The lyrics of "What Would You Do?" by City High tell a poignant story about a woman struggling to provide for her hungry son. The song opens with a narrative about a wild party where the narrator meets a girl named Loni, who explains that she dances for money because her son is at home crying from hunger, and the only way she can feed him is by sleeping with men for money since the child's father is absent and addicted to drugs. The song highlights the harsh realities and difficult choices faced by people in tough circumstances. Key lines from the chorus include:
- "What would you do if your son was at home, crying all alone on the bedroom floor 'cause he's hungry?"
- "And the only way to feed him is to sleep with a man for a little bit of money, and his daddy's gone somewhere smokin' rock now, in and out of lock down."
- "I ain't gotta job now, so for you this is just a good time, but for me this is what I call life."
The song also touches on themes of pain, survival, and resilience, as Loni shares her traumatic past and the narrator encourages her to get up and stop making excuses, emphasizing the desire to prevent her child from going through the same hardships she did. These lyrics vividly portray the struggles of poverty, single motherhood, and the sacrifices made to survive
