# couples-what's your song?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-whats-your-song/54073>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 11, 2001, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-whats-your-song/54073 "2001-02-11T22:28:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-whats-your-song/54073/41 "2001-02-15T01:31:45Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Pipeliner \*  
> \*\*REM’s **The One I Love**.
> 
> I work on the road a lot, and the song describes one lover’s longing for the other.
> 
> [Lyrics here](http://www.jimbowieband.com/Lyrics/one_i_love.htm). \*\*

Michael Stipe has described this song as one of bitter betrayal. Does “a simple prop to occupy my time” sound romantic to you?

At least the music’s catchy.

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**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-whats-your-song/54073/42 "2001-02-15T15:32:09Z")

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**Snooooopy** : I’ve always understood the line “A simple prop to occupy my time” as a reference to finding something to distract himself from missing his partner. Anyone who’s spent weeks at a time away from their lover knows about that.

Maybe I’ve misunderstood these lyrics all these years. Either way, I prefer my interpretation.

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**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-whats-your-song/54073/43 "2001-02-15T23:43:09Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Pipeliner \*  
> \*\ ***Snooooopy** : I’ve always understood the line “A simple prop to occupy my time” as a reference to finding something to distract himself from missing his partner. Anyone who’s spent weeks at a time away from their lover knows about that.
> 
> Maybe I’ve misunderstood these lyrics all these years. Either way, I prefer my interpretation. \*\*

OK, smarty-pants poetry expert 🙂 — how do you explain “Fiii-iiiiiiiiiiire!” Are you distracting yourself by setting fires?

No, seriously, that’s a pretty neat interpretation you’ve come up with. I don’t think I ever would have thought of it in that way.

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**Author:** ![L714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dec6dc/32.png) [@L714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/L714)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-whats-your-song/54073/44 "2001-02-16T01:22:12Z")

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Walk This Way - Aerosmith

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**Author:** ![Gregor\_Samsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-whats-your-song/54073/45 "2001-02-16T16:25:21Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Snooooopy \*  
> \*\*
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by Pipeliner \*  
> > \*\ ***Snooooopy** : I’ve always understood the line “A simple prop to occupy my time” as a reference to finding something to distract himself from missing his partner. Anyone who’s spent weeks at a time away from their lover knows about that.
> > 
> > Maybe I’ve misunderstood these lyrics all these years. Either way, I prefer my interpretation. \*\*
> 
> OK, smarty-pants poetry expert 🙂 — how do you explain “Fiii-iiiiiiiiiiire!” Are you distracting yourself by setting fires?
> 
> No, seriously, that’s a pretty neat interpretation you’ve come up with. I don’t think I ever would have thought of it in that way. \*\*

Fire is passion.

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**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-whats-your-song/54073/46 "2001-02-16T17:27:11Z")

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_One More Minute_ by “Weird Al” Yankovic.

( **Kidding!** Just kidding! I’m a kidder – I kid.)

Actually, it’s _All of Me_ sung by Dinah Washington. Whenever we hear it, we stop and dance. This has caused some bemused looks in record stores.

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/couples-whats-your-song/54073/47 "2001-02-16T19:24:18Z")

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Well, as I stated in the OP, I thought our song was Tom Petty’s “here comes my girl”. Unfortunately my wife just informed me she hates that song. Quelle dommage!

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