I got to know it from the studio version, but here’s a live performance.
I’m semi-obsessed with this song, but I can’t quite pin down what the takeaway is (or is intended to be). It seems that the common reaction (judging from YouTube comments and blog posts) is to take the ending as a happy/sweet/uplifting one. But is it? Or is it actually really fucking sad and depressing? I kind of lean toward the latter, and sort of think that people who interpret it the other way are glorifying the idea of beatific self-sacrifice, as though that’s what “true love” is. But isn’t that more just being a doormat?
So I guess what I’m really wondering is what the intention of the songwriter(s) is. Are we supposed to admire Love, or feel sorry for her? Maybe even be frustrated with her for not getting out of this fucked up relationship?
I guess I’m a bit confused (as the songwriter probably intended) as to whether the song is about the actual archetypes or whether it’s about a sweet girl in love with some clinically depressed alcoholic douchebag. If it’s the latter, my advice would be to get right back in that taxi.
It kind of reminds me of this much better"girl on a roadtrip" song.
One more comment about the linked Avett brothers song – if you’re the kind of person who goes to a live concert and insists on drunkenly going “Wooooo!” at frequent intervals during tender ballads, then I hate you and wish cosmic misfortune befall you. That is all.
The title and their names sure invite us to think it’s about archetypes. But then it gets awfully specific and real for that to totally work. But yeah: get back in the taxi! Yet I have this sneaking suspicion that’s not the intent.
I totally agree with you about the crowd, especially for this song. I always knew this song from the album version, which is very spare and quiet, as it should be. There are several people making the same complaint in the YouTube comments, with a smaller number of people pushing back with, basically, “it’s a concert, people are feeling emotional and getting into it”. I think that’s more defensible with other types of songs, but not this one.
P.S. I don’t agree that the song you linked is “much better”, but it’s really good and I’m going to add it to my Apple Music library. Thanks! I am surprised I have never heard of this group whatsoever.