This posts were from the original Classic Civ students’s projects in 2015. We apologize in advance – many of the links to media files (audio, video, and images) are now broken.
Parallels between Plutarch Advice to a Bride and Groom (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by Bruce Springsteen
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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Plutarch describes a good wife as a woman who is modest and simple. Bruce Springsteen’s song “Thunder Road” describes a woman named that Bruce has feelings for named Mary. Bruce admits the girl is not beautiful but he still loves her because she is a simple girl who he enjoys driving in his car with.
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The screendoor slams, Mary’s dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch
As the radio plays
Roy Orbison singin’ for the lonely
Hey that’s me and I want you only
Don’t turn me home again I just can’t face myself alone again
Don’t run back inside, darlin’ you know just what I’m here for
So you’re scared and you’re thinkin’ that maybe we ain’t that young anymore
Show a little faith, there’s magic in the night
You ain’t a beauty, but hey, you’re all right
Oh, and that’s all right with me
You can hide ‘neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer prayin’ in vain for a savior to ride from these streets
Well now I’m no hero, that’s understood
All the redemption I can offer girl is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey what else could we do now
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well the night’s bustin’ open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back heaven’s waitin’ down on the tracks
Oh, oh come take my hand
We’re ridin’ out tonight to case the promised land
Oh, oh thunder road
Oh, thunder road
Oh, thunder road
Lyin’ out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it’s late, we can make it if we run
Oh, oh thunder road
Sit tight, take hold
Thunder road
Well I got this guitar and I’ve learned how to make it talk
And my car’s out back if you’re ready to take that long walk
From the front porch to my front seat
The door’s open but the ride ain’t free
And I know you’re hungry for words that I ain’t spoke
But tonight we’ll be free, all the promises’ll be broken
There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the streets
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines roarin’ on
But when you get to the front porch, they’re gone
On the wind
So Mary climb in
It’s a town full of losers
And I’m pullin’ outta here to win
Listen to the song:
Thunder Road
Parallels between Aeneid Book IV (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by New Boyz
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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I see these lyrics as more of a modern day hip-hop version of what Aeneas says to Dido when she falls in love with him. He is into her and likes her, but he is not going to let her tie him down because he has other things that he’d rather do than live out his life with her.
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Hey, Hey (aye, aye)
[Legacy]
She aint gon tie me down
She aint gon tie me down
Cuz She aint gon tie me down
So why you on the road
You wanted all the shirts, all the hats, all the clothes
That what you want right now
what up right now,
I think you need to close yo mouth
Cuz you aint gon tie me down, tie me down, tie me down
You aint gon tie me down
Know we been together for a minute
But a, it’s kinda been forever since we been in
The kinda situation not involving other women
And it’s pretty obvious that you’re kinda trippin, like
“Who the hell is this bitch lookin a hot mess
What you fell for this chick”
You know we got problems and you failed to fix it
I’m like, “you need to go somewhere else with this shit
Cuz I aint gon put up wit you
Talkin bout how she make you uncomfortable
I mean, shit I’m only 17
And um, a perfect couples only in a dream
And right now I’m pretty much away for this relationship
I think we should wait for it
I mean later we can try things out
But not right now
Cuz She aint gon tie me down
So why you on the road
You wanted all the shirts, all the hats, all the clothes
That what you want right now
What up right now,
I think you need to close yo mouth
Cuz you aint gon tie me down, tie me down, tie me down
You aint gon tie me down
Ha, Ha
aye girl waddup
No I’m not gon make a scene
Buh you cant tie me down like a pair of shoe strings
Yea you cute, so what
But let’s get it through your head
Yea we make love, sex weed all in the bed
It’s the best and I love her but things dont change
When I’m not faithful you be feelin ma pain
Now you stuck like a stain and I cant believe that
Baby girl one hundred, I aint tryna do that
Got too many girls and I aint letting go
Cuz my life is great and you aint nothin but a hoe
Yea you come to my shows and you very supportive
Just showed me a camera and my show recorded
It was nice, I’m surprised that you still standin here
As you know I’m a man and I have no feelings
Imma start from the top, girl this aint no lovin
Im a New Boy, girl so
She aint gon tie me down
So why you on the road
You wanted all the shirts, all the hats, all the clothes
That what you want right now
What up right now,
I think you need to close yo mouth
Cuz you aint gon tie me down, tie me down, tie me down
You aint gon tie me down
Baby it’s not that time
No you just cant tie me down
Today is not the day
It aint not okay
Never gonna tie me, tie me
Never ever tie me down
Cuz She aint gon tie me down
See why you by the road
You can buy all the shirts, all the hats, all the clothes
That you want right now
But I’m like naw,
I think you need to close yo mouth
Cuz you aint gon tie me down, tie me down, tie me down
You aint gon tie me down
You aint gon tie me down
You aint gon tie me down
You aint gon tie me down
Listen to the song:
Tie Me Down
Parallels between Excerpts from Musonius Rufus (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by Phish
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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Musonius Rufus claims that a perfect marriage is one in which each parter is willing to sacrifice their interests for those of their partner. In the song “Waste” by Phish the lyrics describe how a man is willing to sacrifice all of his dreams just to spend time with the woman he loves.
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Don’t want to be an actor pretending on the stage
Don’t want to be a writer with my thoughts out on the page
Don’t want to be a painter ’cause everyone comes to look
Don’t want to be anything where my life’s an open book
A dream it’s true
But I’d see it through
If I could be
Wasting my time with you
Don’t want to be a farmer working in the sun
Don’t want to be an outlaw always on the run
Don’t want to be a climber reaching for the top
Don’t want to be anything where I don’t know when to stop
A dream it’s true
But I’d see it through
If I could be
Wasting my time with you
So if I’m inside your head
Don’t believe what you might have read
You’ll see what I might have said
To hear it
Come waste your time with me
Come waste your time with me
So if I’m inside your head
Don’t believe what you might have read
You’ll see what I might have said
To hear it
Come waste your time with me
Come waste your time with me
Come waste your time with me
Come waste your time with me
Come waste your time with me
Listen to the song:
Waste
Parallels between Sappho poem 31 (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by The Beatles
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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In this poem, Sappho talks about her jealousy when she sees a girl she loves with someone else and how it makes her feel. The singer also sings about his jealousy when he sees the girl he loves with someone else.
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What goes on in your heart?
What goes on in your mind?
You are tearing me apart
When you treat me so unkind
What goes on in your mind
The other day I saw you
As I walked along the road
But when I saw him with you
I could feel my future fold
It’s so easy for a girl like you to lie
Tell me why
What goes on in your heart?
What goes on in your mind?
You are tearing me apart
When you treat me so unkind
What goes on in your mind
I met you in the morning
Waiting for the tides of time
But now the tide is turning
I can see that I was blind
It’s so easy for a girl like you to lie
Tell me why
What goes on in your heart?
I used to think of no on else
But you were just the same
You didn’t even think of me
As someone with a name
Did you mean to break my heart and watch me die
Tell me why
What goes on in your heart?
What goes on in your mind?
You are tearing me apart
When you treat me so unkind
What goes on in your mind
Listen to the song:
What Goes On
Parallels between Plato, Symposium (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by Frank Sinatra
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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Both the song and the ancient text explore what exactly love is.
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I was a hum-drum person
Leading a life apart
When love flew in through my window wide
And quickened my hum-drum heart
Love flew in thorugh my window
I was so happy then
But after love had stayed a little while
Love flew out again
What is this thing called love?
This funny thing called love?
Just who can solve its mystery?
Why should it make a fool of me?
I saw you there one wonderful day
You took my heart and threw my heart away
That’s why I ask the Lawd up in Heaven above
What is this thing called love?
You gave me days of sunshine
You gave me nights of cheer
You made my life an enchanted dream
‘Til somebody else came near
Somebody else came near you
I felt the winter’s chill
And now I sit and wonder night and day
Why I love you still?
Listen to the song:
What is this thing called love
Parallels between Propertius poem 2.5 (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by The Beatles
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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In this poem, Propertius is writing to Cynthia, a girl he had loved, to tell her that he knows that she had been cheating and lying to him about it. This is similar to the song, in which the singer tells the girl he loves that he knows that she’s lying about her cheating and he wants her to stop.
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Look what you’re doing
I’m feeling blue and lonely
Would it be too much to ask of you
What you’re doing to me?
You got me running
And there’s no fun in it
Why should it be so much to ask of you
What you’re doing to me?
I’ve been waiting here for you
Wondering what you’re gonna do
And should you need a love that’s true
It’s me
Please, stop your lying
You’ve got me crying, girl
Why should it be so much to ask of you
What you’re doing to me?
I’ve been waiting here for you
Wondering what you’re gonna do
And should you need a love that’s true
It’s me
Please, stop your lying
You’ve got me crying, girl
Why should it be so much to ask of you
What you’re doing to me?
What you’re doing to me
What you’re doing to me
Listen to the song:
What You’re Doing
Parallels between Lucretius, De Rerum Natura IV 1030-1287 (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by Percy Sledge
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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The poem by Lucretius is about when needing to ‘love’ the physical effects should be the only thing that enters the mind. If one falls prey to the mindful effects of love they become sick and completely obsessed. This song is about that sickness. About how when a man loves a women he cant keep his mind on anything else but her. He will give up anything and do just about anything to be with her. He can never see her doing any wrong.
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When a man loves a woman, he can’t keep his mind on nothing else
He’ll trade the world for the good thing he’s found
If she is bad, he can’t see it, she can do no wrong
Turn his back on his best friend if he put her down
When a man loves
a woman, spend his very last dime
Tryin’ to hold on to what he needs
He’d give up all his comforts, sleep out in the rain
If she said that’s the way it ought to be
Well, this man loves a woman
I gave you everything I had
Tryin’ to hold on to your high class love
Baby, please don’t treat me bad
When a man loves a woman, down deep in his soul
She can bring him such misery
If she plays him for a fool, he’s the last one to know
Lovin’ eyes can’t ever see
When a man loves a woman, he can do her no wrong
He can never own some other girl
Yes, when a man loves a woman I know exactly how he feels
‘Cause baby, baby, baby, you’re my world
When a man loves a woman I know exactly how he feels
‘Baby, baby, baby, you’re my world
Listen to the song:
When A Man Loves A Woman
Parallels between Mimnermos 1 (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by The Beatles
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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The Beatles’ song When I’m 64 details the life of a couple when they have grown old together. The song has a positive outlook on age and love, while Mimnermos and some other Greek poets have the opposite viewpoint. In Mimnermos’ first poem he describes age as ‘agonizing’, that it would make a man ‘unrecognizable’. Age is a theme in love poetry that is timeless, regardless of how it it viewed.
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When I get older losing my hair,
Many years from now.
Will you still be sending me a Valentine
Birthday greetings bottle of wine.
If I’d been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door,
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I’m sixty-four
You’ll be older too,
And if you say the word,
I could stay with you.
I could be handy, mending a fuse
When your lights have gone.
You can knit a sweater by the fireside
Sunday morning go for a ride,
Doing the garden, digging the weeds,
Who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I’m sixty-four
Every summer we can rent a cottage,
In the Isle of Wight, if it’s not too dear
We shall scrimp and save
Grandchildren on your knee
Vera, Chuck and Dave
Send me a postcard, drop me a line
Stating point of view
Indicate precisely what you mean to say
Yours sincerely, wasting away
Give me your answer, fill in a form
Mine for evermore
Will you still need me, will you still feed me.
When I’m sixty-four
Listen to the song:
When I’m 64
Parallels between THe Aeneid (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by Glen Hansard
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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Similar to Dido’s feelings of dispair, the artist in this song knows that his former lover’s mind is made up and will never come back. He also sings that he still loves her despite her leaving him.
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So, if you want something
And you call, call
Then I’ll come running
To fight and I’ll be at your door
When there’s nothing worth running for
When your mind’s made up
When your mind’s made up
There’s no point trying to change it
When your mind’s made up
When your mind’s made up
There’s no point trying to stop it, you see
You’re just like everyone
When the shit falls
All you wanna do is run away
And hide all by yourself
When there’s far from, there’s nothing else
When your mind’s made up
When your mind’s made up
There’s no point trying to change it
When your mind’s made up
When your mind’s made up
There’s no point even talking
When your mind’s made up
When your mind’s made up
There’s no point trying to fight it
When your mind’s, your mind
Love, love
There’s no point trying to change it
When your love
So if you ever want something
And you call, call
Then I’ll come running
Listen to the song:
When Your Mind’s Made Up
Parallels between Bacchylides 20B (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by Lil Wayne
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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In Bacchylides 20B the poet writes about how men will drink to gain courage or have a good time. This connects to Lil Wayne’s lyrics about drinking with a girl and how that encourages love and lovemaking.
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Shawty badder than a three year old
Keep playin’ and I’ma eat her like a pita roll
I’m just sayin’ with my love I could feed her soul
Two day getaway and we don’t need our clothes
We at the pool and she lookin’ like a center fold
Two tattoos but she say she gettin’ plenty mo’
She got Indian in her family, seminal
Me and shawty go together like chemicals
And she get mad when I call other woman hoes
You send a rose, I pick some flowers and send her those
Tall glass of Merlot get her in the mode
Two tall glasses of Merlot get her out her robe
I whisper in her ear, then lick around her lobe
And when she check her watch, it’s never time to go
And with her brain she should make the honor roll
And when I came, she caught me like the common cold
God damn, you the shit
And I’ll rip my heart out and hand you the shit
And I don’t really know how to handle this shit
But tonight it’s moonlight and candles and shit
With you, baby
With you, baby
With you, baby
With you, baby
With you and only you
I say damn I must be left ’cause you the best I ever seen right
Shawty put me on, you got me gone like some green lights
See you with your girls, they probably tellin’ that he ain’t right
Bet they be the same bitches at the weddin’ throwin’ rice
Let’s get together over night
Shawty I’m a pro and you are lookin’ like the prototype
But see that I took your advice
Sometimes you got to blow it twice
Then shake it up and roll the dice
I’m crusin’ on the road of life but I need a passenger
Appetite for lovin’, Ma I’m hungry like a scavenger
I, I be on that lavender, I, I be in the bath with her
Then I gotta go under that water like a mariner
God damn, you the shit
And I’ll rip my heart out and hand you the shit
And I don’t really know how to handle this shit
But tonight it’s moonlight and candles and shit
With you, baby
With you, baby
With you, baby
With you, baby
With you and only you
Now she don’t know about me but I’mma put her on it
And she ain’t sure ’bout me but can’t go without me
We probably ain’t supposed to be together
But I wonder if our love affair could last forever
And shawty I’m with ya
Smoke a lot of weed but I could never forget ya
Then I told her to her face
If everyone was like you, the world would be a better place
God damn, you the shit
And I’ll rip my heart out and hand you the shit
And I don’t really know how to handle this shit
But tonight it’s moonlight and candles and shit
With you, baby
With you, baby
With you, baby
With you, baby
With you and only you
God damn, you the shit
I’ll rip my heart out and hand you the shit
And I don’t really know how to handle this shit
But tonight
With you, baby
With you, baby
With you, baby
With you, baby
With you and only you
Listen to the song:
With You
Parallels between Sappho 168 B (Voigt = Adespota PMG 976) (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by David Guetta
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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Both use nature as a comparison to describe how life continues beyond the loss or absence of love. As the rest of the world moves and lives, the lover is alone and isolated.
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Without you
The ground thaws
The rain falls
The grass grows
Without you
The seeds root
The flowers bloom
The children play
The stars gleam
The poets dream
The eagles fly
Without you
The earth turns
The sun burns
But I die without you
Without you
The breeze warms
The girl smiles
The cloud moves
Without you
The tides change
The boys run
The oceans crash
The crowds roar
The days soar
The babies cry
Without you
The moon glows
The river flows
But I die without you
The world revives
(Colors renew)
But I know blue, only blue
Lonely blue
(Within me blue)
Without you
Without you
The hand gropes
The ear hears
The pulse beats
Without you
The eyes gaze
The legs walks
The lungs breathe
The mind churns
(The mind churns)
The heart yearns
(The heart yearns)
The tears dry without you
Life goes on but I’m gone
‘Cause I die without you
Without you
Without you
Without you
Listen to the song:
Without You
Parallels between The Aeneid (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by Maroon 5
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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Like Dido the singer has lost his lover but he won’t give up until he gets her back.
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I asked her to stay, but she wouldn’t listen
She left before I had the chance to say
Oh
The words that would mend
The things that were broken
But now it’s far too late, she’s gone away
Every night you cry yourself to sleep
Thinking: “Why does this happen to me?
Why does every moment have to be so hard?”
Hard to believe it
It’s not over tonight
Just give me one more chance to make it right
I may not make it through the night
I won’t go home without you
The taste of her breath, I’ll never get over
The noises that she made kept me awake
Oh
The weight of the things that remained unspoken
Built up so much it crushed us everyday
Every night you cry yourself to sleep
Thinking: “Why does this happen to me?
Why does every moment have to be so hard?”
Hard to believe it
It’s not over tonight
Just give me one more chance to make it right
I may not make it through the night
I won’t go home without you
Whoa, oh, oh, oh
It’s not over tonight
Just give me one more chance to make it right
I may not make it through the night
I won’t go home without you
Whoa, oh, oh, oh
Of all the things I felt but never really shown
Perhaps the worst is that I ever let you go
I should not ever let you go, oh oh oh
It’s not over tonight
Just give me one more chance to make it right
I may not make it through the night
I won’t go home without you
Whoa, oh, oh, oh
It’s not over tonight
Just give me one more chance to make it right
I may not make it through the night
I won’t go home without you
And I won’t go home without you
And I won’t go home without you
I won’t go home without you
Listen to the song:
Won’t Go Home Without You
Parallels between Homer's The Odyssey (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by Oasis
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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This one is kind of a stretch but with Odysseus on his ‘Odyssey’, Penelope is left back in their hometown for 10 years. This song can be viewed as Odysseus lamenting his absence from her. Letting her know that he understands that she is going to have a tough time while he is gone. He wants her to know how much he loves her and how much she means to him.
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Today is gonna be the day
That they’re gonna throw it back to you
By now you should’ve somehow
Realized what you gotta do
I don’t believe that anybody
Feels the way I do, about you now
Back beat, the word was on the street
That the fire in your heart is out
I’m sure you’ve heard it all before
But you never really had a doubt
I don’t believe that anybody
Feels the way I do about you now
And all the roads we have to walk are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I
Would like to say to you but I don’t know how
Because maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me
And after all, you’re my wonderwall
Today was gonna be the day
But they’ll never throw it back to you
By now you should’ve somehow
Realized what you’re not to do
I don’t believe that anybody
Feels the way I do, about you now
And all the roads that lead you there are winding
And all the lights that light the way are blinding
There are many things that I
Would like to say to you but I don’t know how
I said maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me
And after all, you’re my wonderwall
I said maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me
And after all, you’re my wonderwall
I said maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me
You’re gonna be the one that saves me
You’re gonna be the one that saves me
Listen to the song:
Wonderwall
Parallels between Aeneid Book IV (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by The Beatles
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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I see the lyrics in this song as what is felt and said and done by Dido in the Aeneid when she is so lonely without Aeneas that she kills herself. She is so lonely that she even gives up caring for her cities, just like the beatles hate their rock n roll in these lyrics.
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Yes I’m lonely wanna die
Yes I’m lonely wanna die
If I ain’t dead already
Ooh girl you know the reason why
In the morning wanna die
In the evening wanna die
If I ain’t dead already
Ooh girl you know the reason why
My mother was of the sky
My father was of the earth
But I am of the universe
And you know what it’s worth
I’m lonely wanna die
If I ain’t dead already
Ooh girl you know the reason why
The eagle picks my eye
The worm he licks my bone
I feel so suicidal
Just like Dylan’s Mr. Jones
Lonely wanna die
If I ain’t dead already
Ooh girl you know the reason why
Black cloud crossed my mind
Blue mist round my soul
Feel so suicidal
Even hate my rock ‘n’ roll
Wanna die yeah wanna die
If I ain’t dead already
Ooh girl you know the reason why
Listen to the song:
Yer Blues
Parallels between Sappho poem 31 (Ancient Text) and (Contemporary Song) by Taylor Swift
ltc-admin, 2015-03-13 12:47
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Both the song and the fragment show how the narrator is involved in a love triangle where their beloved has feelings for another person
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You’re on the phone with your girlfriend—she’s upset,
She’s going off about something that you said
‘Cause she doesn’t get your humor like I do.
I’m in the room, it’s a typical Tuesday night.
I’m listening to the kind of music she doesn’t like.
And she’ll never know your story like I do.
But she wears short skirts
I wear t-shirts
She’s cheer captain
And I’m on the bleachers
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find
That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time.
If you could see
That I’m the one
Who understands you.
Been here all along.
So, why can’t you see—
You belong with me,
You belong with me?
Walk in the streets with you in your worn out jeans
I can’t help thinking this is how it ought to be.
Laughing on a park bench thinking to myself,
“Hey, isn’t this easy?”
And you’ve got a smile
That could light up this whole town.
I haven’t seen it in awhile
Since she brought you down.
You say you’re fine—I know you better than that.
Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?
She wears high heels,
I wear sneakers.
She’s cheer captain,
And I’m on the bleachers.
Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find
That what you’re looking for has been here the whole time.
If you could see
That I’m the one
Who understands you,
Been here all along.
So, why can’t you see—
You belong with me?
Standing by and waiting at your backdoor.
All this time how could you not know, baby?
You belong with me,
You belong with me.
Oh, I remember you driving to my house
In the middle of the night.
I’m the one who makes you laugh
When you know you’re ’bout to cry.
I know your favorite songs,
And you tell me about your dreams.
Think I know where you belong,
Think I know it’s with me.
Can’t you see
That I’m the one
Who understands you?
Been here all along.
So, why can’t you see—
You belong with me?
Standing by and waiting at your backdoor.
All this time how could you not know, baby?
You belong with me,
You belong with me.
You belong with me.
Have you ever thought just maybe
You belong with me?
You belong with me.
Listen to the song:
You Belong with Me