Lurleen Lumpkin “Your Wife Don’t Understand You But I Do”
Harry Chapin has a song called “Fall in Love With Him”. It’s not among his best work, but it’s kind of an interesting twist on the theme. The singer is telling his girlfriend that he (the singer) will never be any good for her. He says that he thinks of her as just another lover and that he will never be able to spend much time with her. He suggests that his girl instead fall in love with his brother, who is a good guy and who has dreamed she would be his wife.
Thousands of songs like this, but the one that comes to mind most immediately is “Peg” by Steely Dan, though the lyrics are a bit ambiguous.
“So wont you smile for the camera
I know Ill love you better”
Beulah - “Popular Mechanics for Lovers” was the first song I thought of.
“Don’t go out.” Tanya Tucker/T Graham Brown… as a duet, which to me always manages to convey an impression of ‘If only they’d TELL EACH OTHER…’
“I don’t wanna be the one” by Patricia Conroy, has some of that, though more of it is just a “She’s treating you bad and you’re the only one who can’t see it” song.
“I’m the Only One” by Melissa Etheridge.
Not sure if it fits exactly what the OP wants, but how 'bout “Jessie’s Girl”?
One of George Strait’s early songs (I don’t think it was a single) fits this theme, although the lyrics are addressed to the other man:
“Every time you throw dirt on her, you lose a little ground
She slips a little further away each time you put her down
A woman like that can come here and get somebody who’ll know what he’s found
Every time you throw dirt on her, you lose a little ground”
Avril Lavigne “Girlfriend”
In a second you’ll be wrapped around my finger
Cause I can, cause I can do it better
There’s no other
So when’s it gonna sink in
She’s so stupid
What the hell were you thinking?
American Hi-Fi “Flavor of the Weak”
Her boyfriend,
He don’t know
Anything
About her.
He’s too stoned,
Nintendo.
I wish that I could make her see,
She’s just the flavor of the weak.
Yeah she’s the flavor of the weak.
She makes me weak.
The Conversation by Joni Mitchell
“She removes him, like a ring
To wash her hands
She only brings him out to show her friends
I want to free him”
Some unmentioned:
“Time of the Season”, the Zombies
“You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine”, Lou Rawls
“Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’”, Journey
“Two Princes”, Spin Doctors
These two were the ones that I automatically though of…
Although the Avril one always makes me think, “maybe he wants a girlfriend who isn’t a total bitch, hmmm?”
There’s one which was sung by Meatloaf, I’m Gonna Love Her For Both Of Us, where the singer’s definitely saying he’d treat the girl better. It starts off
and the chorus goes
eh. No more so than bordelond’s suggestion of that Zombies song
What’s your name?
(What’s your name?)
Who’s your daddy?
(Who’s your daddy? He rich?)
Is he rich like me?
Has he taken
(Has he taken)
Any time
(Any time to show)
To show you what you need to live?
So to be clear in the future, though: when they ask about someone’s “daddy” in songs from yesteryear they mean boyfriend/husband, not sire, right? Always?
“Sanctuary” by the Chills. Oddly, I can’t find the lyrics online. It’s a really good song, though. I can’t quite remember all the words in the correct order, but here’s the chorus–
I need you near me (get out of there)
Sanctuary (get out of there)
No one comes here
We’ll live alone in nowhere
He won’t find you
And I’ll unwind you
You’re trapped in fear and you’ve got to
Get out of there
“Drop the Pilot” - Joan Armatrading
“You’re Gonna Lose That Girl” - The Beatles
“Is She Really Going Out With Him?” - Joe Jackson
“You Oughta Know” - Alanis Morissette