Discover the story of the song > Under Control – The Strokes

The protagonist is singing about not wanting to waste his partner's time and wanting to express something important. The chorus talks about how they worked hard but have no control, and are under control. The post-chorus emphasizes that the protagonist doesn't want to do things their partner's way and doesn't want them to have control. In the second verse, the protagonist wants to observe the world and their partner without trying to change anything. The final chorus mentions that their partner is young for now but not for long and they are under control. Overall, the song has a theme of lack of control and resistance against being controlled.