Belle & Sebastian – Jonathan David

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  My Opinion:Southbound sums up precisely how I too interpret this song. It is beautifully heartbreaking..
  
  For me, this is the most important part of the lyrics:
  
  "Visions of love recollected
  Have we ever been true
  I know that I have
  It's time for you to go
  It's all in the stones that you throw"
  
  I think it's about trying to cope, trying to keep them both close still - but it's too hard. They're all supposed to love each other, but he feels betrayed by his best friend. I think.
  

  Flag deathofcinderellaon March 10, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:Or maybe the Jonathan one, as it turns out.

  Flag mithgilon April 27, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:Unfortunately, I find myself in the David position right now.

  Flag mithgilon April 26, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:Incidental to the main point, but "Jonathan David" is a rather odd way of putting the title (no "and" etc) - a possible reference to Stuart David, the bassist?

  Flag clockworktoastieon January 07, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:Many B&S songs are very ambiguous as far as gender and orientation are concerned (Seeing Other People is another song that often inspires the hetero narrative vs. homo narrative debate). I think it's pretty obvious that Stevie wrote this song to have three possible interpretations: 1. guy (narrator) is quietly in love with his best friend (a guy), who is in love with a girl the narrator "likes", meaning he is resigned to being on good terms with her even though she's taking his best friend away. 2. both the narrator and his best friend are in love with the same girl. OR! 3. guy (narrator) is in love with his best friend AND the aforementioned girl. Even taking into account the promo video (and subsequent performances) of the song, which acts out a love triangle situation like interpretation 2, the lyrics imply that the narrator is more saddened by his imminent separation from his friend than his friend's interest in the girl. Also, there might be a discrepancy in the verse "I thought about her/I dreamed she'd come/I'd make my escape
  I thought she liked me/but somehow I was wrong/
  I know you don't want it this way." If you listen carefully, it really sounds more like "I thought YOU liked me/but somehow I was wrong/I know you don't want it this way." And who is the "you" the song is referencing? The David to the narrator's Jonathan. A guy. Also, David and Jonathan are commonly thought to have been lovers. The band's notes on the ep (on the official website) hint at this as well:
  "The front cover also depicts his best pal Jonathan and David, who swore brotherly allegiance to each other at an early age, pledging their love. But Jonathan never really moved on like David did. Never seemed to be able to get past his loyalty to his mate.
  
  For futher reading check out 1 Samuel 17 in the Old Testament."
  Plus two guys being in love with the same girl is a bit...pedestrian. And too obvious. I like to think B&S are more subversive and interesting than that. ;)

  Flag smokeandmirrorson August 22, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:I think the line "It's not as if I'm being sent off to war", is a reference to the biblical king David sending Uria off to the front lines. Uria was the husband to Bathseba in whom David had a sexual interest.
  Uria was killed in the war, as anticipated by David, who could have his way with Bathseba because of that.

  Flag sjappieon December 03, 2006   Link

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  General Comment:Jonnyxx, I was at Reading and I saw them do that. It's not the only time I've seen them do that too.
  
  Since the first time I heard this song I thought it was about two friends who like the same girl, and one of them is trying to convince himself that it's okay, just like Southbound says.
  
  Also if you see the video with the full story (they have two on youtube, one of them is edited together with a performance and one is just the story of the two boys and the girl without the edits), it supports this. It shows Stevie and Stuart clearly both in love with the same girl, then one night Stuart gets the girl and Stevie is destroyed, but at the end it shows him taking photos of them before they speed off in the car together to the lines "you will be married and you'll be gone". It's incredibly sad.
  
  I think this is my faourite belle and sebastian song because it's just so simple but it makes so much sense. Oh, and the lines "it's not as if i'm being sent off to war, there are worse things in this world" are always helpful for a broken heart.

  Flag ohwellokayon October 02, 2006   Link

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  General Comment:BandS played this song at Reading Festival this year and got a random girl out from the crowd to dance along. They introduced the song by saying one of them would play Jonathan and one of them would play David and they were fighting over this woman. during the song whichever of the guys wasnt singing would dance with the girl but at the end as they sang 'married and you'll be gone' Stuart (Jonathan) and the girl ran off stage. It was very theatrical and nice.
  
  so that definitely supports Southbound's interpretation.
  
  great song.

  Flag Jonnyxxon September 12, 2006   Link

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  General Comment:yes, the song does have references to the Jonathan and David in the bible. But Jonathan and David were more than just friends, which makes sense because otherwise one could have chosen other "best friends" for this song. Jonathan and David were lovers, which the church doesn't like to admit. This song is about an equally well hidden love. the song isn't tragic because the singer loves his best friends girlfriend, but because he loves HIM. If you don't believe me, look it up on en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…
  you will see there are different interpretations.

  Flag jenuaryon July 16, 2006   Link

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  General Comment:I didn't see it so much as 'Jonathan' being in love with the girl as well - "I like her too" is him saying he likes her OK, and she isn't a major bitch or anything. I think it's more of, once his best friend's fallen in love and is getting married etc., things between both of them can't be the way they used to. He's hurt, resentful and jealous but can't afford to show it.

  Flag confuegoon April 01, 2006   Link

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