There have been some really great songs about cheating, cheaters, and getting cheated on… so which are your favorites and why?
I can think of three that are really great.
THIRD PLACE: Lyin’ Eyes - The Eagles
A true classic, everyone knows it and can sing along. A karaoke favorite. Simple, nice melody. Nothing super clever in the lyrics but they are clear and straightforward. Also, comes from the 3rd person perspective (telling a story about another cheater and their partner who is not the singer)
RUNNER-UP: Impossible - Shontelle
An emotional R&B song, that doesn’t immediately even reveal what it’s about. The fact that it’s all about a guy who cheated on her and ruined everything, doing what she thought would be “Impossible”, is only revealed in the 2nd verse of the song. Full of power and definitely a super sad song, sung from the person who got cheated on, it embodies all the emotion and pain of what it’s like to be betrayed.
GRAND PRIZE: Back 2 Good - Matchbox 20
Easily my personal favorite for the category of best song about cheating. What makes this one unique is that it’s sung from the perspective of the cheater, but he’s not at all happy about what he’s doing. He wants to get back to a solid, loving relationship, and he’s frustrated with himself and everyone else who cheats. You can hear the torment, confusion and pain in Rob Thomas’ voice, more clearly than in any other song I can easily think of. Vocally and lyrically, an amazing song. The melody is simple and clean.
Nobody Knows Me by Lyle Lovett.
At first listen, it sounds like a sweet love song. But if you pay attention to the bridge section, you realize it’s a cheating song. Typical of Lovett, the lyrics take on a different meaning as the song goes on, and is one of the saddest songs around.
*But it’s no use saying that I love you
And how that girl really didn’t mean a thing to me
For if anyone should look into your eyes
It’s not forgiveness that they’re gonna see
You hear her voice - “How could you do that?”
You hear her voice - “How could you do that?” *
An absolute work of art.
A couple of Spanish favorites:
José Luis Perales Y cómo es él (What is he like?), the singer asks his ex what’s the other guy like, the one she’s leaving him for; it’s been covered many times, including by Marc Anthony,
Mocedades Tómame o déjame (Take me or leave me): take me or leave me, but don’t ask me to believe you any more… you think highly of me because I stay silent , because you don’t see me cry; every day you feel smaller, you can’t look me in the eye.
I just realized both have one thing in common, the desire to know what The Other One is like - “what’s (s)he have that I don’t?” Tómame o déjame final stanza is:
take me or leave me,
and if you come back bring along the truth,
carry your head high,
bring my rival along;
if she’s better than me, I’ll finally be able to cry.
I know Jefferson Starship doesn’t get much love around here, but they had a song in 1984 called “No Way Out” which I thought was pretty good at the time.
Bad Penny by Big Black contains the classic lines;
Just a bad penny, couldn’t throw me too far
I think I fucked your girlfriend once… maybe twice, I don’t remember
Then I fucked all your friends’ girlfriends – now they hate you
Just a bad penny, just a bad penny
Just a bad penny, just a bad penny
Such a bad penny, such a bad penny
Bad, bad penny, bad, bad penny
Ought to know what a liar I am, ought to know me by now
Such a bad penny
