You guys are near, but not quite. I read from an interview with Mcdonald that this song is about two people that used to date a long time ago and suddenly they encounter again randomly, so they make an appointment to talk in a restaurant. The thing is that within this restaurant date, the guy is in this awkward moment because he is telling the woman old stories about when they used to date and he realizes that she really doesn´t care about them. For the guy, she is the love of her life and he still can´t let her go, but for her he was just some guy from a long time ago and doesn´t care anymore. So here he is, at the end of the date, and he knows that he is not going to see her again, but still in a foolish way believes that in a mysterious way she is one dat going to show up and tell him she is in love with him, but for everyone it is obvious that she doesn´t care for him.
This is the same conclusion I came to from reading the lyrics and listening to different versions of the song after I got it stuck in my head.
This is the same conclusion I came to from reading the lyrics and listening to different versions of the song after I got it stuck in my head.
The crucial part of the song is the comparison: "She had a place in his life; he never made her think twice." This verse is comparing their points of view. First his point of view, that she was an important part of his life. Then her point of view, that she never thought about him more than once since they separated.
The crucial part of the song is the comparison: "She had a place in his life; he never made her think twice." This verse is comparing their points of view. First his point of view, that she was an important part of his life. Then her point of view, that she never thought about him more than once since they separated.
That line had me confused for quite a while because I initially interpreted the "never made her think twice" line as meaning that she was certain about her feelings for him, or that he never challenged her and made her rethink herself. But now I believe it is meant to be taken literally: she did not think about him more than once.
It's also interesting to note that in Aretha Franklin's cover of this song she switches around some of the pronouns in ways that really mess with this narrative. There's also a concert video of Kenny Loggins singing it where he switches around the pronouns in yet another way. So to some extent you can build a different narrative of unrequited love from these lyrics (and according to most songwriters, that's a good thing, if lyrics are vague enough that listeners can come up with their own story that's personally evocative to them). But if you take the Michael McDonald studio version as canonical, this is the story that makes the most sense.
@jimbo2 "never made her think twice" refers to her being completely sure about not wanting anything more from the guy when they were together, when they broke apart and also when they met again years later.
@jimbo2 "never made her think twice" refers to her being completely sure about not wanting anything more from the guy when they were together, when they broke apart and also when they met again years later.
@Arthos Only quibble is he doesn't realize when she leaves that that's it. It isn't a big rekindling. It's just catch-up date she went through and will never repeat. See: "Anybody else could see.." He's still blind at the end of the date.
@Arthos Only quibble is he doesn't realize when she leaves that that's it. It isn't a big rekindling. It's just catch-up date she went through and will never repeat. See: "Anybody else could see.." He's still blind at the end of the date.
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go
I think you're spot on. "Trying hard to recreate what had yet to be created" is a brilliant lyric. He's reminiscing about something that never was. Sure, the events he's recounting probably happened but he remembers them (and her) fondly, and she barely remembers them (or him) at all.
I think you're spot on. "Trying hard to recreate what had yet to be created" is a brilliant lyric. He's reminiscing about something that never was. Sure, the events he's recounting probably happened but he remembers them (and her) fondly, and she barely remembers them (or him) at all.
@Arthos yep, yep, yep. You got it exactly right. My bro keeps searching FB, digging up people from our adolescence. Hey- I was there and I remember just struggling to get by- we had some fun, but not like I want or need to dredge that past up- it’s meaningless for me. Same with the lady in this great song- I can imagine her attitude as “yeah I was there.. I’m sure glad I graduated from that era!”
@Arthos yep, yep, yep. You got it exactly right. My bro keeps searching FB, digging up people from our adolescence. Hey- I was there and I remember just struggling to get by- we had some fun, but not like I want or need to dredge that past up- it’s meaningless for me. Same with the lady in this great song- I can imagine her attitude as “yeah I was there.. I’m sure glad I graduated from that era!”
@Arthos “He never made her think twice” is definitely from her point of view…it is a clever, lyrical play on the phrase “she never gave him a second thought”…out of sight, out of mind…
@Arthos “He never made her think twice” is definitely from her point of view…it is a clever, lyrical play on the phrase “she never gave him a second thought”…out of sight, out of mind…
You guys are near, but not quite. I read from an interview with Mcdonald that this song is about two people that used to date a long time ago and suddenly they encounter again randomly, so they make an appointment to talk in a restaurant. The thing is that within this restaurant date, the guy is in this awkward moment because he is telling the woman old stories about when they used to date and he realizes that she really doesn´t care about them. For the guy, she is the love of her life and he still can´t let her go, but for her he was just some guy from a long time ago and doesn´t care anymore. So here he is, at the end of the date, and he knows that he is not going to see her again, but still in a foolish way believes that in a mysterious way she is one dat going to show up and tell him she is in love with him, but for everyone it is obvious that she doesn´t care for him.
This is the same conclusion I came to from reading the lyrics and listening to different versions of the song after I got it stuck in my head.
This is the same conclusion I came to from reading the lyrics and listening to different versions of the song after I got it stuck in my head.
The crucial part of the song is the comparison: "She had a place in his life; he never made her think twice." This verse is comparing their points of view. First his point of view, that she was an important part of his life. Then her point of view, that she never thought about him more than once since they separated.
The crucial part of the song is the comparison: "She had a place in his life; he never made her think twice." This verse is comparing their points of view. First his point of view, that she was an important part of his life. Then her point of view, that she never thought about him more than once since they separated.
That line had me confused for quite a while because I initially interpreted the "never made her think twice" line as meaning that she was certain about her feelings for him, or that he never challenged her and made her rethink herself. But now I believe it is meant to be taken literally: she did not think about him more than once.
It's also interesting to note that in Aretha Franklin's cover of this song she switches around some of the pronouns in ways that really mess with this narrative. There's also a concert video of Kenny Loggins singing it where he switches around the pronouns in yet another way. So to some extent you can build a different narrative of unrequited love from these lyrics (and according to most songwriters, that's a good thing, if lyrics are vague enough that listeners can come up with their own story that's personally evocative to them). But if you take the Michael McDonald studio version as canonical, this is the story that makes the most sense.
@jimbo2 "never made her think twice" refers to her being completely sure about not wanting anything more from the guy when they were together, when they broke apart and also when they met again years later.
@jimbo2 "never made her think twice" refers to her being completely sure about not wanting anything more from the guy when they were together, when they broke apart and also when they met again years later.
@Arthos Only quibble is he doesn't realize when she leaves that that's it. It isn't a big rekindling. It's just catch-up date she went through and will never repeat. See: "Anybody else could see.." He's still blind at the end of the date.
@Arthos Only quibble is he doesn't realize when she leaves that that's it. It isn't a big rekindling. It's just catch-up date she went through and will never repeat. See: "Anybody else could see.." He's still blind at the end of the date.
Anybody else would surely know He's watching her go
Anybody else would surely know He's watching her go
But what a fool believes he sees
But what a fool believes he sees
I think you're spot on. "Trying hard to recreate what had yet to be created" is a brilliant lyric. He's reminiscing about something that never was. Sure, the events he's recounting probably happened but he remembers them (and her) fondly, and she barely remembers them (or him) at all.
I think you're spot on. "Trying hard to recreate what had yet to be created" is a brilliant lyric. He's reminiscing about something that never was. Sure, the events he's recounting probably happened but he remembers them (and her) fondly, and she barely remembers them (or him) at all.
@Arthos yep, yep, yep. You got it exactly right. My bro keeps searching FB, digging up people from our adolescence. Hey- I was there and I remember just struggling to get by- we had some fun, but not like I want or need to dredge that past up- it’s meaningless for me. Same with the lady in this great song- I can imagine her attitude as “yeah I was there.. I’m sure glad I graduated from that era!”
@Arthos yep, yep, yep. You got it exactly right. My bro keeps searching FB, digging up people from our adolescence. Hey- I was there and I remember just struggling to get by- we had some fun, but not like I want or need to dredge that past up- it’s meaningless for me. Same with the lady in this great song- I can imagine her attitude as “yeah I was there.. I’m sure glad I graduated from that era!”
@Arthos “He never made her think twice” is definitely from her point of view…it is a clever, lyrical play on the phrase “she never gave him a second thought”…out of sight, out of mind…
@Arthos “He never made her think twice” is definitely from her point of view…it is a clever, lyrical play on the phrase “she never gave him a second thought”…out of sight, out of mind…
@Arthos Makes sense
@Arthos Makes sense