Happy Music Monday! The character of “me” is one of the most popular in all of music. It’s easy to understand why, right? A singer up there can speak for themselves better than for someone else. Today Scott’s gathered five songs that start with “Me &” and thrown down the gauntlet. Can you do better? HE DOESN’T THINK YOU CAN!!!! But we’ll see.
It might be grounds for divorce, but it’s so smooth. In this one the “Me” is leading a secret double life with Mrs. Jones each and every day. It sounds filthy… but is it? Because if you listen to the lyrics, they seem to be just be sitting and talking. Is this a relationship or just implications and daydreams? Who can say? Only the unreliable me. And, maybe, the Mrs. Jones. Too bad she never recorded a song.
Be the me you want us to see. And we’ll see that me after the jump!
Janis Joplin - Me & Bobby McGee
We all know ”Me” isn’t as solid as it seems, but this particular song is a great example. Is it a love story? Is it a buddy picture? The meaning changes depending if it’s two guys or two girls or a guy and a girl or a girl and a guy. But it’s the same lyrics each time! The “Me” is based totally on our own observations. Kinda neat, isn’t it?
Paul Simon - Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard
What were they doing? Not even “Me” knows the answer to that. Paul Simon himself has said he’s got no idea what his character was doing with Julio down by the schoolyard. Just that it was illegal and Mama saw it. Any guesses?
Lobo - Me & You & A Dog Named Boo
This Me is the hero of a story that probably isn’t going to work well. This Me has a nice memory of a story when a guy and his partner and his pup could do anything and be anything and get away with anything. And then, one day, they stopped and decided it was time to be something different. And it just wasn’t as good. And they’ve just got to go back to what they had. How many of us have had the same wish? How many of us ever got back there again? The Me we are today might not be the Me we are tomorrow. It’s worth remembering.
The most basic reason to use the character of Me is to bring a little agency to the songwriter, and make the story about them rather than about someone else. Keep that in mind as you listen. The rest should explain itself.
Let us just remind you: some images come from the corresponding Wikipedia page and are here under fair use. See you next week.