Once again, songs by The Magnetic Fields are steeped in clever lyrics. This track is also notable for being a distinctly gay song – the line “I thought I was just the guy for you” makes the gender of the singer undeniable.

A plaintive little piano line makes for a great start, followed by a nice clubby dance beat and a slightly-grunged bouncy bassline. Occasional orchestral strings, backup vocals and harmony, and a nice flange effect on the accompaniment keep things interesting while the lyrics unfold – percussion enters and the music swells appropriately as the chorus plays out.

You told me you loved me
I know where and when
Come sunrise, surprise surprise!
The joke’s on me again
I know you don’t love me
You know I don’t care
Keep it hidden better
Did I say the world was fair?

I thought I was just the guy for you
And it would never end
I thought we were s’posed to be like glue
I thought you were my boyfriend

Love or not, I’ve always got ten guys
On whom I can depend
And if you’re not mine, one less is nine, get wise
I thought you were my boyfriend

“Where and when,” “Sunrise, surprise surprise,” and “I know you don’t love me, you know I don’t care” are tasty literary treats, and the rhymes don’t sound forced at all, despite their proliferation. The story starts – bitterly, the narrator establishes that the relationship that he hoped “would never end” is over. Interestingly, his comeback is that “Love or not, he has always got ten guys on whom he can depend,” which is either just an example of bitter bragging, or maybe a little bit of insight into his situation: maybe he really did have ten guys before this one left. Either way, the line “if you’re not mine, one less is nine” is incredibly clever, as is the repeated accusational rejoinder, “I thought you were my boyfriend.”

I just hope you’re happy
Stringing me along
While you’re stringing
I’m here singing
This, my saddest song
I wish I could see you
I wish I could sleep
Should I freak out?
Should I seek out
Someone I could keep?

Bitterness! Regret! He’s trying to guilt trip the other guy with this passive-aggressive behavior: “I just hope you’re happy,” obviously a lie, and “I’m here singing this, my saddest song.” Plus the alliteration of ‘stringing’ & ‘singing’, ‘freak out’ & ‘seek out’ are more genius.

I wanted you tonight
I walked around a lot
Wishing you were here
To keep me from sleeping
With anyone who might
Want me or even not
Some guys have a beer and they’ll do anything
Anything, anything

In the bridge, I almost start to wonder if he’s actually talking to the titular ex-boyfriend, or if it’s all to himself – something about “Some guys have a beer and they’ll do anything – anything, anything.” makes me think that it could either be a taunt, or an attempt at self-reassurance.

The fade-out at the end of a string of chorus repetitions almost feels like an early-pop sort of move – think of ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ by The Beatles, for instance. I guess this isn’t a rule, but it still reminds me of that. Also, I really want this song to be a metaphor alluding to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas in christian mythology – especially because the ‘ten guys on whom I can depend’ could stand for Jesus’ disciples, although there are traditionally twelve disciples, not ten.

If we’re willing to forgive this numeric inconsistency, things actually fill in pretty nicely. Either one could feel betrayed by the other – I’ve always liked the interpretation that Judas’ betrayal of Jesus had more to do with conflicting ideology then greed; After a heated argument, Jesus made it clear was not going to start a revolution (at least not in the violent terrestrial sense), and Judas, ashamed and enraged by being so let down by the man he had thought was the Messiah, rationalizes that if Jesus won’t start the revolution himself, he’s worth more as a bounty then he is alive – at least 30 pieces of silver can buy some weapons! Also, as the group’s treasurer, he might have suspected that Jesus was merely taking advantage of his celebrity status, especially considering the story of Mary Magdalene using an expensive bottle of perfume to wash his feet, instead of selling it and donating the proceeds to charity.

Finally, upset over his falling out with Jesus, Judas wanders off drunk into the night, and meets the people to whom he will betray his former teacher. He marches off, leading them right to the place where Jesus has gone to pray, and gives him a vindictive kiss – but his vengeance sours when Jesus reproaches him, “Judas, have you come to betray me with a kiss?”

Anyway, I think the verses could work very well with either Judas or Jesus singing lines, sometimes a duet, sometimes back-and-forth, or it could work equally well with just Judas. Anyway, if you listen to the song with that in mind, it makes for a really neat story idea – which is © matt lohkamp 2009, by the way.