The tenth song that I will be looking at is “Gotta Be You” from the Up All Night album. This is the first “break-up” song that I will be looking at for this project, so I’m expecting a lot more emotional vulnerability from the guy here.
Evaluating Masculinity
The whole point of this song is that the guy is dependent on the girl. He can’t be without her. This subverts the Sex Role theory because one item that is stereotypically masculine is independent. Here, we are observing the exact opposite:
“Oh and if you walk away I know I’ll fade
‘Cause there is nobody else”
I’d also like to point out how this song is a little bit emotionally manipulative. This song is essentially saying that “if you leave me I’ll be depressed.” It’s aggressive (which is stereotypically masculine) but not in the way one would expect. It’s emotionally aggressive.
Evaluating Femininity
After looking at the lyrics, I concluded that this is a situation where the guy either cheated on the girl or did something bad in order to make the relationship end. In this setting, the girl seems like the loyal, affectionate one who poured a lot into the relationship. Take a look at this lyric:
“Girl I see it in your eyes you’re disappointed
‘Cause I’m the foolish one that you anointed with your heart
I tore it apart”
Here, we can see that it was the girl who put the effort into the relationship and, in the end, it was the guy who ruined it.
Shared by: Gabby Kohn
Image Credit: IMDb