| Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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"act mature and take it slowly, take steps down out of respect for each other." That's not acting mature. Acting mature is being done with a relationship when it's over. Clinging to someone, taking "steps down" is not respectful, it's selfish, obsessive and, in some cases, borderline abusive. It's trying to keep a dead relationship alive, and it's emotional torment for both parties. And I think that's the most important part of this song. He's whining and complaining about it, acting like an obsessive child. She's saying, "Look, fella, this is how it is. Move on!" |
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| Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I got the impression she ended it because of his issues. I see Kimbra as the one he "used to know." sylviamcdanyel nailed it. He's just selfish and doesn't want to work through the feeling of losing someone. Grief sucks. |
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| Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I totally agree with the regretting a break-up portion. I think a lot of times people have an issue letting go of their ex's after a break-up. The whole idea of "we'll still be friends" is common, but destructive. You can be on friendly terms without being close and staying in touch. It's a very rare situation that the break-up can be truly amicable and end with friendship. Most of the time, it's lop-sided, with one partner wanting the relationship to stay together. If a "friendship" is kept, that partner is constantly torturing themselves with hope of what could have been. To me, in these lyrics, he's acting childishly and she's handling it like an adult. She won't spit in his face if they run into each other, but she's not going to continue to torture herself with contact. A clean break it best, even if it's the most painful, and he's too obsessed to see that. |
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| Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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Overall, I think this is a song about someone obsessed with an old lover (or old lovers). He wants to keep in touch with them so he feels "important" and is unwilling to just let the relationship go. As long as he still has them in SOME way, he can live his life. As Kimbra's sections point out, that need to keep ties will destroy his future relationships. The first verse is rehashing the relationship. It was miserable, and he knew it was doomed to failure. Yet for some reason he clung to it because of the "love." The second verse is going over that strange form of insanity. "Addicted to the sadness" - it's terrible and heart-wrenching, but he needs it to survive. And the failed relationship is over, but he still needs HER. As long as she's still in his life, he still gets his fix. In the third verse, he's going over his shock, resentment and betrayal. He still needs her in his life and can't come to grips with the fact that she's cutting all ties. He still *wants* her, but knows they can't have a relationship. "Now you're just somebody that I used to know" - now she's just someone from his past; not a friend, not a lover, not even an enemy, just a memory. Then Kimbra comes in expressing the feelings of the ex who walked away. He treated her badly, he made her feel like nothing and was just as obsessed with his previous ex. She wasn't interested in being a replacement because he couldn't move on. |
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