do?
Repeating the question about those in authority.
Who is the who, telling who what to do?
Continued curiosity about the identity of those giving orders.
Who is the who, telling who what to do?
Reiteration of the question regarding authority figures.
Tell me who, tell me who, tell me who
Requesting information about who is dictating actions.
Want said that didn't feel so good
Want expressing dissatisfaction with unfulfilled desires.
To never be fulfilled
Highlighting the perpetual state of unfulfillment.
Forever stressed out and impatient
Describing a feeling of stress and impatience.
Always saying "just over the next hill"
Expressing a constant pursuit of unattained goals.
Always saying "just over the next hill"
Repetition emphasizing the ongoing quest for fulfillment.
Who is the who, telling who what to do?
Repeating the inquiry into the identity of those in control.
Being able is to freedom what wanting is to cruel
Comparing being able to freedom and wanting to cruelty.
It's hard to tell it seems, which one of them's the fool
Uncertainty about which, freedom or desire, is foolish.
Is freedom a gift, that we only give to the ones that say "I love you"?
Questioning whether freedom is conditional on love.
Who is the who, telling who what to do?
Reiteration of the question about authority and control.
Who is the who, telling who what to do?
Continued curiosity about those guiding actions.
Who is the who, telling who what to do?
Repetition of the query regarding those in authority.
Tell me who, tell me who, tell me who
Expressing the need for information about the source of commands.
Now, Want and Able are two different things
Highlighting the distinction between Want and Able.
One is desire, and the other is the means
Defining Want as desire and Able as the means.
Like I wanna hold you, and see you, and feel you in my dreams
Expressing a longing for something impossible to attain.
But that's not possible, something simply will not let me
Acknowledging the impossibility of achieving certain dreams.
Comment