liked to get shit-faced and keep the pace with thugs) who dies a violent death (Until late one night there was a big gunfight and Max lost his head/He pulled out his chrome .45, talked some shit, and wound up dead). The speaker attempts to build empathy for each character's struggle through the phrase "God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his/her shoes/Cause then you really might know what it's like". The third verse changes the angle slightly to focus on the family left behind: "Now his wife and his kids are caught in the midst of all of his pain/You know it comes that way, at least that's what they say when you play the game/God forbid you ever had to wake up to hear the news/Cause then you really might know what it's like to have to lose". Music video The music video was directed by Frank Sacramento in Los Angeles. Everlast is shown singing underwater while the three characters depicted in his song drown. Later they are crowded around a window (possibly dead) behind which an idyllic family is enjoying dinner, oblivious to the less fortunate outside. Track listings UK CD and cassette single "What It's Like" (radio edit) – 3:49 "What It's Like" (original album version) – 5:03 UK 7-inch single A. "What It's Like" (original album version) – 5:03 B. "7 Years" – 4:04 European and Australian CD single "What It's Like" (radio edit) – 3:49 "What It's Like" (original album version) – 5:03 "7 Years" – 4:04 Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts Release history References 1998 singles 1998 songs Everlast (musician) songs Mushroom Records singles Songs about abortion Songs about alcohol Songs about drugs Songs about homelessness Songs about poverty Tommy Boy Records singles