Combo Audio consisted of:
John Kellogg (lead/vocals)
Rick Neuhaus (drums)
Tom Broeske (bass)
and later Angus Thomas (bass)
Romanticide
Combo Audio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In movies they work it out
Laughing at those hearts broken open
You walked in, you threw me out
Sitting in a restaurant by myself
Couldn't leave a tip
Wonder where you are, what you're doing, who you're with
Romanticide, on the side, oh yeah
It's a clear cut case
Romanticide, on the side, oh yeah
You are your best company
Until you sit by yourself
Call up your best friends and acquaintances
Can't cure dropped lover's emotional health
Sitting in a restaurant by myself
Couldn't leave a tip
Wonder where you are, what you're doing, who you're with
It's a clear cut case
Romanticide, on the side, oh yeah
It's a clear cut case
Romanticide, two men on the side, oh yeah
It's not losing you
It's just feeling lost
It wasn't like movies
In movies they work it out
Laughing at those hearts broken open
You walked in, you threw me out
Sitting in a restaurant by myself
Couldn't leave a tip
Wonder where you are, what you're doing, who you're with
It's a clear cut case
Romanticide, on the side, oh yeah
It's a clear cut case
Romanticide, on the side, oh yeah
It's a clear cut case
Romanticide, two men on the side, oh yeah
It's a clear cut case
Romanticide
"Romanticide" by Combo Audio is a song about the aftermath of a failed relationship. The lyrics describe a sense of loss and confusion that the singer is experiencing after being left by their lover. The song highlights the fact that life is not always like the movies, in which people are shown working out their differences and getting back together. Instead, the singer finds themselves alone, unable to leave a tip in a restaurant and wondering where their former lover is and whom they may be with.
The chorus of the song, which repeats the phrase "Romanticide, on the side," suggests that the singer is viewing the end of their relationship as a kind of murder, in which their romantic hopes and dreams have been killed. The phrase "two men on the side" in the last line of the chorus implies that the singer's lover has moved on with someone else, compounding their sense of loss and betrayal.
The verse "you are your best company until you sit by yourself" describes the difficulty of being alone after a breakup. The singer finds that their usual coping mechanisms, such as calling friends and acquaintances, are ineffective in curing the pain of a broken heart. Overall, the song is a poignant and relatable exploration of the emotions that come with the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
It wasn't like movies
Real-life romance doesn't always end in a Hollywood happy ending.
In movies they work it out
But in movies, they always seem to find a way to make it work.
Laughing at those hearts broken open
We mock the pain of heartbreak in movies.
You walked in, you threw me out
You ended our relationship abruptly and without explanation.
Sitting in a restaurant by myself
I am alone, surrounded by strangers.
Couldn't leave a tip
I am so consumed by my thoughts and emotions that I cannot bring myself to act normally.
Wonder where you are, what you're doing, who you're with
I cannot help but obsess over your actions and whereabouts.
It's a clear cut case Romanticide, on the side, oh yeah
Our love affair has ended in a definitive and painful way.
You are your best company Until you sit by yourself
I thought I could enjoy my own company until my loneliness set in.
Call up your best friends and acquaintances
I reach out to friends and acquaintances, seeking solace for my broken heart.
Can't cure dropped lover's emotional health
But their comforting words cannot heal my emotional pain.
It's not losing you, It's just feeling lost
My heartache and confusion make me feel like I have lost a part of myself.
Romanticide
The demise of our romantic relationship.
two men on the side, oh yeah
The two men mentioned earlier may represent the duality and conflicting emotions of our relationship.
Contributed by Alaina I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@brianhanson
Remember hearing this on the radio back when. Great to hear it again, I still remembered the chorus, catchy.
@cellsinter-linkedbladerunn4643
This song gives me goosebumps!!!!
@theminecrafthaag1609
it reminds me to Robert Hazard, great Phillie artist
@TheGreenarrow88
the most slept-on song of all time. A true masterpiece.
@bendistraw
Oh God, how great to finally see the video after all these years! I remember numerous times seeing them at Mabel's and they even opened for U2 on the October tour at the Foellinger Auditorium!
@arudz2263
Bought the tape in 1983-4 when I was stationed at Chanute AFB in Rantoul, Illinois. Kick ass group. Wish I could buy a CD now. Good times! Mabels had good acts then.
@georgeheingartner6995
Me again, to repeat: SUPERFANTASTIC!
I heard this first in the early 80s on my beloved WLIR 92.7 FM and loved it immediately.
@hibob418
Great Early 80's Champaign memories!! The crowd at Cochran's used to go nuts when we'd put on this song.
@rolaupers.r.7596
I loveeeeeeeed so muuuch this song!!!!
Is so magic!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@gojump7
Thank you H.H. for sending me this song. I haven't heard it in a few decades but remember how I love it!