My wife could confirm to you that I am not a very romantic person, not by any stretch of the imagination. But it’s not for the lack of trying. Where does one learn to be romantic? Since most girls get their idea about what ´romantic´ means from pop songs, that’s where I turned. When I asked people what song they consider especially romantic, they recommended When Susannah cries, by Espen Lind. (The lyrics and listening task are below the article) When I googled him up, he seemed romantic enough. The dreamy look in his soft eyes basically screamed ROMANTIC. So, as my teacher was waiting, I found the song on YouTube, ready to listen, pay attention and do some thinking.
Ok, so the first verse speaks of a girl who is sad. She cries. A lot. Girls are said to be more emotional than boys, so maybe it is normal. Although…. Crying a hole in the ground seems a bit exaggerated. Maybe… a metaphor? Yes, that’s it. They do it a lot in poetry. And poetry is all about being romantic. It seems I am on the right track.
Second verse. She is still crying. As much as before. Crying a sad song this time. More metaphors. Good. Oh, she seems to be crying for the boy. Did he make her cry? Is it romantic? Maybe I could do that. My wife sometimes cries when she sees me trying to cook or find something in the wardrobe. Yes, sure. It’s the same thing.
Third verse. The guy tells her he is not gonna hurt her. Ok. I mean, not hurting people is good, right? And although I am not a romantic person yet, hurting a girl is not something I would ever do on purpose. Let’s go on.
What? She knows it isn’t true? So she knows he IS going to hurt her. Gosh. It is getting complicated. Ok. HOW is he going to hurt her? Because, you know, sometimes we can hurt people without meaning to. Like that time I hit my sister in the eye with a tennis ball. I certainly didn’t mean to. Was it my fault that she was too slow to duck? Let’s keep listening.
She knows about me and you. Oh. So, am I right to assume he is cheating on her? Is that supposed to be romantic? In that case, I think my wife would prefer the un-romantic me. Ok. More crying, blah-blah, oh, ’cos I am leaving tonight. Ah, that bastard cheated on her, made her cry and now he is leaving her. I am not sure I would be so desperately sad seeing such a person leave me, but who am I to understand a romantic girl.
Then the verses 1-2 repeat. Maybe to show how really sad she is. Maybe it’s just another thing that happens a lot in poetry. Repetition. Because the people didn’t get it the first time? Because the song needs to be at least 3 minutes long and the singer was running out of new ideas? Hard to say. I never really understood poetry. Maybe that’s why I suck so much at being romantic.
Ok, verse number 6. He does WHAT? Slips the night around her… leaves at 1 am… Ah, he seems to have spent a part of the night with her, a romantic night I presume, he is a romantic guy after all, and then he leaves. Quietly, so as not to wake her. The more I am getting to know this guy, the more I understand why some fathers buy a bazooka when their daughters reach a certain age. My daughter is only 10 months old. I still have time.
Ok. So that guy is leaving. Quietly. But… he hopes she will be ok? He prays somebody else will find her and love her instead of him? That’s kind of nice of him, isn’t it? Maybe guilty conscience? Oh, and he claims she will always be his baby. Now. I know life is not always easy and things can happen. Couples can split up. Boyfriends sometimes leave their girlfriends, and vice versa, shit happens. I may be an old school, but I think that when a MAN leaves his girlfriend, for whatever reason, he should definitely tell her. Personally. Face to face. Not leave her a goodbye note, not send her an SMS, not leave in the middle of the night like a thief, after making love to her. I know it is not easy to face all her tears and angry words, but that’s what a MAN would do. I don’t know if it is romantic, I have already confessed I am quite clueless when it comes to being romantic. But although it might not be romantic, it’s not, at the very least, cowardly.
The last verse. I am kind of afraid what other disappointing things about being romantic I will learn. Ok. She talks in her sleep. She says you know I will always be there. Ok. She still seems to love him. Although
Ok, let’s go on. When he hears her, he feels like such a creep. Well, at least he suspects his actions might not have been the most…ethical, manly, and decent… whatever you wish to call it. So there may be some hope for him as well.
And the last few lines…ok, he hopes her grief will pass… I guess it will. Mine would. …. Just tell her, that I loved her, now it’s all she has??? What? He thinks that the idea that HE once loved her is the only thing she has left? Well, he certainly does not lack self-confidence. “Ok, girl, don’t be upset. I loved you. Personally.” What an honour.
Ok. I quit. If this self-satisfied, egoistic, cheating, immature lovely boy stands for being romantic, I guess there is no hope for me.
On the second thought, maybe it is not the lyrics, the actual words that make the song so romantic. It’s the melody. It’s how it sounds. If so, I still don’t understand about being romantic, but it is dawning on me why the world is in such a mess. People don’t listen to the words and they especially don’t think about what they mean. They only listen to HOW they SOUND. Gosh. We are doomed.
I am afraid I am not very good at learning certain things, but I am pretty decent at teaching others. Like, languages. English. Spanish. If you are interested, there is still some space for a couple of new students in my timetable.
Task:
Listen to the song, and fill in the gaps. Check here
When Susannah cries
she cries a rainstorm
she cries a (1) ______
she cries a hole in the ground
She cries for love
she cries a sad (2) ____
she cries a shiver
(3) ______ she cries for me too
And I say I’ll never hurt her
but she knows it isn’t (4) ______
‚cos although I never told her
I think she (5) _______ bout me and you
now she cries with silent tension
this can’t be right
and the downtown special cries along
‚cos I’m (6) ______ tonight
When Susannah cries
she cries a rainstorm
she cries a (7)______
she cries a hole in the ground
She cries for love
she cries a sad (8) _____
she cries a shiver
(9) ______ she cries for me too
Now I slip the night around her
and I (10) ______ she’ll be okay
I just pray someone will find her
and guide her on her (11) ____
‚cos I’m leaving on the 1 am
by soon I’m out of sight
but she’ll (12) _____ be my baby
though I’m leaving tonight
Every night I hear her
talking in her (13) ______
she says «You know I’ll always be there»
and I (14) ______ like such a creep
please take back the love she gave to me
and in time her grief will (15) _____
just tell her that I loved her
now it’s all she (16)_____