# Opinions on "Gotye" songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863 "2012-07-20T15:46:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/21 "2012-07-20T18:46:18Z")
I was just about to reply with the Star Wars Parody and got Ninjaed! ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/22 "2012-07-20T21:06:05Z")
> [@Lasciel](#): > > Another good cover of “Somebody” is the acapella group Pentatonix, who are frigging awesome in their own right, and their cover is haunting. They’re actually where I heard the song first - a really long time back, before the original started playing every 10 minutes on every radio station ever. The Pentatonix version: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOKuAigsrec](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOKuAigsrec) The first one I heard too, and I think it’s much better than the original. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/23 "2012-07-20T22:54:16Z")
When I first _Somebody That I Used To Know_, I said to myself “Is that Sting? No, it’s Gotye. I think. No, wait, it’s Peter Gabriel. No, definitely Gotye. No… Damn it. I think it’s definitely Peter Gabriel.” I already knew Gotye, not only because he’s an Australian artist (technically - he wasn’t born here, but has lived here since age 2) but also because I loved _Heart’s A Mess_. My favourite song of his (and video) is [Bronte](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le34ygtODfI). It’s a sad, pragmatic song about a pet dog’s death (not Wally’s\* dog, but a friend of his). \*Gotye’s real name is Wally DeBacker ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/24 "2012-07-20T23:00:08Z")
I like [Easy Way Out](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEpfyBOdKxU&feature=relmfu) a ridiculous amount too. My only objection is that it isn’t longer. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/25 "2012-07-21T00:21:54Z")
I’m definitely getting a “Button, Button” vibe off of the Pamplamoose version. Very interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/26 "2012-07-21T00:39:18Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Seriously? Because I heard Peter Gabriel. Me too. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > This was overplayed 2 months ago. I would hardly call it “new”. No shit. I was turning the station months ago. This guy is a prime example of a “one hit-wonder”. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/27 "2012-07-21T08:05:18Z")
Love Gotye. Not heard a crap song by him yet. I think, in addition to the music, is that he’s one of those artists (less of them these days) who still takes trouble over his videos. I’ve loved all his music videos. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/28 "2012-07-21T09:04:10Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > This guy is a prime example of a “one hit-wonder”. That’s a bit premature, it’s his first international hit and it was only a few months ago. Here’s an interview where [he talks a bit](http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/gotye-could-be-a-one-hit-wonder/story-fn93z1sm-1226404192764) about that aspect, though. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/29 "2012-07-21T17:48:55Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > This guy is a prime example of a “one hit-wonder”. Yes, he’s so lame and useless! I mean, in his whole career, this 32-year-old has only had one solitary song that topped the charts in 26 countries across the world. What a loser! Look, it’s entirely possible that this will be his only really big hit, but that doesn’t mean he’s a poor songwriter and musician, or that this is his only decent piece of work. His hit song is from his third album, and quite a bit of his other stuff is pretty good. He has a relatively small but reasonably committed following in Australia, and i’m sure that quite a few more people across the world have checked out his other work since hearing “Somebody That I Used to Know.” ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/30 "2012-07-21T17:54:00Z")
Everyone’s a one-hit-wonder until their second hit. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/31 "2012-07-21T18:31:42Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Yes, he’s so lame and useless! > > I mean, in his whole career, this 32-year-old has only had one solitary song that topped the charts in 26 countries across the world. What a loser! > > Look, it’s entirely possible that this will be his only really big hit, but that doesn’t mean he’s a poor songwriter and musician, or that this is his only decent piece of work. > > His hit song is from his third album, and quite a bit of his other stuff is pretty good. He has a relatively small but reasonably committed following in Australia, and i’m sure that quite a few more people across the world have checked out his other work since hearing “Somebody That I Used to Know.” Sorry, I shouldn’t have said “guy” I should have said “song”. To me, it has all the hallmarks of a one-hit-wonder. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/32 "2012-07-21T20:24:57Z")
The thing about this song is that it has a catchy tune, and a chorus that kind of tugs at you emotionally. Then you realize what the actual lyrics are, and you think: Was this written by some love sick 14-year-old kid? \*You didn’t have to stoop so low Have your friends collect your records And then change your number \* \ \*Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over \* ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/33 "2012-07-21T20:30:55Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The thing about this song is that it has a catchy tune, and a chorus that kind of tugs at you emotionally. Then you realize what the actual lyrics are, and you think: Was this written by some love sick 14-year-old kid? Actually, i sort of like the way that it gives the perspective of each person. The guy is accusing the woman of “stoop[ing] so low” that she won’t even talk to him, even though he thought it was an amicable breakup, and then the woman tells us that, actually, the guy was a controlling asshole who was constantly hung up on ex-girlfriends. I also like the “collect your records and change your number” line, precisely because it’s so out of date. Hell, half the people who have purchased this song as a digital download have probably never owned a record in their life, and you don’t change your number anymore, you just block a caller. I must admit, though, that i don’t generally look to pop music for deep and satisfying emotional and intellectual stimulation. And with even the lyric-writers that i do believe have genuine depth and talent (e.g., someone like Warren Zevon), i still like their songs for the melodies and instrumentals as much as for the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/34 "2012-07-21T20:35:51Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Actually, i sort of like the way that it gives the perspective of each person. The guy is accusing the woman of “stoop[ing] so low” that she won’t even talk to him, even though he thought it was an amicable breakup, and then the woman tells us that, actually, the guy was a controlling asshole who was constantly hung up on ex-girlfriends. > > I also like the “collect your records and change your number” line, precisely because it’s so out of date. Hell, half the people who have purchased this song as a digital download have probably never owned a record in their life, and you don’t change your number anymore, you just block a caller. > > I must admit, though, that i don’t generally look to pop music for deep and satisfying emotional and intellectual stimulation. And with even the lyric-writers that i do believe have genuine depth and talent (e.g., someone like Warren Zevon), i still like their songs for the melodies and instrumentals as much as for the lyrics. But you didn’t have to defend him so Analyze his lyrics and then claim I’m missing the point I don’t even need your post Your taste in music is bad and you need to grow up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2012, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/35 "2012-07-21T21:23:02Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Actually, i sort of like the way that it gives the perspective of each person. The guy is accusing the woman of “stoop[ing] so low” that she won’t even talk to him, even though he thought it was an amicable breakup, and then the woman tells us that, actually, the guy was a controlling asshole who was constantly hung up on ex-girlfriends. > > I also like the “collect your records and change your number” line, precisely because it’s so out of date. Hell, half the people who have purchased this song as a digital download have probably never owned a record in their life, and you don’t change your number anymore, you just block a caller. > > I must admit, though, that i don’t generally look to pop music for deep and satisfying emotional and intellectual stimulation. And with even the lyric-writers that i do believe have genuine depth and talent (e.g., someone like Warren Zevon), i still like their songs for the melodies and instrumentals as much as for the lyrics. I like the “collect your records…change your number” line because it doesn’t really flow smoothly when you read it, but the way he sings it makes it happen. Its kind of a disjointed phrase but it works somehow. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/36 "2012-07-22T22:20:36Z")
I think the reference to records just screams “Vinyl-collecting hipster” which would be…accurate, probably, based on what I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/37 "2012-07-22T22:57:53Z")
He sources his samples from old vinyl. Though that doesn’t preclude his hipster-ism. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/38 "2012-07-23T01:29:59Z")
I rather like the song and find it a bit of a catchy he said/she said kind of thing. I also think it’s a bit of a spiritual succesor to Human Leagues’ “Don’t You Want Me,” but I may be a little off on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/39 "2012-07-23T01:38:31Z")
My first thought on hearing STIUTK: Is it the 80s again already? I have that feeling a lot when I listen to the radio these days. I think it’s the second step in being an out-of-touch fogey. First: you don’t get new music because you think it’s all crap. Second: you don’t get new music because you remember the first time that style was popular. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2012, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863/40 "2012-07-23T07:22:46Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > He sources his samples from old vinyl. Though that doesn’t preclude his hipster-ism. Not him, his ex. Although I have noticed that hipsters tend to date in-group. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-gotye-songs/628863.md?page=1)