Somebody That I Used To Know
Gotye Kimbra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

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
And 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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Gotye and Kimbra’s song ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ tell a story of a past relationship that ended badly, leaving the main character feeling hurt and mistreated. The opening verse expresses the main character’s thoughts about when they were together and how, at the time, they felt like they were in love. However, as the relationship progressed, the main character felt lonely and unhappy in the company of their partner, despite telling themselves that they were right for each other. The line “But that was love and it's an ache I still remember” implies that although the relationship ended badly, the main character still feels some sense of heartache when they think back to it.


The chorus talks about addiction to a certain type of sadness, where the main character feels like they are resigned to a relationship that will inevitably end badly. When the relationship does ultimately end, the main character is glad that it’s over, but the manner in which their partner ends things hurts them deeply. The line “But you didn't have to cut me off” speaks to the sudden and painful nature of the breakup, where the partner cut off all communication and treated the main character like a stranger. The final verses reflect on the aftermath of the breakup, with the main character recalling all the ways in which their partner mistreated them and left them feeling hurt and angry. The final chorus repeats the idea that the partner is now just “somebody that I used to know” – a person from their past who has no power over them anymore.


Line by Line Meaning

Now and then I think of when we were together
Sometimes I reminisce about our time as a couple


Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
One of the moments I recall is when you expressed immense happiness


Told myself that you were right for me
I convinced myself that we were meant to be together


But felt so lonely in your company
Despite being with you, I still felt a deep sense of solitude


But that was love and it's an ache I still remember
This feeling of love was painful, but it's still a memory that lingers


You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
It's possible to develop an unhealthy attachment to a specific feeling of grief


Like resignation to the end, always the end
It's like giving up and accepting things will always result in heartbreak


So when we found that we could not make sense
When we realized our relationship was nonsensical


Well you said that we would still be friends
You assured me we'd maintain a friendship


But I'll admit that I was glad that it was over
However, I was relieved when it all ended


But you didn't have to cut me off
You ended things abruptly


Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
You acted as if our relationship never existed and was insignificant


And I don't even need your love
I don't require your affection anymore


But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
But your behavior towards me now is that of a mere stranger, which is extremely painful


No you didn't have to stoop so low
You didn't need to behave in such a petty and vindictive way


Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
Sending others to retrieve your belongings and changing your phone number felt unnecessary


I guess that I don't need that though
However, I don't require those things


Now you're just somebody that I used to know
You're simply a person from my past now


Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
Occasionally, I recall all the ways you mistreated me


But had me believing it was always something that I'd done
But you always managed to convince me that I was the one at fault


And I don't wanna live that way
I don't want to continue living under those circumstances


Reading into every word you say
I scrutinize every word you speak


You said that you could let it go
You claimed to be over the past


And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know
But I couldn't help but notice that you were still invested in someone from your past


Somebody, I used to know
Someone I used to have a close relationship with


(Somebody) Now you're just somebody that I used to know
But now, you're simply a person who's no longer a part of my life


I used to know, that I used to know, I used to know somebody
I once knew someone very well, but that's no longer the case




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Walter Andre De Backer

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@ewajakielaszek4363

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

[Kimbra:]
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

[Gotye:]
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



All comments from YouTube:

@viniciusrodrigues8797

“What happened to the old comments?”

“Gone, reduced to atoms.”

@analowkey8393

Same day less go hey legend

@noahmauch6779

@Ethan Tankersley Literally 1 Hour ago like wtf

@johnmegatroj9795

Ok

@dfmarsyadina8581

@@noahmauch6779 literally 20 mins ago like wtf

@d1na7a

@@dfmarsyadina8581 literally 19 seconds ago like wtf

592 More Replies...

@amirtunis

"You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness"

hits different.

@eric0556

Depressed 13 year olds be like

@harithdanielll

LMAO

@fever4174

always thought it was sinners

More Comments

More Versions