Somebody That I Used To Know
Gotye Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
But 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
In Gotye's hit song "Somebody That I Used to Know," the lyrics speak to the end of a romantic relationship and the aftermath of the breakup. The first verse recalls the happy times spent together and the pain that still lingers. The second verse speaks to the idea that you can become addicted to the sadness and acceptance of an ending, always knowing it will happen, so it becomes easier to move on. The chorus focuses on the pain caused by the other person cutting them off completely, as if their relationship never happened, leaving the singer feeling like a stranger to the person they once knew so well. The bridge brings up the anger that still exists towards the other person for how they treated the singer, while still trying to move towards letting go of the past.
Overall, the song conveys complex emotions after a breakup, including nostalgia, sadness, and anger, and how difficult it is to let go when the other person cuts you off completely. The lyrics are relatable and capture the pain of moving on from someone that you once loved.
Line by Line Meaning
Now and then I think of when we were together
The singer remembers being in a relationship with the person mentioned in the song and occasionally thinks about their time together.
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
The person mentioned once expressed such an intense feeling of happiness that they could die from it.
Told myself that you were right for me
The singer believed that the person mentioned was the right one for them.
But felt so lonely in your company
Despite being in a relationship with the person mentioned, the singer still felt lonely when around them.
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember
Despite the difficulties in their relationship, the singer still considers it to have been a form of love that still causes them emotional pain.
You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
The singer believes that it's possible to become so accustomed to feeling sad that it becomes a kind of addiction.
Like resignation to the end, always the end
This line suggests that the person mentioned has a tendency to focus on negative outcomes and resign themselves to defeat.
So when we found that we could not make sense
When the relationship between the singer and the person mentioned became confusing or difficult to understand.
Well you said that we would still be friends
The person mentioned suggested that even if their romantic relationship didn't work out, they could still be friends.
But I'll admit that I was glad it was over
Despite the suggestion that they could be friends, the singer was actually relieved that the relationship had ended for good.
But you didn't have to cut me off
The person mentioned didn't have to abruptly end all contact with the singer.
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
In cutting off contact, the person mentioned acted as though the relationship had never existed and meant nothing to them.
And I don't even need your love
The singer doesn't need the person mentioned to love them anymore.
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
The person mentioned has begun treating the singer as though they are a complete stranger, which is emotionally painful.
No, you didn't have to stoop so low
The person mentioned didn't have to act in such a hurtful or immature way.
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
The person mentioned went so far as to have their friends pick up their belongings from the singer and then changed their phone number to avoid further contact.
I guess that I don't need that though
Despite the hurt caused by the person mentioned, the singer realizes that they don't actually need them in their life anymore.
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
The person mentioned has become nothing more than a distant figure from the singer's past.
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
The singer now reflects on all the times that the person mentioned wronged them in some way.
But had me believing it was always something that I'd done
Despite the person mentioned being at fault, they were able to make the singer believe that they were responsible for the problems in the relationship.
But I don't wanna live that way
The singer is no longer willing to continue living with the emotional pain caused by the person mentioned in the past.
Reading into every word you say
In the past, the singer was hyper-aware of the person mentioned's every word and action, constantly trying to interpret their motives and meaning behind them.
You said that you could let it go
The person mentioned told the singer that they had moved on from the relationship.
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know
The person mentioned claimed that they wouldn't obsess over someone they used to be in a relationship with, like the singer is doing now.
Somebody (I used to know)
The singer is referring to the person mentioned as somebody they used to know (as opposed to someone they still know or are currently in a relationship with).
(Somebody) Now you're just somebody that I used to know
This line repeats the previous sentiment that the person mentioned is now just someone from the singer's past.
I used to know, that I used to know, I used to know somebody
This closing refrain reinforces the finality of the relationship and the singer's acceptance that the person mentioned is now just a memory.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Luiz Bonfa, Walter Andre De Backer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@888crispin
Maybe he's been camouflauging into our walls this whole time.
Maybe he never left.
@dayen9470
Lol
@ALISONC83
C0ntho that maybe me happy not gonna lie
@JoNJamEz1
Shoto. Todoroki.1A1 I had a mini stroke reading that becuase you put maybe instead of made me, llooll
@steelsaber54
URGGHHH
@xephenatsu5009
Genius
@AuraFN
who else randomly came back and realised this song actually bangs
@dadeo98
It always banged dumby what are you 12
@eyesolive2012
Dadeo obviously you’re dumb because you can’t spell
@jeffpesos420
EYESOGRADUATE nigga said “your” talm bout u can’t spell🤣