Somebody That I Used To Know

I really liked your interpretation of the video side of this song. However, I think the song itself is important to discerning the subtler meanings. I'll admit that I didn't scour all of the replies, but I did not see thus far anybody mentioning a few points.

1. Gotye, in his first and second verse, speaks of the relationship in his own words. Not once does he blame her during that time for the bad parts, though he does mention that she claimed to be happy. He told himself that she was the one meant for him, despite that he always felt lonely when he was with her. He compares the love he felt to an ache but still doesn't blame her. The second verse continues this theme, and ends with him being relieved that she finally ended it when he wasn't willing or mentally capable of it, and believes her when she says they can still be friends.

He doesn't start blaming her for his pain until AFTER the breakup, as heard in the refraint. He feels lied to, but most of all, he feels that he hasn't been acknowledged in all of this. He feels like he's been treated as a spectator, or worse, a piece of furniture. In his hurt, he stops referring to her as a friend, but as somebody (or some 'body') that he used to know.

2. Gotye's complaints are specific. "You didn't have to cut off, make out like it never happened ..." She doesn't even acknowledge what they went through, and she doesn't acknowledge him. The second verse, he feels betrayed because she was pointlessly sneaky, which only serves as a slight. And then she changed her number after claiming they could still be friends, which leaves him in limbo, still unacknowledged and without any real resolution to the relationship. Categorizing her as merely "somebody that I used to know," is his only recourse, casually dismissing her the way that he himself feels dismissed.

Cue Kimbra's verse.

3. The first thing she does is blame him. She doesn't take any responsibility. To her, everything bad in the relationship was his fault, even though she told him she was happy. She doesn't want to have to figure him out anymore, but then she's offended that he's tried to write her off the way she's already written him off.

When he then tries to restate his pain, all she can do is childishly shout him down. She's never pointed out anything solid or particular, she just vaguely cast blame. He acknowledged what she told him, agreed when she wanted to end it, even crediting her for it. But after all of that and claims of still being friends, she snubs him and refuses to acknowledge him as more than something to blame.

I do agree that it results in a tragedy, but in a slightly different way than you do. She still stands out, a figure distinct against the image of his turmoil (the red and green paints). He's blamed and dismissed, but she's a source of continuing emotional suffering for him, an already dysfunctional individual (who was addicted to a sad relationship that left him feeling lonely and pained). He doesn't need her anymore, but he's stuck unacknowledged and suffering from the memory of her, perhaps even addicted to that very pain she left him with by casting him off in place of the pain her love gave him.