Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

From time to time I like to completely over-analyze the lyrics to pop songs.  Songs that are meant to just be catchy and not scrutinized.  

I once wrote a diatribe on how the song "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You" by Heart is considered a love song when it is actually the story of a woman picking up a hitchhiker for the express purpose of getting herself knocked up because her husband is sterile.

So today I'd like to talk about how the song "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham! is the story of a couple who are fundamentally wrong for each other and really need to break up.  And are probably going to before long.

(At some point I may have to follow this up with my thoughts on the fact that "Father Figure" might be the creepiest song ever written.)

Did she go to bed in this make-up?
The first clue that something was up.

Now the lyrics start off by telling you right off the bat that they are having problems:

But something's bugging you

Something ain't right

My best friend told me what you did last night

Left me sleepin' in my bed

I was dreaming, but I should have been with you instead.

So ok, maybe we're supposed to think they just had a little fight and the significant other in question just wanted to blow off some steam.  

But there are other issues here.

First of all, the fact that he asks that she take him with her when she goes out dancing because he doesn't want to miss it when she 'hits that high' seems to imply that she does this a lot and maybe just wants to get away from this guy.

And that she might also be some kind of drug addict.  I don't know.

Furthermore, when did she leave?  I mean, he says he was sleeping when she left so either he goes to bed early or she goes out dancing late.  Either way they appear to be on very different schedules and live different lifestyles and that has to be difficult.

Also, his best friend told him what she did last night?  Why does his best friend know what his girlfriend is doing at night when he doesn't?  She snuck out of bed with you in the middle of the night and went out with your best friend?  Questionable.

All throughout the song he keeps asking her to wake him up before she go-goes but then towards the end we get this verse:

Cuddle up, baby, move in tight

We'll go dancing tomorrow night

It's cold out there, but it's warm in bed

They can dance, we'll stay home instead.

Maybe this is why she didn't wake you up George Michael.  Because she knew you didn't really want to go dancing and you would try to talk her out of it.  I mean, you go to bed early and then you act like you're all upset that she went without you and then you say you want to stay home anyway.  You're not going to want to go dancing tomorrow night either and you both know it.

It seems obvious to me that this guy is a clingy homebody who is trying to hold on to a party girl who's having an affair with his best friend.

Of course there's also the fact that he's totally gay.  That's going to be a problem at some point too.

Do you know how hard it is to decide
which picture of Wham! is the gayest?