Listen #
Intro #
In high school a dear friend introduced me to this album. I listened to it and and this is one of the songs that through the years has stuck with me. It has taken me a long time to describe it, but I know now what one thing is about the song that captured my attention, among other things.
A Fighting Duet - A Unique One Among Many #
Duets are not uncommon and there are many that are arguably better than this one. Still, I cannot recall any duets where one singer sings over and cuts off the other sings, as one might do in an argument they are trying to win by raising their voice.
When I first heard the song I didn’t really understand that this was not common. It seems so natural in the song. The man seems so honest about his love of the woman, and the woman seems so sure about the relationship and what it was really like. She even made charts and graphs to demonstrate, very clearly, that things are not as romantic as the man remembers.
Since this song I’ve heard other duets, of course, but I can’t readily recall any duets where one singer is arguing with the other AND cuts off their singing.
I immediately checked the song by GOTYE with Kimbra. They combine voices in the song, where one person sings a note and the others sings lyrics that harmonize, but they don’t cut each other off.
I even found a forum where they listed duets where the singers are arguing, but didn’t see one where one singer is cutoff as they begin to sing.
Don’t blink or you’ll miss it #
Listen to the song and you’ll hear that it happens once, maybe two times. The downside of this technique, if I can call it that, is that you don’t get to clearly hear what each singer is saying. It takes a second, third, or even more listens to really get what they’re singing.
It requires nuance to pull off, and this song, in my opinion, does it really well.
Favorite Lyrics #
Tell me, am I right to think
That there could be nothing better
Than making you my bride
And slowly growing old together?
No, there isn’t anything wrong with wanting a wife to grow old together with. Maybe, though, the woman the man is singing to is not the person to do that with.
I feel I must interject here
You’re getting carried away feeling sorry for yourself
With these revisions and gaps in history
So let me help you remember
Ah! This is the first part where the woman sings and she tells us that things aren’t as they seem. The man, lost in his idealization of their relationship and romance, doesn’t have the full picture of everything that happened due to him altering the story and even forgetting some of the worst parts.
It’s exciting to hear this part in the song because it reminds me that every relationship has two sides to it. Even with both sides the story is incomplete. We only pay attention to the things our conscious surfaces to us. Everything else goes largely unnoticed by our conscious.
Who knows, maybe after the man’s romance wears off he’ll realize he was being treated rather horribly as well and be glad to have gotten out of that one.
(Tell me, am I right?)
Don’t you feed me lines
About some idealistic future
(Tell me, am I right?)
Your heart won’t heal right
If you keep tearing out the sutures
Ah! The woman cuts off the man here. It was so jarring the first time I heard it that I had to go back and listen to it again a few times. It was so well done in my opinion.
Lyrics #
A reverse translation?! I usually translate to English from French or Spanish. This time I’ll try my hand in the other direction, from English to either of the two.
Note: I’m looking for someone that can bring the Spanish version to life. If you want to try your hand at singing it let me know :-)
[Verse 1: Ben Gibbard]
Will someone please call a surgeon
Who can crack my ribs and repair this broken heart
That you’re deserting for better company?
I can’t accept that it’s over
Then I will block the door
Like a goalie tending the net, in the third quarter
Of a tied-game rivalry
Alguien llame a un cirujano
Que rompa mis costillas y sane el corazón roto
Al que abandonas por otro que preferís
Rehuso que haya acabado
Te bloquearé la puerta
Como arquero y su portería, en los últimos minutos
De un empate contra un rival
[Pre-Chorus: Ben Gibbard]
So, just say how to make it right
And I swear I’ll do my best to comply
Solo decime cómo enmendar
Y juro haré lo que falte para cumplir
[Chorus: Ben Gibbard]
Tell me, am I right to think
That there could be nothing better
Than making you my bride
And slowly growing old together?
Decíme, ¿tengo la razón en pensar
Que no habría nada mejor que
Hacerte mi esposa
Y lentamente arrugarnos la piel?
[Verse 2: Jen Wood]
I feel I must interject here
You’re getting carried away feeling sorry for yourself
With these revisions and gaps in history
So let me help you remember
Aquí hay que interponerme
Te pasás demasiado dejá de llorar lástimas
Tergiversás y borrás partes de la historia
Te ayudaré a recordarlo
I’ve made charts and graphs that should finally make it clear
I’ve prepared a lecture on why I have to leave
He hecho tablas y gráficas para por fin aclararlo
Tengo un discurso que trata de por qué me tengo que ir
[Pre-Chorus: Jen Wood & Ben Gibbard]
So, please back away and let me go
I can’t, my darling, I love you so
Oh, oh
[Pre-Chorus: Jen Wood & Ben Gibbard]
Ya, apartate por fa, dejame ir
Cariño, no puedo te amo tanto
O, O
[Chorus: Ben Gibbard & Jen Wood]
Tell me am I right to think
That there could be nothing better
Than making you my bride
And slowly growing old together?
Decíme, ¿tengo la razón en pensar
Que no habría nada mejor que
Hacerte mi esposa
Y lentamente arrugarnos la piel?
(Tell me, am I right?)
Don’t you feed me lines
About some idealistic future
(Tell me, am I right?)
Your heart won’t heal right
If you keep tearing out the sutures
(Decíme, ¿tengo la razón en pensar)
No me vendás más
Lo de un futuro perfecto
(Decíme, ¿tengo la razón en pensar)
No sanará tu carazón
Si seguís rompiendo las puntadas
[Outro: Ben Gibbard & Jen Wood]
I admit that I have made mistakes
And I swear I’ll never wrong you again
You’ve got a lure I can’t deny
But you’ve had your chance, so say goodbye
Say goodbye
Vale decir he cometido errores
Y juro nunca dañarte otra vez
Tenés encanto sin ninguna duda
Pero tuviste tu chance, ahora decí adiós
Decí adiós