Know something about this song or lyrics?
Add it to our wiki.
If you could blow up the world with the flick of a switch
Would you do it?
If you could make everybody poor just so you could be rich
Would you do it?
If you could watch everybody work while you just lay on your back
Would you do it?
If you could take all the love without giving any back
Would you do it?
And so we cannot know ourselves or what we'd really do...
With all your power
With all your power
With all your power
What would you do?
If you could make your own money and then give it to everybody
Would you do it?
If you knew all the answers and could give it to the masses
Would you do it?
No No No No No No Are you crazy?
It's a very dangerous thing to do exactly what you want...
Because you cannot know yourself or what you'd really do...
With all your power
With all your power
With all your power
What would you do?
Would you do it?
If you could make everybody poor just so you could be rich
Would you do it?
If you could watch everybody work while you just lay on your back
Would you do it?
If you could take all the love without giving any back
Would you do it?
And so we cannot know ourselves or what we'd really do...
With all your power
With all your power
With all your power
What would you do?
If you could make your own money and then give it to everybody
Would you do it?
If you knew all the answers and could give it to the masses
Would you do it?
No No No No No No Are you crazy?
It's a very dangerous thing to do exactly what you want...
Because you cannot know yourself or what you'd really do...
With all your power
With all your power
With all your power
What would you do?
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!
The chorus of "what you really do with all your power" is asking what you really do with all your power
and the answer can be negative or it can be positive. Hell yeah.
it's amazing to listen to when your blown as fuck
Would you do it?
im not sure but this song sometimes makes me think about the law suit that wouldve occurred not long before this song was written where cat stevens sued the flaming lips for plagurism because fight test sounds somewhat similar to father and son
cat stevens didnt really need the money and fight test obviously wasnt intentional plaguirism and most people wouldn't have bothered
but he has all this fame and power and he decided to take someone elses money so that he could have more money him
im not saying the song is about him, but about that sort of thinking in general
cat stevens is just one very small example
People go through life wishing for things they don't have, effectively power over their frustrations. BUT - the song points out that all things have ramifications. If you have all the burgers you want, you'll have fat guys chasing you around. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Stop wanting and work with what you have. Even if you think you'd do good things with all that power (second verse), it would still destroy you in the end. Your power is the power to be who you are. Settle down and figure out what that is.
Flaming Lips are giving birth to the 21st Century. Listen up.
Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.