"What Do I Have to Do?" is a song by American industrial rock band Stabbing Westward. The song was released as the first single from the band's 1996 album Wither Blister Burn & Peel. The song is considered the group's breakout single, with its music video entering rotation on MTV.
Background In a 2020 interview with Songfacts, lead singer Christopher Hall said:
Music video The song's music video begins with a shot of vocalist Christopher Hall standing in a desert, before falling backwards. The song begins with a woman singing the first verse. When the chorus starts, the video cuts to a shot of the band performing in the desert. At the end of the chorus, a car drives off. During the second verse, the video cuts between shots of the band performing and the car driving. At the video's end, the camera pulls around and reveals that Hall and the woman have both died.
Track listing
Personnel Christopher Hall – lead vocals Mark Eliopulos – guitar, backing vocals Jim Sellers – bass Walter Flakus – keyboards, programming Andy Kubiszewski – drums, backing vocals
Reception According to a 1996 The Virginian-Pilot article, "the band produces a sound that borrows sonic textures from industrial bands like KMFDM and Nine Inch Nails. Within that framework, however, Stabbing Westward turns down the intensity and turns up the melodic hooks". After the song's release, the band was generally compared to Nine Inch Nails, but according to Alan Escher of AllMusic, who criticized this as oversimplifying things, it is particularly this song that exhibits the band's Depeche Mode influences, evident from the synth bass.
Charts Chart (1996) PeakpositionUS Hot 100 Airplay (Billboard)60US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)11US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)7
References