A Song About Narcissism.
This song is not one of my own.. rather, one of my idols’ and a huge influence for me as a songwriter. I said once before, Aimee Mann is so gifted where composing music is concerned, (especially dealing with the subject of Narcissism,) she could write a soundtrack to the DSM-V!
A little back story about the genius that is Aimee Mann. Some of you might remember her from the 80s band Til Tuesday. Though it was a bit before my time, I remember the song ‘Voices Carry’ vividly, and every once in a while at one of her concerts, she’ll revisit that song, and the crowd goes wild (as the kids would say.) I’ve seen her more times than I can count…I even got to open for her once. It was like a dream come true.
There are so many songs I could use as examples, but here is a 90s Indie song that didn’t get any airplay at all, and yet, it is one of my favorites. She is speaking about a breakup and she realizes, no matter if it had been her or about a million other people, they all would have been discarded in the end…and in the exact same fashion, because (in not so many words) this guy is a Narcissist. And so this brilliant song was born…Enjoy!
‘Could’ve Been Anyone’
‘It’s so hard not to blame you, it’s so hard not to put all the blame on you. Cause you knew from the start there was one little part you would not let through…
I’m sure there were even moments when you thought you might someday finish what you’d begun, But that could’ve been anyone
I lost my place in the sun, Well never mind..it could’ve been anyone
So we all make mistakes, it just figures you’d make me the biggest one…I was saving it up, now it’s spent and I don’t know what I spent it on
But now I find if you try hard enough, you can wear it down til it’s just about gone, til you could’ve been anyone
(Bridge)
Your pattern is different, from what it implies, the words may be true, but I realize…It isn’t description so much as disguise.
Don’t worry, you can learn to live without, you’ve got a lifetime to draw upon, and anyway, it could’ve been anyone
You lost your place in the sun, well never mind…it could’ve been anyone. (I think that’s enough now) You lost your place in the sun…It could’ve been anyone.’
