Anatomy of a Song - I Don't Really Wanna Care No More

Here's the first in a series where I break down what some of these songs are all about. First is the song, then the lyrics, and then the story of what's all about.

Lyrics

I don’t really wanna care no more

Black and blue you know I feel so sore

But I’m not a broken man

Feel some love and then I want some more

I begin to see the light

That I may never get it right

I try tonight.

Tread too lightly and you lose the floor

Agitated and you lose the Lord

Are we really going where?

I can’t relax until you lock the door

I begin to see the light

That I may never get it right

I try tonight.

What it's About

I wrote the first verse touching on the melodrama that is a lot of rock music, even some of the greats like Nirvana, Radiohead, the National >> I’m beat up, and I don’t want to care. My favorite word word in the line is “really":

I don’t really wanna care no more.

It's not enough that I don't want to care, I really don't want to care. The rest of the verse just reinforces the theme. The vocal delivery gives a nod to Matt Berninger of The National. (For quick reference, the video to Sea of Love is to the right.)

The first two lines of the chorus nod at Lou Reed. In the Velvet Underground song, I’m Beginning to See the Light, Reed sings:

I’m beginning to see the light

Some people work really hard

But still they never get it right

(Track is to the left - so good)

In I Don't Really Wanna Care No More, I sing:

I begin to see the light

That I may never get it right

The second half of the this chorus gets away from the Velvet Underground reference and tells the story of this song: I try tonight. For delivery, I do my best Jarvis Cocker (of Pulp) impersonation on this line. This is the line where the passion is. A sample of Mr. Cockers' awesomeness is to the right.

The second verse is actually a paraphrase from the Tao Te Ching Chapter 26:

The heavy is the root of the light;

Tranquility is the lord of agitation.

Therefore the gentleman, in traveling all day, does not get far away from his luggage carts.

When he’s safely inside a walled-in protected hostel and resting at ease-only then does he transcend all concern.

How can the king of ten thousand chariots treat his own person more lightly than the whole land?!

If you regard things too lightly, then you lose the basic;

If you’re agitated, then you lose the ‘lord.’

My lyrics:

Tread too lightly and you lose the floor

Agitated and you lose the Lord

Are we really going where?

I can’t relax until you lock the door

The quotes are paraphrased except for “Agitated and you lose the lord.” That line happened to fit as is, but it’s also my favorite line of the piece, so I was happy I was able to use it directly.

This verse helps connect the dots between modern and universal, human malaise. It’s the same. It’s been the same forever. Maybe the Tao Te Ching is the light. Maybe not. I’m still trying to get there.