There's no question it's about an underage girl. It's always seemed a little uncomfortable to me that way, but it's so well done that I enjoy it anyway.
I assume the "20,000 days younger than me" part is hyperbolic, because that's almost 55 years... Ew. Later of course it says he is ten years older than her, so it must just be an expression that it might as well be 20,000 days since she's underage.
For reference, the Standard Creepiness Rule states that you should not date someone under (age/2)+7 (using the age of the older of the two people as the reference). So if she's "sweet sixteen" and "he's ten years older than me", then (26/2)+7=20. She's 20% younger than the minimum age according to The Rule, thus the societal reaction to their relationship.
@jon1079769
It's not the clearest of narratives, but the opening line -
@jon1079769
It's not the clearest of narratives, but the opening line -
"Margaret came to me" was all he said
"Margaret came to me" was all he said
appears to be the confession of someone else to the storyteller here. That being "all he said", the rest must be from the storyteller, or Margaret, when so quoted. At first, I thought the man in the opening line might have been Margaret's father come to shotgun their romance to a tidy ending (one way or the other), but then the lines -
She don't care he's ten years older than me
As long as they're together happily...
>
appears to be the confession of someone else to the storyteller here. That being "all he said", the rest must be from the storyteller, or Margaret, when so quoted. At first, I thought the man in the opening line might have been Margaret's father come to shotgun their romance to a tidy ending (one way or the other), but then the lines -
She don't care he's ten years older than me
As long as they're together happily (She says they will)
>
don't make any sense. So, I'm thinking that Margaret did have her relationship with the storyteller, but as the storyteller kept silent every time she said, "Mary me", and Margaret wanting a house with 15 kids, it appears she hooked up with someone even older (10 years older per the lyrics) with whom she believes will fulfill her dreams.
As creepy and otherwise weird as it is, that is the only way I can fathom any rational course of events. Regardless, it is still just a song, and disjointed, obscure lines don't have to necessarily be obviously coherent.
There's no question it's about an underage girl. It's always seemed a little uncomfortable to me that way, but it's so well done that I enjoy it anyway.
I assume the "20,000 days younger than me" part is hyperbolic, because that's almost 55 years... Ew. Later of course it says he is ten years older than her, so it must just be an expression that it might as well be 20,000 days since she's underage.
For reference, the Standard Creepiness Rule states that you should not date someone under (age/2)+7 (using the age of the older of the two people as the reference). So if she's "sweet sixteen" and "he's ten years older than me", then (26/2)+7=20. She's 20% younger than the minimum age according to The Rule, thus the societal reaction to their relationship.
https://xkcd.com/314/
@jon1079769 Funny comic and cool website.
@jon1079769 Funny comic and cool website.
@jon1079769 It's not the clearest of narratives, but the opening line -
@jon1079769 It's not the clearest of narratives, but the opening line -
"Margaret came to me" was all he said
"Margaret came to me" was all he said
appears to be the confession of someone else to the storyteller here. That being "all he said", the rest must be from the storyteller, or Margaret, when so quoted. At first, I thought the man in the opening line might have been Margaret's father come to shotgun their romance to a tidy ending (one way or the other), but then the lines - She don't care he's ten years older than me As long as they're together happily...
>
She don't care he's ten years older than me As long as they're together happily (She says they will)
>
As creepy and otherwise weird as it is, that is the only way I can fathom any rational course of events. Regardless, it is still just a song, and disjointed, obscure lines don't have to necessarily be obviously coherent.