I was driving to class this morning and listening to my radio as usual, when I heard this same song again by Fort Minor called "Where'd You Go?"
I really like the way the song is set up, the music, the melody, pretty much everything...except the lyrics just ruin my whole preception of the song!
It starts off sweet...
"I don't understand why you have to always be gone,
I get along but the trips always feel so long,
And, I find myself trying to stay by the phone,
'Cause your voice always helps me to not feel so alone,"
But then, it all takes a complete turn around into something a bit more bitter:
"But I feel like an idiot, workin' my day around the call,
But when I pick up I don't have much to say,
So, I want you to know it's a little fucked up,
That I'm stuck here waitin', at times debatin',
Tellin' you that I've had it with you and your career,"
Does anybody else see something wrong with that? Well, after these first two stanzas it may not be that clear, but it was a bit bothersome when I heard it. I though, ok, maybe the story gets better here. He realizes that caring for somebody means that there are sacrifices one makes and that he is just venting right now. He's just missing his sweetheart and there's nothing really significant to what he's saying.
Um, no. Check this out, it gets gradually worse throughout the song:
"Shit, I find myself just fillin' my time,
With anything to keep the thought of you from my mind,
I'm doin' fine, I plan to keep it that way,
You can call me if you find that you have something to say,"
With anything to keep the thought of you from my mind??? Ok, I get it. You were just overwhelmed by thoughts of her so you are trying to keep occupied so that it doesn't drive you crazy. And when you explain that you are doing fine, it's just a defense mechanism, a way of telling yourself that you really don't care just so that you don't have to hurt yourself by thinking about her so much. (By the way, why aren't you working? No wonder you sang about feeling useless).
So at this point the guy is really angry and defensive and upset about the fact that his wife is not with him and his children and that all of them miss her a lot. So now what? Does he get over it? Does he say, "ok, so I'm being an A-hole, my wife is working so hard for us to provide us an income while I really am doing nothing at all but complaining. Maybe I should go and
talk it out with her, and come to a more
compromising solution to all of this."
No.
"I want you to know it's a little fucked up,
That I'm stuck here waitin',
no longer debatin',
Tired of sittin' and hatin' and makin' these excuses,
For why you're not around, and
feeling so useless,
It seems one thing has been true all along,
You don't really know what you've got 'til it's gone,
(Ok at this point I really thought he was going to come around about himself...maybe I'm too optimistic this far into the song)I guess I've had it with you and your career,
When you come back
I won't be here and
you can sing it..."
Sheesh. This guy is a little too bitter and I don't think has a very strong character. You don't just leave your loved ones just because YOU feel inconvenienced. And then he wants her to feel the same way he does. That's harsh. That's just harsh.
If he feels so useless, get a job! Why does he make her work so much? If both of them shared the responsibility, there wouldn't be such a huge burden on her! And the kids would at least get to see both their parents more often.
Ok, I am way too upset about this song. I just wanted to see them together at the end or something. Maybe a Bollywood version of the song would come out a bit different....
No, I won't attempt it, it would be way too cheesy. You were hoping weren't you?
For the entire lyrics, you can find it
here. Maybe I misunderstood something. Enlighten me.
