Don't You Want Me

I don't care what any motherfucker says, this is the greatest pop song of All-Time.  It's the most truthful depiction of human relationships ever set to a synthesizer.

Through catchy melodies and dramatic lyrics, former lovers go back and forth, giving their histories of their dead relationship.  

All human relationships are unequal.  Sometimes one partner desires the other more than he or she is desired, sometimes there is a back-and-forth, but it is never equal. And the one who desires the other more than is desired is always in danger of insanity.  Obsession can develop, and obsession can lead to violence.

Look at these lyrics:

The one who desires the other more than he or she is desired:

You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar
When I met you
I picked you out, I shook up and turned you around
Turned you into someone new
Now five years later on, you've got the world at your feet
Success has been so easy for you
But don't forget, it's me who put you where you are now
And I can put you back down too
Don't, don't you want me?
You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me
Don't, don't you want me?
You know I don't believe you
When you say that you don't need me
It's much too late to find
You think you've changed your mind
You'd better change it back, or we will both be sorry

The pain of being the less desired one courses through each lyric, and it ends with a threat.

The who is more desired:

I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar
That much is true
But even then, I knew I'd find a much better place
Either with or without you
The five years we have had have been such good times
I still love you
But now, I think it's time I live my life on my own
I guess it's just what I must do

Dismissive of the other, questions their grasp on reality, shatters them with the awful truth: I can live without you.

I can live without you: this is the ticking time bomb of every human relationship which the more desired partner can detonate at any time, though given the sanity of the partner who desires more, the bomb can also be a suicide bomb for the one who is more desired.

This tension between control and autonomy in human relationships is captured perfectly in this miraculous pop song, and gives it an emotional depth that belies its upbeat sound, allowing it to resonate with listeners on multiple levels. It also subtly reflected the changing gender dynamics of the time, adding a layer of social commentary.

Don't You Want Me: Pop Masterpiece.