Bye Bye Love

This is my favorite song by the Cars. All of their music is the best to listen to.

I listened to the unreleast version of this with Ric singing lead. They made the right choice going with Ben.

This song takes a whole new meaning when you have a broken heart.

It's an orangy sky Always it's some other guy It's just a broken lullaby Bye, bye love Bye, bye love Bye, bye love Bye, bye love

I think the chorus has all the meaning in this song. Its about how a guy is trying to get this girl but she always is choosing other guys, never him. "its just a broken lullaby", and finaly now he has given up.

It could also be said "bye, bye love" could be a reference to love itself, the idea of love. All "love" is, is a broken lullaby- there really isnt any "love" in most relations. Its "always some other guy" , thats even true when married. People often have crushes on celebs, idealized mates etc.

This is an ode to Vincent van Gogh. "It's such a wavy midnight and you slip into insane" is a reference to Starry Night. Starry Night was painted during his stay at an asylum in Saint-Remy. "It's an orangy sky" is a reference to Olive Grove: Orange Sky. "Always it's some other guy" is a reference to Sien Hoomik, a pregnant prostitute and mother of a child born out of wedlock, with whom van Gogh had a romantic relationship. "lullaby" is a reference to the La Berceuse painting series of Augustine Roulin. "Bye bye love" is a reference to van Gogh's suicide. And yes, van Gogh had blue eyes, mass confusion, and was intensely illustrious.

I like the idea of this song being inspired by Van Gogh, but I have to say that it seems more likely to me to have been inspired by a song of the same title by The Everly Brothers. The subject matter is actually Identical between the two songs about not only unrequited love, but jealousy over another man who has successfully seduced the target of his attraction. “Just a broken lullaby” is a direct allusion to Bye Bye Love by the Everly Brothers.... basically an old standard for a pop song from over 20 years prior that was still very much in the public consciousness in the late 1970’s. In fact, the song would have been iconic to the band because it was such a big hit during Ric’s formative years. The “broken lullaby” is a metaphor for a consistent pattern of never getting the girl, and the line is clearly delivered with a sense of resignation to further drive the point of how hopeless the situation is.

Do I have any sources or anything to back up my interpretation? No. I’ve never read anything from Ric on the meaning of this song, but this is my interpretation for what it is worth.

thats a good point about hearing different lyrics. im pretty sure its "clouds inside your head", listen to it. Then its "involving all my energies until you visited" thats how ive always heard it. "subsitution, mass confusion..." the clouds inside her head, is a reference to the female psyche, and creating confusion can be a part of seduction. "involving all my energies..." its about all the energy and effort courting awoman can take, especially when its one who thinks shes "illustrious". Maybe a girl who's a bit out of his league.

I always thought he was saying "It's a corn beef sky" instead of "orangey sky" hahaha. Anyway, just bought this on vinyl, it's a great album and song.

I love how Ben sings this. I love the "eyes of porcelain and blue",line.