I feel like the song is like your standard duet songs, singing about a relationship. This particular relationship is..i feel like it's a song about modern relationships where people communicate online, via emails and facebook and videos, etc. Busy people unable to get a lot of face time together, due to school or work or distance. And they're seeing each other as people but so many of the personal details are invented or assumed or lost in the translation from digital to real life and they find themselves filling in the blanks so they can both be happy. Unable to get perfect love, they settle for 'love in a controlled environment'. And when she's communicating with this "person" she made out of bits and pieces, she's being reminded that he actually IS a real person on the other end, so, and the unintended output she's getting from the exchange is frustrating so she'd be better off with Artificial Intelligence, something predictable or controllable.
And the 'hand in the till' bit is him saying, if you see me doing something that makes you unhappy or it seems like I am trying to take advantage, just remember that I'm only human, imperfect, and almost doing what I'm supposed to do in that imperfection, by being selfish. and it's the best I can do right now because I'm limited in a way by my human feelings and needs. I don't really mean to upset you, I'm just trying to work things out and do the best I can with all these feelings and human failings.
And then he's saying 'I am what I am, what if I can't change?' And she says 'You can't fool me by changing superficially. I see you for what you are and maybe you actually kind of suck.' And then he says that he's shutting off his feelings a bit so he doesn't get hurt, and he's also closing the chat window. And she says she'll burn his computer down. Singing "I'm not finished! I'm not finished!" And then the line that takes it back, that the only things that can be hurt are just feelings, and that many "real" relationships are still only like a simulation of love. A game that both people play.
Of course, not included in the song is the part where he sends her a lolcats picture then they kiss and make up.
I feel like the song is like your standard duet songs, singing about a relationship. This particular relationship is..i feel like it's a song about modern relationships where people communicate online, via emails and facebook and videos, etc. Busy people unable to get a lot of face time together, due to school or work or distance. And they're seeing each other as people but so many of the personal details are invented or assumed or lost in the translation from digital to real life and they find themselves filling in the blanks so they can both be happy. Unable to get perfect love, they settle for 'love in a controlled environment'. And when she's communicating with this "person" she made out of bits and pieces, she's being reminded that he actually IS a real person on the other end, so, and the unintended output she's getting from the exchange is frustrating so she'd be better off with Artificial Intelligence, something predictable or controllable.
And the 'hand in the till' bit is him saying, if you see me doing something that makes you unhappy or it seems like I am trying to take advantage, just remember that I'm only human, imperfect, and almost doing what I'm supposed to do in that imperfection, by being selfish. and it's the best I can do right now because I'm limited in a way by my human feelings and needs. I don't really mean to upset you, I'm just trying to work things out and do the best I can with all these feelings and human failings.
And then he's saying 'I am what I am, what if I can't change?' And she says 'You can't fool me by changing superficially. I see you for what you are and maybe you actually kind of suck.' And then he says that he's shutting off his feelings a bit so he doesn't get hurt, and he's also closing the chat window. And she says she'll burn his computer down. Singing "I'm not finished! I'm not finished!" And then the line that takes it back, that the only things that can be hurt are just feelings, and that many "real" relationships are still only like a simulation of love. A game that both people play.
Of course, not included in the song is the part where he sends her a lolcats picture then they kiss and make up.
Gosh it's like geeks in love, it's so cute.