My Girl /
Madness Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

My girl's mad at me
I didn't wanna see the film tonight
I found it hard to say
She thought I'd had enough of her
Why can't she see?
She's lovely to me
But I like to stay in
And watch TV on my own
Every now and then

My girl's mad at me
Been on the telephone for an hour
We hardly said a word
I tried and tried but I could not be heard
Why can't I explain?
Why do I feel this pain?
'Cause everything I say
She doesn't understand
She doesn't realize
She takes it all the wrong way

My girl's mad at me
We argued just the other night
I thought we'd got it straight
We talked and talked until it was light
I thought we'd agreed
I thought we'd talked it out
Now when I try to speak
She says that I don't care




She says I'm unaware
And now she says I'm weak

Overall Meaning

Madness's song My Girl, released in 1979, is a powerful song about relationship struggles. The lyrics are powerful in that they convey a sense of frustration and helplessness in a relationship where both parties seem to be struggling to understand each other. The song opens with the lead singer lamenting his girlfriend being mad at him because he didn't want to see a film with her. He's disappointed that she doesn't understand that sometimes he just wants to stay in and watch TV on his own.


Then the second verse starts with the singer telling us that his girlfriend has been on the telephone for an hour, and they hardly said a word. He's tried to explain himself, but he can't seem to get through to her. The words he says don't seem to come across as he intended, and she takes it all the wrong way. He's sad, frustrated, and doesn't know what else to do. The third verse continues with the couple arguing, and he thought they'd talked it out, but she still thinks he doesn't care. She's convinced he's weak, and he just doesn't understand why.


The song is a powerful representation of the frustrations of communication breakdown in a relationship. The lyric's delivery is spot on as it mirrors the feelings of the lead singer, who seems lost and unsure of how to communicate with his girlfriend. It's a relatable issue that most people experience at some point in their lives. The song has a melancholy feel, with the tempo and minor-like chords making the atmosphere even sadder. The lyrics are a reminder of the power of open communication and how it's essential in any relationship.


Line by Line Meaning

My girl's mad at me
The singer's girlfriend is angry with him


I didn't wanna see the film tonight
The singer did not want to watch a movie with his girlfriend


I found it hard to say
The singer had difficulty expressing himself


She thought I'd had enough of her
The girlfriend believed that he was tired of being with her


Why can't she see?
He is wondering why his girlfriend cannot understand him


She's lovely to me
The singer thinks his girlfriend is beautiful


But I like to stay in, And watch TV on my own, Every now and then
The singer likes to spend time alone watching TV occasionally


Been on the telephone for an hour, We hardly said a word
The singer and his girlfriend spoke on the phone for an hour without saying much


I tried and tried but I could not be heard
The singer repeatedly attempted to explain himself, but he could not get through to his girlfriend


Why can't I explain?
The singer is struggling to articulate his feelings to his girlfriend


Why do I feel this pain?
The singer is experiencing emotional distress due to his girlfriend's anger


'Cause everything I say, She doesn't understand
The girlfriend does not comprehend what the singer is trying to convey


She doesn't realize, She takes it all the wrong way
The girlfriend misinterprets things the singer says


We argued just the other night, I thought we'd got it straight
The singer and his girlfriend had an argument and he believed they had resolved it


We talked and talked until it was light
The couple discussed their disagreement until morning


I thought we'd agreed, I thought we'd talked it out
The singer believed that they had come to a mutual understanding


Now when I try to speak, She says that I don't care
When the singer attempts to explain himself, his girlfriend accuses him of not caring about her feelings


She says I'm unaware, And now she says I'm weak
The girlfriend claims that he does not understand her and is now weak




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Mark William Bedford, Christopher John Foreman, Cathal Joseph Smyth, Daniel Mark Woodgate, Michael Barson, Lee Jay Thompson, Graham Mcpherson

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
Comments from YouTube:

@teddyboo7843

I’m 55 and got them on my Spotify. The younger generations are missing out and I say that with a smile!

@wididididididi8693

Gen z here. I'm obsessed with this band ever since my dad showed the Young Ones to me. Madness were on twice I recall. We are getting into it. We are coming.

@teddyboo7843

@@wididididididi8693 ska bands . The English Beat, Madness and Bad Manners were my favourites.

@virtualcynical8515

Trust me, Young People know about Madness and Ska in General.
We all have Parents who love their Generation of music and pass it on to their Kids.
I Myself grew up on all the classics thanks to my dad (Queen, Madness, Elton, Mike and the Mechanics, E.L.O, ect.) But I still listen to some modern music as it's not all as bad as you probably think.
There's some good stuff in there, you gotta be open minded.
Every generation has good music and bad music; its just that you only remember the good stuff when a couple decades pass.

@ahmetoztas8486

its wrong :) i listen that song on spotify every day😅

@teddyboo7843

@@ahmetoztas8486 So pleased you aware of good music from the past!

9 More Replies...

@barrygilley581

Only madness could make a song that clearly tells the story about depression sound so cheery. Amazing.

@Dr.ZoidbergPhD

More like a failing relationship than depression, but I get your POV

@elvis2201

@@Dr.ZoidbergPhD The scenario in the song happend to me few days ago. Listening to this heals my heart.

@Focusfury05

"TIMELESS TUNE!"
Never Gets OLD.. 😊

More Comments

More Versions