Critical Response #1

-Unofficial Music Video by ohkelsss (She's lip-singing)-

Somebody I Used to Know by Gotye feat. Kimbra, released in July 6, 2011.

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 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
And 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
And 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

I used to know
That I used to know

Somebody...

Elements of Music:

• Dynamics:

It was soft at the very beginning and gradually getting louder and louder then repeat again with the softness.

•  Harmoney:

The combination with bass, guitar, 2 vocalist, xylophone, etc. are well mixed together to combine a very sad and soft sound. The vocalists sound very sad and frustrated and go along with the instrucment.

Summary:

I think this song is about a couple are fighting with each other, and either of them are ignoring him/her. They both think that they're right and he/she is wrong, and won't apologize until he/she apologize first. Later on, they started to have a flashback with each other, and starting to miss each other but they still continue to ignore each other, until they feel like they're both stranger. The song is very emotional, I like how the singer is like telling a story of how they were used to be together and then sounded regretful when they said "Now you're somebody that I used to know." This song reminds me of the time when I had a fight with my friend because I thought she doesn't like me and started to ignore me. She thought that I told her to leave me alone. So the fights goes on and none of us apologize, and at the end, I think I moved away without talking to her ever again. I guess that count as somebody that I used to know, since I never seen her again. I guess if I ever see her again, I would feel really awkward when I'm talking to her, like a stranger talking to a stranger.