I was in the supermarket this morning and heard Dead or Alive’s “Brand New Lover.” It’s an annoying song to me, but as I listened to the lyrics, I realized what a dickbag Pete Burns is in the song.
Basically he’s saying that this current lover is boring, he sees “safety” in their eyes, and he wants “surprises.” He almost seems to take delight in ruining this other person’s life, instead of a “it’s not you, it’s me” approach. Future lovers, take note - Pete Burns is gonna dump you. And without a note of self-awareness… maybe he needs to compromise a little with his partner? Especially since at one point, this person spun him right round, like a record baby?
Arrogant little snot.
Any other songs where the protagonist is cluelessly up their own ass?
I knew that was coming! My first thought too, but on second thought, that cat is way past “dickitude”; he’s a straight up psycho.
For dickitude, I give you Hinder’s Lips of an Angel, where the dick with the 'tude is on the phone with his ex, while their respective current partners are none the wiser.
"It’s funny that you’re calling me tonight And, yes, I’ve dreamt of you too And does he know you’re talking to me? Will it start a fight? No, I don’t think she has a clue"
Do they need to be “clueless”? Robert Cray’s “Strong Persuader” is about a guy talking about seducing his neighbor and destroying her marriage as a result, but he’s entirely aware what an asshole he is.
Yes, this is in the same vein as the protagonist in The Police’s Every Breath You Take. Self absorbed and obsessive. At least Michael Stipe is recognizing his psychopathy and breaking them off. Of course, we learn that this isn’t the first time this has happened:
At least in Escape they only thought (and planned) about it. Secret Lover is two people cheating on their spouses talking about how great it is to be a cheater and how it’s probably the spouses fault somehow.
ETA: Although it did make for that one great commercial… …
Kind of reminds me off Kate Bush’s “Babooshka,” where the protagonist creates a fake persona to seduce her husband - based on her when “she was beautiful.” Of course he falls for her and the relationship is ruined. What the fuck?
The video is… awesome. Seeing this as a preteen did funny things to me.
I’m guessing you’re not too fond of the Allman Brothers’ “Ramblin’ Man”, where the singer warns his girlfriend that he’s bound to take off anytime, and gratuitously adds “Lord, them Delta women think the world of me”.
For me, the dickitude champion is the hero of the Who’s “Legal Matter”, who dumps his fiancee just before the wedding.
I never want to make them cry I just get bored, don’t ask me why
Just wanna keep doing All the dirty little things I do Not work all day in an office Just to bring my money back to you Sorry, baby
LOL. I think it’s more when the singer delights in twisting the knife. The “Rambling Man” dude is more saying, “hey this is who I am.” What I’m getting at is what Kramer was doing in this clip - he breaks up with Olive by lying about being with another woman and brazenly makes out with her in full view (which is a mannequin), which breaks her heart.
I used to be cruel to my woman I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved
I don’t care how much you’re getting better and ‘changing your scene’, beating and isolating your significant other is straight-up psychopathic. Though McCartney and Lennon shared songwriting credits, I tend to think (very possibly wrongly and unfairly, I admit) that the lyrics to those songs came from Lennon, since he was known to have a mean, dickish streak.
I think Axl Rose wins the lifetime achievement award for singer dickitude. From the song “One in a Million”:
Police and n*****, that’s right Get outta my way Don’t need to buy none of your Gold chains today […] Immigrants and f****** They make no sense to me They come to our country And think they’ll do as they please
WTF? And then, oddly, later in the song:
Radicals and racists Don’t point your finger at me
And he earned extra dickitude credit for " I used to Love Her".
I used to love her, ooh yeah but I had to kill her
I knew I’ll miss her so I had to keep her
She’s buried right in my back yard
Oh yeah, ooh yeah, whoa oh yeah
