Baffled

[kerravonsen]

The song "We've Got a Groovy Thing Going, Baby" just came up on my randomplay. Now, I normally like Simon & Garfunkel, but this song... the lyrics...

So the boy's just hearing that his girlfriend is leaving...

Bad news bad news
I heard you’re packin’ to leave
I come arunnin’ right over
I just couldn’t believe it
I just couldn’t believe it

And his first appeal is to call her crazy...

Oh baby baby
You must be out of your mind
Do you know what you’re kickin’ away
We’ve got a groovy thing going baby
We’ve got a groovy thing

And his second appeal...

I never done you no wrong
I never hit you when you’re down
I always gave you good lovin’
I never ran around
I never ran around

...is to say that he met the minimum acceptable standards in a boyfriend.

And his third appeal...

There’s somethin’ you ought to know
If you’re fixin’ to go
I can’t make it without you
No no no no
No no no no

...is to try to guilt-trip her.

No woman in her right mind would be persuaded by any of these arguments, surely?
Are we supposed to take this song seriously? Or is it supposed to be a parody of an oblivious selfish boyfriend?

Please enlighten me, people!

Comments

[tree_and_leaf]

I certainly don't think it's supposed to be serious, and of course quite a number of Simon and Garfunkel songs are satirical or light-hearted.

[kerravonsen]

quite a number of Simon and Garfunkel songs are satirical or light-hearted
True. True.

[tree_and_leaf]

I've just realised it was first released as a B side to "Sound of Silence", which seems a really weird combination to me, but perhaps it was intended to provide a light-hearted contrast?

[kerravonsen]

Hmmm, not exactly light-hearted, though, is it? More like black humour. But, yeah, it does seem an odd combination. (Goes and checks songs on album) There are other songs on that album that might have gone better, such as "Leaves That Are Green" or "April Come She Will" or even -- if they wanted a musical contrast -- "Richard Cory".