Thursday, November 15, 2007

What Goes Around...Comes Around -- Justin Timberlake



Lyrics:

Hey girl, is he everything you wanted in a man?
You know I gave you the world
You had me in the palm of your hand
So why your love went away
I just can't seem to understand
Thought it was me and you babe
Me and you until the end
But I guess I was wrong

Don't want to think about it
Don't want to talk about it
I'm just so sick about it
Can't believe it's ending this way
Just so confused about it
Feeling the blues about it
I just can't do without ya
Tell me is this fair?
Is this the way it's really going down?
Is this how we say goodbye?
Should've known better when you came around
That you were gonna make me cry
It's breaking my heart to watch you run around
'Cause I know that you're living a lie
That's okay baby 'cause in time you will find...

What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around
What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around
What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around
What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around

Now girl, I remember everything that you claimed
You said that you were moving on now
And maybe I should do the same
Funny thing about that is
I was ready to give you my name
Thought it was me and you, babe
And now, it's all just a shame
And I guess I was wrong

Don't want to think about it
Don't want to talk about it
I'm just so sick about it
Can't believe it's ending this way
Just so confused about it
Feeling the blues about it
I just can't do without ya
Can you tell me is this fair?
Is this the way things are going down?
Is this how we say goodbye?
Should've known better when you came around
That you were going to make me cry
Now it's breaking my heart to watch you run around
'Cause I know that you're living a lie
That's okay baby 'cause in time you will find

What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around
What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around
What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around
What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around

What goes around comes around
Yeah
What goes around comes around
You should know that
What goes around comes around
Yeah
What goes around comes around
You should know that
Don't want to think about it (no)
Don't want to talk about it
I'm just so sick about it
Can't believe it's ending this way
Just so confused about it
Feeling the blues about it (yeah)
I just can't do without ya
Tell me is this fair?
Is this the way things are going down?
Is this how we say goodbye?
Should've known better when you came around
That you were going to make me cry
Now it's breaking my heart to watch you run around
'Cause I know that you're living a lie
But that's okay baby 'cause in time you will find

What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around
What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around
What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around
What goes around, goes around, goes around
Comes all the way back around

Let me paint this picture for you, baby
You spend your nights alone
And he never comes home
And every time you call him
All you get's a busy tone
I heard you found out
That he's doing to you
What you did to me
Ain't that the way it goes
You cheated girl
My heart bleeds girl
So it goes without saying that you left me feeling hurt
Just a classic case
A scenario
Tale as old as time
Girl you got what you deserved
And now you want somebody
To cure the lonely nights
You wish you had somebody
That could come and make it right
But girl I ain't somebody with a lot of sympathy
You'll see
(What goes around comes back around)
I thought I told ya, hey
(What goes around comes back around)
I thought I told ya, hey
(What goes around comes back around)
I thought I told ya, hey
(What goes around comes back around)
I thought I told ya, hey

See?
You should've listened to me, baby
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Because (What goes around comes back around)


This song has connections to one of Catullus' poems: Carmen 8.

Carmen 8 is a poem that Catullus wrote not long after his break-up with Lesbia. This is the poem in which Catullus addresses himself, telling himself to buck up. In lines 1-2, Catullus writes: "Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire et quod vides perisse perditum ducas." These lines are translated: "Wretched Catullus, may you stop being a fool and what you see to have perished may you consider lost." These lines show Catullus' disbelief at the situation and inability to accept reality. The song is similar to the poem in the fact that the lyrics show the same characteristics in a person after his lover left him: "So why your love went away I just can't seem to unhderstand," "Can't believe it's ending this way," "Just so confused about it," "Is this the way it's really going down? Is this how we say goodbye?" In line 5, Catullus writes: "Amata nobis quantum amabitur nulla." This line is translated: "No girl will be loved as much as she had been loved by us." The song is similar to the poem in the fact that the lyrics mention the same idea: "You know I gave you the world. You had me in the palm of your hand." In lines 10-11, Catullus writes: "nec quae fugit sectare nec miser vive sed obstinata mente perfer, obdura." These lines are translated: "and do not pursue she who flees nor live as a miserable man but endure with a stubborn mind, endure." The song is similar to the poem in the fact that the lyrics mention the same idea: "You said that you were moving on now and maybe I should do the same." It is interesting to note that in both the poem and the song, the men have been dumped by the women, and although the men say that they should and will move on, they are not able to do so immediately. In lines 14-18, Catullus writes: "At tu dolebis cum rogaberis nulla. Scelesta, vae te! Quae tibi manet vita? Quis nunc te adibit? Cui videberis bella? Quem nunc amabis? Cuius esse diceris? Quem basiabis? Cui labella mordebis?" These lines translated: "But you will be sad when you will be asked out by no one. Wicked one, pity on you! What life remains for you? Who will come to you now? To whom will you seem beautiful? Whom will you love now? Whose will you be said to be? Whom will you kiss? Whose lips will you bite?" The song is similar to the poem in the fact that the lyrics mention the same idea: "And now you want somebody to cure the lonely nights. You wish you had somebody that could come and make it right." The one difference is that while Catullus is stating what he assumes will happen in the future (the girl will regret ever having left and realize that she can find no man other than the one she left), the couple in the song is already experiencing the scenario that Catullus presumes will happen between him and Lesbia.

The similarities between Catullus' poem and the song makes me think upon the idea that people react in similar ways in situations. For example, as discussed above, the loss of love makes people feel confused and desirous to hold onto that love, which keeps them from moving on. I think this pertains to relationships other than love as well, such as friendships. This makes me think that I should always make sure that there are no misunderstandings in my relationships with people so that I would not end up experiencing losses that I would regret.