Most of you will have probably heard of this song. It was not only a huge hit but was seemingly played continuously on the radio and MTV at the time of its release. It also has a spectacular view count on Youtube, I won’t spoil the surprise, but it’s well worth checking out; quite unbelievable.
Gotye has made plenty of other music. But, frankly, other than this song, nothing was particularly successful. So, he is a bit of a one-hit-wonder.
I, therefore, want to give you a little background on Gotye’s life and music career to give you a better understanding of the man and his music. Then, I will take a closer look at the meaning behind “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye. Hopefully, that will help to clear up any confusion about the lyrical interpretation of “Somebody That I Used To Know.” Let’s get started.
Early Life and Career
Gotye was born in Belgium in 1980 as Wouter André De Backer. He adopted his stage name of Gotye, a shortened French equivalent of his Dutch name, as it was given to him by his mother.
However, when he eventually went to school, he was given the nickname of Walter, again by his mother. She considered it a good English alternative to Wouter. Just to muddy the waters a little more, he is also known as Wally! That all seems like one confusing mess, quite frankly!
At two years old, to keep Wouter, Gotye, Walter, or whatever his mother was calling him that week, nice and confused, they emigrated to Australia. They first headed to Sydney but would later relocate to Melbourne. That is where Gotye first started to show a keen interest in music.
For some strange reason…
He became obsessed with Depeche Mode, specifically with the album Songs of Faith and Devotion. Gotye has since proclaimed that it was this single album that inspired him to start playing music and pursue a music career.
Hats off to Depeche Mode for inspiring someone in this way. But I do find it a little surprising that an 80s UK band like Depeche Mode could so strongly influence someone like this. Still, all our musical tastes vary, which makes music the fun thing it is.
Playing over Depeche Mode tunes in his head, Gotye became obsessed with music. He quickly picked up both the piano and drums. However, he was proficient on the guitar and is widely regarded as a talented multi-instrumentalist.
A school, Gotye formed a band called, The Downstares…
Much of his time as a teenager was spent practicing, playing, and honing his craft. After school, he went on to study at university. And, even with The Downstares disbanded, he continued to work on his playing. As well as spending most of his free time listening to an extensive record collection, he had kindly been left by a deceased neighbor.
By 2001, he felt sufficiently confident to start recording. He put together four songs, mainly using samples, and made 50 copies on CDs. Then, he sent them out to local radio stations and, after following up, received airplay in Melbourne and had a lot of positive comments and feedback. Thankfully, this was enough to give him the confidence to keep writing and recording.
Around the same time…
Gotye met with Kris Schroeder, a fellow singer-songwriter, and they formed a band, The Basics. This gave Gotye an outlet to perform live. Plus he also wrote music together with Kris. As a result, they released four albums between 2004 to 2010, in parallel to Gotye’s recordings.
By 2003, Goyte had released two more four-track CDs and was slowly attracting the interest of more fans and smaller record labels. Creative Vibes subsequently offered him a record distribution deal and released Gotye’s first album, Boardface. It was a collection of his previous home-produced three CDs. That nicely takes us to the next section.
Career Success
Boardface was Gotye’s debut album, and it was released in 2003 on CD only. Other than in Australia, where it reached #93, it received little interest and failed to chart. However, I would still see a Top 100 entry to a major chart as a success. Many other international artists have done worse, that is for sure.
In 2006, Gotye released his first single, “Learnalilgivinanlovin.” Unfortunately, little love was shown for it. His follow-up single, “Hearts a Mess,” which came out in 2007, was a little more popular. Although, it only made it to #82 in Australia and failed to chart elsewhere.
The third and final single, “Coming Back,” is also taken from the album, Like Drawing Blood. It was released a year later, in 2008, and saw little to no interest.
Although single sales were less than spectacular…
His debut album fared much better. Like Drawing Blood went to #13 in Australia and also got to #117 in the UK, which was his first European chart entry. The album also went platinum in Australia, and sales in Europe were beginning to pick up.
Gotye took his time to release his follow-up album, Making Mirrors, which came out in 2011. The first single to be released was “Eyes Wide Open,” which was released in 2010, a year before the album. This was the single that made an international breakthrough. He got to #96 in the US and #33 in Belgium.
I am sure he would have been pleased with that. But, what followed with the release of “Somebody That I Used To Know” could never have been expected. It came out in 2011, and frankly, the response was staggering.
How so?
“Somebody That I Used To Know” went to #1 on every major chart, and I mean all of them. It sold close to eight million digital copies in the US, and it sold over a million hard copies in the UK, making it the bestselling record of 2012. The song went 14 times platinum in the US and 17 times platinum in the UK.
Additionally, it went multi-platinum on most charts globally. This song was huge and ended the year as the bestselling and highest-charting single in most countries.
Recording
The recording and musical arrangement came about as a bit of a mix of samples he took from other artists and his work. He credited this as about a 50-50 split, which is probably an accurate reflection of his input.
During the writing process, when he got to the end of the second verse, he realized that he needed a female perspective to add to the song’s story.
This proved to be a very wise and pivotal decision…
He subsequently continued to write the song with this in mind. Then, once it was finished, he needed to find a suitable female singer for the latter verses. Originally, he tried a few different vocalists, including his girlfriend. But Gotye eventually settled on the immensely talented New Zealand singer Kimbra. Another good choice.
Once it was finished, he was left with an Art/Pop song with a hugely catchy melody and chorus. And a song that would capture the attention of an international audience. A big part of the popularity was also in the message in Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know.” I will look at that in detail very shortly.
Video
The video is a very artistic affair that suits the record to a tee. It begins with Gotye and then Kimbra singing naked against a painted background. You, of course, cannot at any time see anything inappropriate.
As the song progresses, each artist sings their part, and as they come into their harmonies, they begin to blend into the background art. It is a clever idea and is very well executed.
The video was well-received by fans and music critics alike. It was nominated for two MTV awards as well. But, more importantly, it has been watched more than two billion times on YouTube. This tells you all you need to know about what the general public thought of it. No doubt the video did a lot to drive record sales and digital downloads.
Lyrics and Meaning
So, what is “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye about? Let’s now look closer at the lyrics and the meaning behind “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye.
The song is essentially about a past relationship, the story of its progression, and subsequent demise. It is an all-too-common account of a failed romantic partnership. And, it’s something many of us can relate to and very probably the main reason for its success. Also, the reason for its enduring success as a song that is still played on the radio and downloaded.
In the first verse…
Gotye reflects that he had to force his feelings for his partner. Now, he thinks that he probably wasn’t in love with her in the first place. Sadly, this contrasted with his girlfriend, who was much more into him than he was into her. He was just doing what he thought was expected.
As the relationship progressed, he grew to accept the dynamics and did nothing to confront or challenge his feelings. Rather than do the right thing and put the girl out of her misery, he continued with the charade in the hope that she would end things.
Thankfully, the girl eventually came to her senses. She realized that the relationship was going nowhere, and her feelings were not reciprocated. And, much to his relief, she finishes the sad excuse of a relationship. He is happy that things have finished and feels pleased that she has pledged that they will stay friends. This seems to give him the best of all outcomes, but it is a big loss for the girl.
Then comes the chorus…
Despite having shown little or no interest in her, Gotye then moans when she quickly distances herself from him. This includes changing her number, not acknowledging him, and even getting friends to pick up her stuff from his place.
Frankly, you can hardly blame the girl. But, he is still moaning and complaining about her wanting to move on and not wanting to have anything to do with him. I mean, this guy really does want to have his cake and eat it, eh?
When we get into the third verse…
We finally find out from the girl’s perspective that the guy was difficult to be with. We are not exactly sure why, but it hints at him having all the hallmarks of a toxic partner. In a nutshell, that’s most likely the meaning behind “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye.
It’s an interesting song because Gotye hardly shrouds himself in glory and makes his character come across as an arsehole. It takes some courage to put yourself in this kind of light, so kudos to the guy. Regardless of whether this was autobiographical or not, few would ever consider laying themselves open like this.
Want to Learn the Meaning Behind Other Popular Songs?
Well, check out our thoughts on The Meaning Behind “Scar Tissue” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Meaning Behind “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, The Meaning Behind “Yellow Ledbetter” by Pearl Jam, The Meaning Behind “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles, or The Meaning Behind “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley for more interest song insights.
The Meaning Behind “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye – Final Thoughts
It has been a while since I have properly listened to this song. So, it has been fun to take the time to get to know and understand it once more. On reflection, I believe the meaning behind “Somebody That I Used To Know” is relatively straightforward.
I honestly don’t think there are any deep or hidden messages in “Somebody That I Used To Know” by Gotye. However, the strength of the song is in how relatable it is to our own lives and experiences. The words and the sentiments feel strangely familiar and unsettling to us, which is why I believe it is so popular.
All in all, it is a great piece of songwriting that is as relevant today as when it was written.
Until next time, happy listening.
