Musical Monday #26

Hey There, Delilah

This song arouses several complex emotions in me. I figured I'd write about it and we'll see where it goes from there.

First of all, I like the song. It's straight forward -- it's simple, heartfelt, romantic and idealistic. A story of a boy and his guitar, missing his girlfriend who's 1,000 miles away -- and he just wants to tell her he misses her and loves her.

Next I think the predominant emotion I feel is sadness. Perhaps it's empathy for this young couple apart -- I assume they're a young couple anyway, and she's at university since he says "A couple of years and you'll be done with school". On the other hand, he might literally mean "school", and that would be a bit wrong. But anyway, maybe it makes me sad because I can empathise with the loneliness and longing of when you can't be with the person you want to be. But I think there is more to it -- I think there's a sort of melancholy jealousy too. It's pretty strange to feel jealous towards a song -- but some emo part of me feels sad that I don't feel that love, there's nobody here in my life evoking such emotions. And there's nobody to sing that song about me, either. And part of me is jealous because I don't think I've ever felt that -- not like it's described. Even when I've been longing for someone, even when I have been apart from someone I care deeply about -- there's not been the unfailing optimism of this song. I feel jealous I don't have that optimism.

Instead, I feel something else: cynicism. I imagine that while he's a starving musician, writing songs about his love for the girl, she's probably cheating on him while she's away. I've not known a long distance relationship to last -- either mine or someone else's, and I don't believe they do. I think it's a more likely scenario that by the time Delilah is "done with school" she will have moved on, or she will want someone who can provide better. I guess he probably he is keeping his word where he says "believe me, girl, someday I'll pay the bills with this guitar" -- I expect he is probably raking it in with this song alone....