Admittedly this song has more sentimental value than anything else, but I appreciate its simplicity and some of the lines (of which there are few). Years and ages ago, I dated a guy who was a bit of a singer. In one of the groups that he sang in, he led this song, and it has touched me slightly ever since.
“I can’t stand to see you sad. I can’t bear to hear you cry. If you can’t tell me what you need, then all I can do is wonder why.” This opening to the song caught me right away, because I’m of the compassionate persuasion. I don’t like seeing people cry, especially those I love. While it is assumed that this song is about a romantic relationship, I can apply it more broadly than that (as I often do). I’ve come to realize that I am a “fix things” type of person. If something is wrong, I want to do whatever I can to help fix it and make things better. And I’m also fairly good at following directions – especially when it comes to relationships – so if you tell me what you want (explicitly, because I’m not necessarily the greatest with hints) – then I will do all in my power to make it happen. But if you don’t tell me anything, despite my discernment/sensitivity, I’m not necessarily gonna know that something is up or how to deal with it.
“Someday, someway… Someday, someway… Someday, someway, maybe I’ll understand you.” The chorus is a bit interesting. It almost seems hopeful and hopeless at the same time – while he wants to understand what’s going on with his friend, it seems like a long-distance goal that will be difficult to reach. The way to understand his friend, in my mind, is simply open and honest communication on both sides. And that seems to be what he was asking for in the first verse – to be told what his friend needs. Admittedly, there are things in life that can make a person unable or less able to articulate what they need, and I understand that. I know that expressing my needs isn’t always the easiest thing for me, but as I’m learning to be in adult relationships with adult people, I have to be willing to know and express what I need to help the relationship be healthy and loving. So understanding isn’t a matter of “someday” when you flip a magical switch or “someway” because you’ve just hung out long enough. It’s a matter of intentionally working with a person and talking through things.
“After all you’ve done for me, all I really want to do is take the love you brought my way and give it all right back to you.” I especially love this line, because I feel that way about some of the amazing people in my life. Despite the issues that I’ve dealt with in terms of people, I have been blessed to have some people really surround me and love me. When that is the case – both with God and with people – my natural response is to want to love them back and pour back into them as they have for me. I really think love should work that way whenever possible and be reciprocal. It would be selfish to just receive and take the love that someone gives without working to give the same back to them. Besides, love is a beautiful thing, and if you really breathe it in and feel it as it is, you can’t help but be touched and respond with love.
“Someday, someway… Someday, someway… Someday, someway, maybe you’ll understand me.” This time, the chorus is about the singer being understood. Once again, communication is the key. Just as he wanted his friend to express needs, he has to be willing to do the same. It is a terrible feeling to be misunderstood, but if you haven’t made the effort to share, then misunderstanding is inevitable. And if you have shared but the person can’t/won’t hear you, then maybe communication styles or even the relationship itself needs to be re-evaluated.
“You’ve taken everything from me. I’ve taken everything from you. I’ll love you for my whole life through.” This line is a bit interesting. I understand the part about loving someone your whole life through, but I’m not entirely sure about the first 2 sentences. Maybe it’s the process of two becoming one as happens in relationships – you share and meld to the point where you become a unit of sorts. While there are still two individuals, the give and take creates a sense of connection and oneness. Adult relationships require giving of self and working with another person to the point that you evolve and grow as a result. The language of “take” is a bit interesting, and hopefully they haven’t taken from each other in the negative sense of stripping. I am going to hope that it is instead taking in the sense of creating an intimate space that takes away the fear and the preconceived notions and the previous baggage, leaving two people who are more happy and whole for having known each other. This kind of space is the birthplace of lifelong love.
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