In yesterday's small-scale questions thread, @cjet79 asks why the song "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers has had such staying power, famously staying in the UK singles charts decades after its initial release. Some explanations (including my own) point to its compositional elements; others focus on its lyrics and subject matter. @100ProofTollBooth argues that it's a very universal and relatable song, as "The experience of infidelity (to some degree) is common to many (most? idk) people."
I'm curious if this is really the case, so I decided to go Aella mode and created a simple survey to find out about people's experiences with infidelity. It consists of a few demographic questions (age, sex, sexual orientation, relationship style), then asks you if you've ever had an unfaithful partner, then asks you if you've ever been unfaithful to a partner.
Completely anonymous, and I've set it up so the form doesn't collect email addresses if you're logged in.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
"Choking on your alibis" at least gestures pretty hard in that direction.
Also, the guy who wrote it said it was about when "I went to the Crown and Anchor [a Las Vegas pub] and my girlfriend was there with another guy."
I'd agree that part of the song's magic is that it's not only about a girlfriend cheating on you, though. Most of it works very well with any kind of jealousy, and with envy. IMHO it even works well with unrequited love; other than the "alibis" bit the lyrics could be about someone realizing he probably missed his chance with a girl he never had the guts to make a move on. His attempts to reassure himself that "it was only a kiss" then sound like a man trying to be rational (she hasn't definitely fallen for his rival) rather than one trying to rationalize (she just did a little infidelity where I could see it!).
Yep.
When I was at the age I was most in touch with the song, the "And it's all in my head, and she's touching his chest now, he takes off her dress, now" line mainly resonated with me because there were women I was eyeing and either they were already in relationships or got into one shortly after my feelings arose, so the image of her being intimate with THAT dude, a guy who was now receiving something I dearly want, were constant and unavoidable. The jealousy was the primary feature.
I mostly interpret it in terms of semi-mutual 'rejection' where both the singer and the female subject are aware of the other, but after some casual interaction (it was only a kiss!) the sparks that might have burst into a flame of passion are dying as she goes into some other dude's arms and the singer resolves to move on even as he's wrestling with the surprising emotional weight of the events. I prefer this interpretation because if its just some random chick the guy knows and fancies but has never even talked to, the singer is kind of pathetic.
This is not a song where the guy is openly professing feelings, or making plans to win her over, or going over to her place with romantic intent...
He's mentally checking out of the situation but admits the extent of his emotional distress, although perhaps realizes it will fade out over time.
This fits with infidelity, but that explicit interpretation is easiest to detect if you're viewing it through that specific lens, maybe as you've experienced it yourself.
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Huh, interesting, guess I've been wrong all this time.
I always took that as a girl saying so and so was "just a friend." Which works regardless.
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