☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a superficial relationship without meaning or depth.
- The singer risks his life and his money to stay in this relationship.
- The other person considers the singer as nothing and is not really interested in him.
- The singer realizes that the relationship has no connection and plans to leave tomorrow.
- The relationship is portrayed as superficial and meaningless.
Interpretation
The lyrics of the song "Take What You Want" by
John Mellencamp are about a relationship that has no meaning or depth. The singer describes how he risks his life and his money to stay in this relationship. However, he realizes that his name and dreams mean nothing and are not appreciated by the other person.
The person he is with does not care about him and considers him as nothing. They are not even interested in really getting to know him. They see him as just another one-night stand and treat him like a street prostitute.
The singer says he doesn't believe in things he can't see. To him, the relationship means nothing and he doesn't want the other person to take everything from him. He doesn't want them to stay all day as he has no connection with them.
He realizes it's pointless to lie or spend time with this person as the sexual attraction is over. He's not a big talker and doesn't expect the conversation to somehow connect them.
The lyrics end with the singer planning to leave tomorrow and that this superficial relationship will start again. He hopes the other person doesn't think it was a failure. To him, being a man means nothing.
Overall, the lyrics express the emptiness and shallowness of a relationship where one person just takes what they want without seeking a real connection or meaning.