Recently I was talking to a friend of mine who’s involved with a woman in an open marriage. He said that when he and she got back together after several weeks apart, he sung her “Me and Mrs. Jones.”
(As the songs I’m discussing today deal with romance, I’m throwing in random romantic illustrations)
Me: “Why? That’s a song a guy sings to his wife about the good marriage they have. ‘Me and Mrs. Jones/We’ve got a good thing going on …'”
He: “No, it’s about a couple who are having an affair and feel bad but they also feel too good to stop.”
I checked the lyrics. Yep, he’s right.
Thinking back, I realized I’d never heard anything but the first line, or if I did, I didn’t pay it any attention.
I had a similar reaction a while back when I downloaded the ‘Til Tuesday album “Voices Carry” to my iTunes. I liked the sound of the song but again, I’d never listened to it closely. It’s remarkably downbeat: the protagonist sings about how when she tells her lover how much she cares for him, his response is “Hush, hush. Even downtown, voices carry.” I do not feel optimistic about the future of their relationship.
Question for today: what song did you hear where you completely misunderstood what it was about?
