Please bless everyone with safe travels, Lord. Prayers for those who have asked me to pray for them; for a couple of Special Intentions. Jesus, guide my words so that they bring you greater glory. In Jesus' name. Amen.
MUSIC
"Somebody that I used to know," by the artist "Goyte."
I don't even particularly like the song, but I can't ever seem to change the channel on the radio when it's playing. I even sing along! LOL I heard from a friend that Goyte wrote this song as a compilation of his relationships. Are you familiar with the lyrics? No? Here they are, courtesy of a google search entitled, "Lyrics to Goyte's song 'Somebody that I used to know."(feat. Kimbra)
[Gotye:]
Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember
You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So when we found that we could not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I was glad it was over
But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
[Kimbra:]
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
Part of me believing it was always something that I'd done
But I don't wanna live that way
Reading into every word you say
You said that you could let it go
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know
[Gotye:]
But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
[x2]
Somebody
(I used to know)
Somebody
(Now you're just somebody that I used to know)
(I used to know)
(That I used to know)
(I used to know)
Somebody
Let's start with the first stanza's, um, issues: 'told himself she was right for him'; why did he need to 'tell himself'? Was he 'convincing' himself? Ew. As Tiny Fey's 30Rock Liz Lemon character says, "Deal breaker. Shut it down." In the next sentence he says he was 'lonely in her company.' Well that is just plain wrong, for everyone involved.
'That was love and it's an ache he can still remember.' In his mind, love aches. I'm a romantic too, but this thinking seems amiss. In love, longing is good, pain is not.
This line is kind of sweet, "When we found we could not make sense." He's justifying the loss of connection. The woman is allowed her say, and she tells him, 'We'll still be friends." Unfortunately, the 'friends' route doesn't work quite like either party thinks. Even though this guy is a lover of love, he goes on to say, "He was glad it was over." If you put this in a song, all your past lovers will wonder if you felt that way about them. No one likes to have 'we're done,' spelled out for them so cruelly. Note to self: try not to be too mean when writing an anthology 'love' song.
So which is it? Is he sad or angry? More than likely, he's both. He does seem genuinely flabbergasted by her behavior, poor guy, but let's hear what she thinks of their lost affinity.
When people say things like 'every now and then,' or 'I'm not someone who always needs to be in a relationship,' what they are really saying is 'I think about you constantly,' and 'I've had girlfriends since high school ..." The people in this song are just verbally jabbing at each other. They're both hurt, and they want the other to know it and feel it.
She's like the 'universal woman,' when she says it was something she did. Many women have this notion. Take heart, though, when two people are involved, each person had something to do with the break-up.
She's a strong woman too, as we can attest to when she affirms, "But I don't wanna live that way, reading into every word you say." What I find interesting is when she mentions, "You said you could let it go; and I wouldn't catch you hung up on someone you used to know." Was this the reason why this alliance wasn't going to work? Did he accuse her of feeling this way, but it was really him projecting his own hurt from a past relationship ... hmm.
He is feeling spurned, but doesn't respond to her venting; he continues blowing out his pain, anger, and sadness. He repeats again, 'it wasn't necessary for her to make it seem like they never happened, and they are nothing'; but he has no 'counteroffer' for how they should behave. He says this twice, must be important. Which I think let's her and the listeners know he felt more for her than he thought he did. Maybe. He's not happy they aren't 'one flame' anymore, and reluctantly acknowledges this is just how things go...what is the alternative? Being friends?... That doesn't work. Another approach might be committing to working on the complicated affair.
If you've ever seen the video, you'll notice they are nude. Lots of vulnerability between them.
Overall, I think this song is a win-win for everyone involved. His former gf has a song about his feelings on their break-up, and she has her say. The rest of us can relate to the purging of this couple, while enjoying the funky music.
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