Eh, whatever. Okay, so 1983! The year of Michael, Prince, Marvin Gaye, Hathaway... wait, no, that's turning into an MKTO song. But 1983 did have a lot of stellar artists! Little River Band, by contrast, was... okay.
They only had one hit this year in "The Other Guy", and it's a solid tune. It's got this good beat, though you can't really dance to it. It's got a nice melody. It's a very... nice song.
Actually, it's not that nice of a song. It's a song about heartbreak and trashing new lovers.
The other guy won't be around to talk to our kids
He won't understand when you're down the way that I did
Oh, of course he won't. Because he's not you, right?
Yeah, the song's a little presumptuous and while it's presented in a lighthearted fashion, it's still a tad bothersome. How do you know this guy won't make a good dad and husband? It's not really your place to call, you're the one that got dumped!
And that's why I can't say I support this song entirely. Not that it's a bad thing to feel negativity about someone, but the song doesn't provide enough context or content to justify his feelings. Actually, the verses and chorus are a bit of a mismatch. The verses talk about how sad he is that his girl left him, and the chorus just starts trashing this new guy. Thematically they connect, but emotionally there's a disconnect. Not to mention the song's a little too happy for its own good.
But, you know, it's got good stuff too. Take away the mismatched lyrics and you've got yourself a solid beat to nod your head to. That's essentially the focus of the song, and rightly so. It's tight, but fun at the same time. So overall, I would deem this song "okay". Not as bad as this "other guy", but maybe not as good as, say, Ryan Gosling.
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