An Open Letter To “Somebody That I Used To Know”

May. 25, 2012

By Todd Clayton info

Todd lives in New York City.

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Dear “Somebody That I Used To Know,”

I know I’ve been weird lately: changing the station when you come on, never playing you in my room anymore. After what happened last week — when I was singing with The xx in that coffee shop down the street when you came on — I thought I owed you an explanation in earnest.

I was trying to remember when we first ran into each other, and the weird thing is I don’t even think I officially met you until after I’d heard someone else singing your lyrics first. When I found you, though, when I finally heard you singing for yourself, I smiled into my pillow and texted your title to my best friend. It’s like you knew me, knew exactly what I was feeling and weren’t afraid to say it. I had you on my iPhone within a week.

I remember thinking that we might be going too fast, spending too much time together too soon, but — just like I do every time — I told myself that was impossible. When my friends got nervous — had that telltale <3 2 <3 with me about not forgetting them and learning to split my time better — all I had to say was, “But, you guys, that glock line. Like butter,” and they backed off.

I got so nervous when I started to feel differently, when the hair on my arms didn’t shoot toward the sky every time I heard your voice. I was driving the coast, on my way up to LA when I noticed it for the first time: You were on the radio. Which, we talked about, I know: about how it’d probably happen, how you were too good not to blow up, how you’d probably be busy on weekends once the gigs started rolling in, but it still caught me off guard when I heard it because that sunken ship in my stomach gave everything away.

The remixes; those were the hardest. Hearing you sing with other people, hearing those foreign beats drive you forward. It’s like I didn’t even know you anymore. A couple months later you were on SNL — laughing with Andy and Taran — and I knew. The press; the prestige; the dressing rooms. We’re in different places, you and me, and I think it’s time we stopped pretending.

I know I’ll still hear you around; you’re kind of unavoidable at this point, but for my own sanity and well-being I need to be done. I really hope you find happiness someday. Really, really. It sounds like you’re already on your way there.                            

Take care of yourself,

T TC mark

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  • Kei

    And now the song’s really just somebody that you used to know… :))

    • http://twitter.com/bowendesign Benedict Bowen

      I see what you did there…

  • John Cortes

    Just like the song, this puts words to a common feeling.

  • Kelly

    Just another take on the old hipster cliche of “I listened to that song before it was mainstream” bla bla bla…

    • Kelsie

      Can you honestly say that this song is not overplayed? “Here let me ruin your favorite song by playing it 15 times a day.”-every radio station

  • Sara

    I’m going to say unless you live in oz. you’ll never really know. But your pain still rings true.

  • Anonymous

    In Australia, it’s had like four peaks. One when it was released, one when it won the hottest 100 six months later, one when America figured it out and then this weird continuous peak with all the covers – those people all playing it on one guitar and glee. Unlistenable.  I can’t do it anymore.

  • Aaa

    Elliott Smith does this song title way better

    • http://www.facebook.com/cpr12r Chris Priore

      I found the Gotye version of Somebody That I Used To Know years ago when looking up Elliott Smith covers

  • http://www.melaniecrutchfield.com/ Melanie Crutchfield

    I actually feel bad for “Somebody” now, just because that was a very thorough and roundly rejecting break-up. Poor thing. And all it has is piles of money to cry into. 

  • -W-

    This song was top 40 dreck when it came out on fb and shit; people realize it is top 40 dreck now.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_5WQXSSKAMOU4WCHKCWYMUKKKNU Aladin Sane

    Seriously: Fuck this song and all it’s parodies. It’s hipster Phil Collins, only more boring.

  • http://www.about.me/tanyasalyers Tanya Salyers

    lololol

  • http://twitter.com/jen_with_love Jen

    I live in America and knew about this song since Sept 2011, so I was already over it once it hit the mainstream

    • Travis Grandt

      Jen was sick of it before you were sick of it. You heard it here first…

      • Jessa

        We’re truly impressed.

  • Guest

    BUT YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO CUT ME OFF…

  • Sarayoo26

    Haha this was sublime. I’m in the midst of a breakup with the same song, incidentally. I feel he’s a tad too clingy, appearing everywhere I go – a separation would do us both some good.

  • DP

    It’s a great song. Fuck off with all the rest.

  • http://artfeedsmia.blogspot.com/ mia nguyen

    I DON’T EVEN NEED YOUR LOVE, AND YOU TREAT ME LIKE A STRANGER AND THAT FEELS SO ROUGH.

  • Babu

    This was my ex and my favorite song when we were together. And then we broke up and this song blew up on the radio, like a really bad joke. That’s when meaningless lyrics beautifully written to a beautiful tune became the epitome of my life.  kind of an odd feeling I guess.

    • Anonymous

      yeeeeeah. its hilariously ironic listening to this song when my ex was the one who introduced it to me.

  • AlexandraAnna

    I see what you did there

  • sami

    this is hands down one of the best  and most creative pieces I’ve ever read on here. describes my relationship with this song to a “t”. yesterday was actually the first time i didn’t immediately turn it off the instant it came on the radio, whereas a few months back i basically abused my ipod/itunes/car speakers by keeping it on repeat for hours on end. this was just too good

  • Ash

    Dear “Somebody I Used To Know”

    I didn’t know that I have the capability to have such strong feeling to a collection of sound waves until I met you. It was a sunny morning of a Monday, I was flipping through the radio stations and I stumbled upon a blast from the past. The marimba playing from the radio reminded me of that one we used to play in kindergarten. I almost imagine a 5-year-old kid playing it on the other side but I wake up from this day dreaming and I kept telling myself that you are one of these song that start simple and shy and pick up the fast, rich beat after the first line of the lyrics is been sung but the wood being hit by sticks continued for long, longer that I could had imagined and then came the lyrics. All my hopes were shattered, and I blamed it for the rest of the day on Monday.

    The awkwardness between us grows every time I hear you and it never helped that the radio station keep pushing me towards you. I tried to learn to be a gentleman and accept you in my habitat like accepting a new cousin who is coming from Canada and crashing at your place for few days according to him. And like this cousin, you are trying to be a good guest and playing according to social conduct but for the love of god, I did’t know why I kept feeling estranged around you. First, I tried to act normal but it didn’t work. Next, I tried shutting you out and the station but that wasn’t convenient. I focused on your lyrics and thought the secret will be reviled like a revelation.. why the station keep bringing you up 5 times a day like a prescription of antibiotic but to no end. I even caught myself mocking you while you are playing and during that time I spilled the key.. the reason why I was rejecting you all that long. It’s because you are such a boring song. The sleepy, silly rhythm, the whiny lyrics produced by a hardcore emo. Having been in a breakup or not I wasn’t able to welcome you into my life and ears. After that I didn’t feel guilty rising my right eyebrow every time your name is being mentioned.

    There comes a day where taking the high road just won’t cut it any more. This day is tonight while I was organizing an album of latest songs and you where there between Justin Bieber and Kelly Clarkson with a front cover that screams your emo origin. All I did is right click delete, closed the file and went to google, I wrote on the search bar your name associated with boring. I had to find someone who sheared my feelings, I can’t be the only one who can’t stand being around you. I was into the edge of creating a webpage dedicated to how easy you can frustrate me without meaning it then I though a facebook page would be easier.

    Sorry, the chemistry they meant to be between us died before it started.

    Never look back.

    Ash

  • http://squovalicious.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/artistes-i-love-kimbra/ Artistes I love- Kimbra « squovalicious

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    [...] I don’t mean that in a “Now You’re Just Somebody That I Used To Know” sort of way, there is no plinky background accompaniment to my lovelessness. I don’t not-love you [...]

  • http://www.itmakesmestronger.com/2012/09/i%e2%80%99m-not-in-love-with-you-anymore/ Only L<3Ve @ ItMakesMeStronger.com

    [...] I don’t mean that in a “Now You’re Just Somebody That I Used To Know” sort of way, there is no plinky background accompaniment to my lovelessness. I don’t not-love you [...]

  • Thought Catalog

    Reblogged this on SOMEWHERE SOMEHOW SOMEDAY.

  • http://www.ashleyetc.com/2012/05/dont-be-a-hipster/ Don’t be a hipster. – Ashley, etc.

    [...] You understand.), so I was browsing the interwebs and catching up on a few blogs when I found this. It’s a break-up letter with that Gotye song you can’t go anywhere without hearing, [...]

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