Walk away when you're angry
Brace yourself, there's nothing to gain
Old enough to know the outcome
More blood, it's always the same

Aren't we cool and aren't we calm
For facing death we run head-on
Aren't we cool and aren't we calm
For god we've suffered for so long

Do what they say
Or they take it away
I'd rather be dead then carry on

(wait) Bite your lip, don't be cursing
(we must) We musn't take God's name in vain
(in vain) Blunt your knife, pull the curtain
(impulse) Impulses you must refrain

Aren't we cool and aren't we calm
For facing death we run head-on
Aren't we cool and aren't we calm
For god we've suffered for so long

Do what they say
Or they take it away
I'd rather be dead then carry on

Somebody carry on with this burden
I can't remember anything
I can't be certain

Aren't we cool and aren't we calm
For facing death we run head-on

Do what they say
Or they take it away
I'd rather be dead then carry on


Lyrics submitted by OutlawAdidas

Do What They Say song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

17 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    When I listened to this song, I couldn't help but think of the religious right (or rite?) Don't get me wrong, I believe in god, but they have to get involved in everything damn thing!

    Metallicopon July 31, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Best song of the album. The new KoRn is rather good. Didn't expect to be any good at all after "See You On The Other Side". That really sucked... Well, is the best album since Tool's "10.000 days"

    NightWalkers-Itachion August 11, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think it's about how people try to force you to believe what they believe, relegious beliefs..

    harsh realmon August 12, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think its about following religon blindly or you'll go to hell...my opinion i could be wrong

    kornfan881on November 13, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    def their best song

    ded0liftedon August 15, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think it about death

    tommrickon August 17, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I Think its about the war going on.

    "Aren't we cool and aren't we calm?" "For facing death we've earned it all."

    Bush is sending in more troops like its nothing while every body else is either bringing people home or not sending any new troops. More troops there = more deaths.

    "Aren't we cool and aren't we calm? For God we've suffered for so long."

    Bush has been imposing new "reasons" as to why we must stay there, the only valid and proven reason he has so far is a new shakey government... but are'nt all new govs. shakey? besides that the dictatorship was demolish quite a while ago.

    Either way, Thank you Troops =)

    Pieroeon August 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love the industrial sounds in this song. Really atmospheric and creepy.

    gothic_hobbiton September 06, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It's hard to make out what he says in the prechorus but I think it goes like this. "Aren't we cool and aren't we calm for facing death we wont be long" (honestly I'm not sure about the 'wont be long' part) "Aren't we cool and aren't we calm forgot this Earth inforce the law"

    The meaning of the song is about Life or Death situations. Like being stuck up and robbed or getting into a fight.

    1st verse is saying If someone talks shit to you, just let it go and walk away, fighting isn't gonna solve shit but make it worse and you know what's gonna happen when it gets that far, blood is gonna be shed and possibility someone will die.

    Referring to my version of the prechorus "Aren't we cool and aren't we calm for facing death we wont be long" "Aren't we cool and aren't we calm forgot this Earth inforce the law"

    Being in a life or death situation, it'll be wise to play everything cool and be calm and this will be over soon no matter the outcome. "Forgot this Earth inforce the law" Killing someone is against the law and the criminal will get caught (yea I know its a 50% chance of the criminal being caught but still)

    Being stuck up and robbed, do what they say or they'll take your life away. Jon in this matter rather try to be a hero and fail than being robbed. Or he just rather die anyway.

    2nd verse is basically what I already explain, shut up, just let it go and refrain yourself the urge to kill someone.

    WeaponTheoryon September 27, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    my favorite song on the album, very powerful

    darksidegurl_01on October 01, 2007   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Blue
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.