Somebody That I Used to Know
Dance DJ Lyrics


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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 that 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)

(I used to know)
(That I used to know)




(I used to know)
Somebody

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Dance Dj's are a reflection of a break-up that the singer (or the singer) has experienced. The main theme of the song is the pain of letting go of someone you once loved and the feeling of losing them completely. The opening lines of the song: "Now and then I think of when we were together/Like when you said you felt so happy you could die," sets the tone for the song. The singer looks back on their time together and remembers the happy moments. However, as the song progresses, it becomes clear that the relationship was not all sunshine and rainbows.


There is a line in the song that says, "You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness/Like resignation to the end, always the end." This implies that the performer had become so accustomed to being unhappy in the relationship that they had started to find comfort in that state of mind. The lyrics also touch upon the idea that sometimes, people stay in a relationship not because they are happy but because they are scared of the unknown. The singer admits that they were "lonely in your company," but they still held onto the relationship. But now that it's over, they feel a sense of relief.


The second verse of the song is from the ex's perspective. They had moved on and had left the relationship behind them while the singer was still struggling to let go. The lines "But you didn't have to cut me off/Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing" highlight the feeling of being ghosted by an ex. The singer feels like they have been erased from their ex's life, and the ex didn't care how they felt about it. The chorus that starts with "Now you're just somebody that I used to know" is a painful reminder that no matter how much they loved their ex, they were just somebody in their past now.


Line by Line Meaning

Now and then I think of when we were together
Reflecting on past memories of the relationship.


Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Reminiscing on when the partner confessed their happiness.


Told myself that you were right for me
Justifying to oneself that the relationship was compatible.


But felt so lonely in your company
Feeling isolated despite being in the company of the partner.


But that was love and it's an ache I still remember
Acknowledging that the feeling of love still lingers despite the pain.


You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Stating that certain people crave negative and toxic emotions.


Like resignation to the end, always the end
Similar to admitting defeat, accepting the relationship's end.


So when we found that we could not make sense
Referring to the difficulty to comprehend the situation when the love faded.


Well you said that we would still be friends
Partner suggested the possibility of staying friends.


But I'll admit that I was glad that it was over
Admitting that the pain was too much and was happy for the relationship to end.


But you didn't have to cut me off
Feeling unnecessary to entirely cut off the relationship.


Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
Feeling hurt when the partner acted like the relationship never occurred.


And I don't even need your love
Feeling okay without the partner's love.


But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
Feeling hurt when the partner treats like a random stranger.


No you didn't have to stoop so low
Feeling like the partner went too far by completely cutting off the connection.


Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
Partner changed phone numbers and had friends collect belongings.


I guess that I don't need that though
Feeling like the belongings and the partner's absence do not matter anymore.


Now you're just somebody that I used to know
The partner is just a mere memory from the past.


Now you're just somebody that I used to know
The partner is just a mere memory from the past.


Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
Recalling all the times the partner betrayed and hurt the artist.


But had me believing it was always something that I'd done
Convinced by the partner that their mistakes led to the relationship's downfall.


But I don't wanna live that way
Refusing to continue living in a toxic cycle of false promises and lies.


Reading into every word you say
Analyzing every word the partner says due to past hurt.


You said that you could let it go
The partner claimed to be over the relationship.


And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know
Not wanting to find the partner still attached to the past.


Somebody
The partner is referred to as a person.


(I used to know)
The partner is referred to as a past tense memory.


Somebody
The partner is referred to as a person.


(Now you're just somebody that I used to know)
The partner is referred to as merely a past memory.




Writer(s): Luiz Bonfa, Walter De Backer

Contributed by Jordyn H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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