Do It Anyway Lyrics
You might put your love and trust on the line
It's risky, people love to tear that down, let 'em try
Do it anyway
Risk it anyway
[Verse 2]
And if you're paralyzed by a voice in your head
It's the standing still that should be scaring you instead
Go on and do it anyway
Do it anyway
[Verse 3]
There'll be times you might leap before you look
There'll be times you'll like the cover and that's precisely why you'll love the book
Do it anyway
Do it anyway
[Pre-Chorus]
Tell me what I said I'd never do
Tell me what I said I'd never say
Read me off a list of the things
I used to not like, but now I think are okay
[Verse 4]
(Ah, ah ah, ah ah ah)
Sometimes it's not subjective wrong and right
(Ah, ah ah, ah ah ah)
Deep down you know it's downright wrong but you're invincible tonight
So you do it anyway
It's done, you did it
(Ah, ah ah, ah ah ah)
Despite your grand attempts the chips are set to fall
(Ah, ah ah, ah ah ah)
And all the stories you might weave cannot negotiate them all
Do it anyway
Be honest anyway
[Pre-Chorus]
(Ah ah ah)
So tell me what I said I'd never do
Tell me what I said I'd never say
(Ah ah ah)
Read me off a list of the things
I used to not like but now I think are o-
[Chorus]
Kay!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Woah woah woah woah
[Verse 6]
It's gonna be so very hard to say
And watch the trust and joy all drain from her innocent face
But you must do it anyway
It sucks but do it anyway
(Ah, ah)
Call it surrender but you know that that's a joke
(Ah, ah)
And the punchline is you were actually never in control, but still
Surrender anyway
[Pre-Chorus]
(Ah)
Tell me what you said you'd never do
(What you said you'd never)
Tell me what you said you'd never say
(Do, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Read me off that list of things 'cause I used to not like you
Now I think you're o-
[Chorus]
Kay!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Woah woah woah woah
Everybody knows that you just gotta do it anyway
[Outro]
Do it anyway, do it anyway
Do it anyway, do it anyway
Do it anyway, do it anyway
Do it anyway, do it anyway
'Cause you don't do nothing to avoid self punishment
(Do it anyway, do it anyway)
You won't do nothing, you won't feel nothing gotta
(Do it anyway, do it anyway)
Do it, do it, do it anyway
(Do it anyway, do it anyway)
Ah, do it anyway
(Do it anyway, do it anyway)
About
“Do It Anyway” was the only single from The Sound Of The Life Of The Mind. There is reference to an interview done with Friday Morning Quarterback magazine (though the original source could not be found) in which Folds states that part of the inspiration came from birthday cards his mother would give him with quotes incorrectly attributed to Mother Theresa
For example, ‘You may be honest in your life, that honesty may upset some people, be honest anyway. You might find yourself very successful. Things that are gonna upset other people and incite jealousy cause you problems, heartache. Be successful anyway.’ So that was back there in my psyche somewhere.
Folds also revealed that he drew inspiration from a live improvisation of which he stated, “This is not the kind of song I could stand on the piano and, you know, shake my ass to.” Someone in the crowd screamed back, “Do it anyway!” Folds took the fan’s advice and made up “the bulk of what you hear in the song, at least musically, and some of the lyrics.”
Folds went on to adapt the improvisation to fit the Mother Theresa theme. He stated of the album as a whole,
I was aspiring to a lot of honesty in this record with the intention of saying things that aren’t comfortable and sort of stripping the ego, taking yourself out of being the dude in control. ‘Do It Anyway’ is kind of like that too. There’re a lot of angles of loss of control in it, but that gives you control. It’s beyond my ability to actually articulate it, philosophers have had a hard time with it too and they’re smarter than I am.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 1.Erase Me
- 3.Sky High
- 6.Draw a Crowd
- 7.Do It Anyway