Psychoanalytic Critism

Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know

 

Somebody that I Used to Know

Lyrics:

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 that 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

Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over

But had me believing it was always something that I'd done

And 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

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

Somebody, I used to know

(Somebody) Now you're just somebody that I used to know

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

 My Psychoanalytic Critism:

Wally De Backer, or “Gotye”, as his mother would call him in French, is a Belgian-Australian song writer. The Song “Somebody I Used to Know” is a song that many relate to. Nowadays there are so many break-up songs, so many songs sung about heartbreak, songs everyone can relate to. This “heartbreak” song seemed different to most out there. For starters, it was sung in many different tenses at once. Gotye is an emotional artist as most are. In his early 20s he wanted a name for his project that was kind of personal and similar to what he felt about his music, using the past to broaden into the present. He chose “Gotye” something he emotionally connected to as a child, a name that had passion.

Gotye put this song together over a few months. He used two notes which prompted the reflective mood. It quite a bitter song when you listen to it carefully. In this song Gotye was trying to convey the different perspectives one has being on each side of a broken up relationship. There are a lot of confused and mixed up emotions at different times when going through a break up. Gotye, like most, obviously went through a break up and this song is an expression of his emotions. The song was released in July of 2011 when Gotye was age 31. Unlike other songs and artists, this song has a mature perspective of how he’s looking back and reflecting on the relationship.

Gotye has said he sometimes feels "less of a musician, more of a tinkerer." Gotye sees himself as more of one who is experimental and not so skilled. This song could be expressing how he did not feel worthy of his girlfriend’s love. She loved him, “you felt so happy you could die" though he could not love her back “I’ll admit that I was glad it was over”. SInce she didn't feel this love back breaking up with him played a big part on his ego, or self esteem as he says “I don’t even need your love but you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough”. He is now looking back was defending himself, coping with the rejection of her having to leave him.

In this song the verse, “Have your friends collect your records…” shows how Gotye is referencing the past. Gotye was not born at the time when records were around much. Gotye is a man of the past, looking back and dwelling on what had happened.

In an interview Gotye says, “I don’t really feel like it (this song) belongs to me anymore,” he said. “Everybody else kind of owns it now.” He is born in May, having the star sign as Gemini, one is known to be emotional though to move on, something he is doing now, " Now your'e just somebody that I used to know". He is accepting the situation.

I think it's very interesting to see and analyze what Gotye is expressing here, how his background and experienes effect him. We might never know his true story with all the details but from hearing this song we can feel a bit of what he went through, and understand the words, comprehending what he was thinking, and how he must of felt then.