People have already said what the lyrics are about, and they're right on the money, but there's something unusual about this song, and it didn't hit me until about the five hundredth time I heard it, and now it's the thing I think about most…
Michael McDonald sings all of the lyrics until about 2:01, when his sister, Maureen McDonald, takes over. She's listed as "backing vocals" but that's not quite right. She simply becomes the lead vocalist for the rest of the song, and after that point, Michael is backing up her. She sings all of the main lyrics from 2:01 on and he chimes in backing phrases here and there.
There are two ways to hear this: One, that the backing vocals from Maureen are a form of instrumentation to complement the lead vocalist, Michael. But what popped out to me all of a sudden was that you could also hear it as the woman from the first half of the lyrics providing a second perspective on the story, and saying basically the same things as the man. In other words, he is sorry about their breakup and wishes that they were both together, and then we learn that she feels the same way. Both of them wish they were still together but neither has let the other know.
I don't really believe that the performers intended the second way of hearing it, but it's so poignant that I can't hear the song now and not think of this.
It's a great song whatever you happen to be thinking of when you hear it.
People have already said what the lyrics are about, and they're right on the money, but there's something unusual about this song, and it didn't hit me until about the five hundredth time I heard it, and now it's the thing I think about most…
Michael McDonald sings all of the lyrics until about 2:01, when his sister, Maureen McDonald, takes over. She's listed as "backing vocals" but that's not quite right. She simply becomes the lead vocalist for the rest of the song, and after that point, Michael is backing up her. She sings all of the main lyrics from 2:01 on and he chimes in backing phrases here and there.
There are two ways to hear this: One, that the backing vocals from Maureen are a form of instrumentation to complement the lead vocalist, Michael. But what popped out to me all of a sudden was that you could also hear it as the woman from the first half of the lyrics providing a second perspective on the story, and saying basically the same things as the man. In other words, he is sorry about their breakup and wishes that they were both together, and then we learn that she feels the same way. Both of them wish they were still together but neither has let the other know.
I don't really believe that the performers intended the second way of hearing it, but it's so poignant that I can't hear the song now and not think of this.
It's a great song whatever you happen to be thinking of when you hear it.