Nelly Furtado

Released: October 7, 2003

Songwriter: Nelly Furtado Gerald Eaton Brian West Trevor Horn Anne Dudley Malcolm McLaren

Producer: Nelly Furtado Track & Field

[Verse 1]
Paint my face in your magazines
Make it look whiter than it seems
Paint me over with your dreams
Shove away my ethnicity
Burn every notion that I
May have a flame inside to fight
And say just what is on my mind
Without offending your might

[Chorus]
’Cause this life is too short
To live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless
What are you gonna do?

[Post-Chorus]
So say what you want
Say what you want

[Verse 2]
I saw her face outside today
Weatherworn, lookin' all the rage
Took her passion and her gaze and made a poster
Now it’s moccasins we sport
We take the culture and contort
Perhaps only to distort what we are hidin’

[Chorus]
’Cause this life is too short
To live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless
What are you gonna do?

[Post-Chorus]
But say what you want
Say what you want (Say, say)

[Bridge]
Hey you, the one, the one outside, are you gonna get in, get in?
Hey you, the one that don’t fit in, how ya, how ya gonna get in?
Hey you, the one outside, are you ever gonna get in with your
Broken teeth, broken jaw, broken mojo?

[Chorus]
Yeah, this life is too short
To live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless
What are you gonna do?

’Cause this life is too short
To live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless
What are you gonna do?
’Cause this life is too short
To live it just for you
But when you feel so powerless
What are you gonna do?

[Post-Chorus]
Say what you want (Life is too short)
Say what you want
Say what you want (Just for you)
Say what you want
Say what you want (feel powerless)
Say what you want
Say, say, say, say, yeah (Gonna do)

[Outro]
Life is too short
Just for you
Feel powerless
Gonna do

Nelly Kim Furtado (born December 2, 1978) is a Portuguese-Canadian singer and songwriter. The songstress is well-known for hits such as “I’m Like a Bird”, “Turn Off the Light”, and “Promiscuous”.

She began her career in 1996 contributing vocals to Plains of Fascination’s “Walkin' 4 The Streets” and forming Nelstar. After leaving the group, Furtado released her debut single “Party’s Just Begun (Again)”.

Her debut album Whoa! Nelly was released in 2000 to worldwide success with hits such as “I’m Like a Bird”, “Turn Off the Light”, and “…On the Radio (Remember the Days)”. It received four Grammy nominations and one of the singles won for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. It’s sold nine-million copies worldwide to date. Folklore is Furtado’s second album released in 2003. The album was not as successful as the previous one due to change in sound. “Try” and “Powerless (Say What You Want)” were the only top-ten hits from the album.

more tracks from the album

The Best of Nelly Furtado (Deluxe Version)

From the albums

Powerless (Say What You Want) - EP (2003)
Folklore (2003)
Juno Awards 2004 (2004)
The Best of Nelly Furtado (2010)
The Best of Nelly Furtado (Deluxe Version) (2010)
The Best of Nelly Furtado (Spanish Version) (2010)

Nelly Furtado popular songs

Powerless (Say What You Want)Nelly Furtado

Nelly Furtado

The Best of Nelly Furtado (Deluxe Version)