https://xkcd.com/2870

Alt text:

The Piña Colada song carves a trajectory across the chart over the course of the song.

  • Lamedonyx
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    39
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    6 months ago

    Every Step You Take is so far on the right that it doesn’t show on the chart.

  • Aa!
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    356 months ago

    “I Will Always Love You” is further left than I would have expected it to be

    • @cybervseas
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      216 months ago

      Bittersweet memories, and not being what you need right now clouds the message compared to other songs on here.

    • key
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      16 months ago

      Agreed, it should be at least “yes” for both “do I like you” and “do you like me” but “no!!” for “do I like me”

  • @frickineh
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    216 months ago

    Creep by Radiohead and Creep by TLC both kind of work here. Huh.

      • @TexasDrunk
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        26 months ago

        Think you’re kind of neat, then she tells me I’m a creep.

        Yeah, I think all three could fit there. Or close enough, anyway.

    • @grue
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      106 months ago

      I’d like to see a sequel to this comic that actually does plot the trajectories of songs that have story development:

      • The Pina Colada Song
      • Fairytale of New York
      • Scenes from an Italian Restaurant
      • Paradise by the Dashboard Light

      etc.

  • @[email protected]
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    96 months ago

    Isn’t Call me Maybe the one with the twist at the end of the music video where the guy turns out to be gay?

    • @Psythik
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      46 months ago

      Yeah seriously why is it in the unclear/neutral category for “you like me” instead of “No!”

  • Match!!
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    76 months ago

    Whose POV does this describe for Somebody I Used To Know?

    • @grue
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      56 months ago

      The independent variable (horizontal axis) represents the singer’s sentiment, so the chart is from the singer’s POV.

      • Match!!
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        56 months ago

        There are two singers with opposing POVs

        • themeatbridge
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          6 months ago

          But they both think the other is to blame for their breakup and feel ambivalence towards the other.

          He doesn’t need her love, but she’s cut all contact and wants nothing to do with him. That makes him feel like she never cared for him.

          She feels neglected and gaslighted, realizing that he was hung up on an ex before her, and just doesn’t want to put up with any more of his bullshit.

  • @[email protected]
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    66 months ago

    What does it say about a person who can hum or pick out almost any of these songs but never could have plotted a single one?

  • @Treczoks
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    46 months ago

    I would have placed “That don’t impress me much” further left, actually.

  • Sagrotan
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    26 months ago

    He forgot far down left “Warriors of the World” from Manowar

  • @[email protected]
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    16 months ago

    I kinda love this. I think this could become an organizational system for all relationship songs, sort of like the Dewey decimal system.