# Torn Between 2 Lovers, Feelin like a Fool... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 21, 2016, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728 "2016-03-21T04:54:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/21 "2016-03-21T15:22:13Z")
I used to really like Stevie Wonder’s “Part-Time Lover” until I got old enough to understand what was actually being discussed. No, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/22 "2016-03-21T15:36:07Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > I used to really like Stevie Wonder’s “Part-Time Lover” until I got old enough to understand what was actually being discussed. No, thanks. For YEARS, I thought this song was about having a very demanding job so you had to work a lot of overtime. You’re strangers by day, because you’re so busy at work. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/23 "2016-03-21T15:42:39Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > For YEARS, I thought this song was about having a very demanding job so you had to work a lot of overtime. You’re strangers by day, because you’re so busy at work. Heh…at least you had a semi-logical thought about it. I have no idea _what_ I thought the song was about. But it had a good beat, and apparently, that was enough. Which is not to say that my standards have improved much beyond that as an adult. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/24 "2016-03-21T16:04:22Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Uh, yeah no… Girl sounds like a narcissistic bitch. I have zero sympathy for her. > > And I would feel the same if the person in question were a man. Not trying to hijack, but this reminded me of the film “The bridges of Madison County.” I always thought if that movie was about a husband and father banging away at some hottie photographer, while the wife was away at the state fair with the kids, that it wouldn’t have been such a romantic film adored by women everywhere! ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/25 "2016-03-21T17:09:13Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > When it was new, I didn’t like the person in the song. But I was also a bit more pious back then. My Catholic upbringing, I guess. I mean, I still don’t like her, but for different reasons. Now I don’t for what she does to the object of the song, plus her smug self-righteousness. > > On the other hand, I always smirked at: > > There’s just this empty place inside of me that only he can fill > > Uh huh, girl, I know what that place is! Now, now, the empty place might be the one between her ears. (And good luck filling that one.) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/26 "2016-03-21T19:34:45Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Now, now, the empty place might be the one between her ears. Or maybe just a weeee bit lower. **Ptui!** 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/27 "2016-03-21T19:37:54Z")
Whenever I hear/think about this song, I always get an image of rough sex between a woman and a pair of well-endowed men. Like, literally torn. (Or laterally!) Kinda creepy, so I think of pleasanter things. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/28 "2016-03-21T19:41:30Z")
What’s all this “hubby” crap? The name of the song is “Torn between Two **Lovers**.” There’s no indication they’re married. She’s simply screwing around behind her boyfriend’s back, the worthless slut. As I say, I’d dump the dumb bitch like radioactive waste, before she infects me with an STD. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/29 "2016-03-22T04:35:49Z")
So just how do you suddenly fall in love with another person to the point where you now need them to be a part of your life? That’s called having an affair and affairs happen because one person is unhappy with their relationship or they just like to chase tail or they get a kick out of someone else chasing theirs. If its because of an unhappy relationship then get a divorce and shack up with your new flame. If you just like chasing tail then dont expect to have a secure home base. If you like being chased and enjoy that “empty part of you inside” being filled, well good riddance. But yes, I’d dump this slut. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/30 "2016-03-22T05:15:59Z")
_When there came a killing frost And the pony she named Wildfire Busted down his stall_ Wait! Isn’t this the **Shit Music** thread? ---
**Author:** ![Eclipse\_Chaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Eclipse\_Chaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eclipse_Chaser)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/31 "2016-03-22T08:46:38Z")
Ah, torn between two lovers … that old Apache torture! ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/32 "2016-03-22T09:42:42Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > _When there came a killing frost > And the pony she named Wildfire > Busted down his stall_ > > Wait! Isn’t this the **Shit Music** thread? But it’s amazing how a song can be sung so well yet have such stupid lyrics if you think about them. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/33 "2016-03-22T13:24:22Z")
I play word games in my mind. When I hear that song, I re-arrange the “r” and the “o” to get _Tron Between Two Lovers_, which brings up an image like this: [https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;\_ylt=AwrBT7zcRvFWibAAB\_NXNyoA;\_ylu=X3oDMTE0djUyaTg2BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjE3NTdfMQRzZWMDcGl2cw--?p=Tron+1982+images&fr=yfp-t-201&fr2=piv-web#id=67&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsacadalang.files.wordpress.com%2F2014%2F01%2Ftron-1982.jpg&action=click](https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrBT7zcRvFWibAAB_NXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0djUyaTg2BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjE3NTdfMQRzZWMDcGl2cw--?p=Tron+1982+images&fr=yfp-t-201&fr2=piv-web#id=67&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsacadalang.files.wordpress.com%2F2014%2F01%2Ftron-1982.jpg&action=click) Seriously. I’m not that fond of the song, and, like **Grr!** , I don’t have a lot of sympathy for the singer character, so I’ll stick with my image. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/34 "2016-03-22T15:06:50Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > So just how do you suddenly fall in love with another person to the point where you now need them to be a part of your life? That’s called having an affair and affairs happen because one person is unhappy with their relationship or they just like to chase tail or they get a kick out of someone else chasing theirs. If its because of an unhappy relationship then get a divorce and shack up with your new flame. If you just like chasing tail then dont expect to have a secure home base. If you like being chased and enjoy that “empty part of you inside” being filled, well good riddance. To put it another way, I’d be surprised if she were actually in love with both of them, but she’s getting _something_ from both relationships that she doesn’t want to give up. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/35 "2016-03-22T15:10:05Z")
I remember hearing the song on the radio back in high school. Never paid much attention to the exact lyrics. The chorus is really what I remember the most clearly. Just that obviously it was a cheating song. 😉 Its been at least 20 years since I heard it. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/36 "2016-03-22T16:50:43Z")
People really shouldn’t expect to be perfectly happy, just being happy enough will do ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/37 "2016-03-22T16:55:42Z")
What bothers me most is she doesn’t sing the song as much as “whine” it. Creepy Sub-text Time: apropos of nothing, the song was co-written by Peter (Peter, Paul and Mary) Yarrow, who went to prison for three months for carrying on with a 14-year-old girl. Not to worry: he was pardoned by Jimmy Carter. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/38 "2016-03-22T18:01:46Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Nitpick: Loving them both only breaks some of the rules, not all of them. Actually, it’s fucking both of them that is breaking the rules. She can love all she wants. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/39 "2016-03-22T20:32:50Z")
Here is a [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF9WGJbBrkU) of a man singing the song with the lyrics changed. I dont think this would go over as well. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728/40 "2016-03-23T11:56:48Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Ditto this, except I paid more attention to the lyrics than you (knew / know every word \*and \*used to sing along :o ). I guess I didn’t really picture the scenario playing out literally as it’s portrayed in the lyrics. Sort of like she’s saying it in her head or practicing what she’s going to tell lover #1. > > Now if we’re gonna talk about assholish behavior in songs from the '70s, let’s consider _Escape (the Pina Colada song)_ whereby a dude “gets tired of his lady and takes out a personal ad” so he can find some hussy to run away with. I always looked at “Escape” as a partial slam against the hippie, back to earth movement that was fading away by the early 70’s and a return to consumerism and living it up. I get that from the lines; “I am not into health food, I am into champagne” and “If your not into yoga, if you have half a brain”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/torn-between-2-lovers-feelin-like-a-fool/749728.md?page=3)