Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: emo
Song Meaning of “Communication Blues” by Cheap Girls
“Communication Blues” by Cheap Girls is an ode to staying connected with your significant other despite being in different places. Through metaphors of technology, the band tries to convey the idea that outdated technology can’t replace human connection.
The song starts off with the line “Lately I been relying on the phone to keep us together”. Despite being in different places, the singer has been using the phone to stay close. The narrator is aware that it’s not ideal but he doesn’t seem to have much of a choice. He realizes they can’t rely on this type of connection forever and that they should meet up face to face but they don’t. This longing for physical proximity is further portrayed through the chorus; “That’s why I’ve got the communication blues”.
The second verse talks about all the technology that he has been relying on. From the “the modern lines, the carrier waves that carry us in the night time” to the “government satellites” that attempt to connect them, the technology is there to bridge the gap yet ultimately, it cannot fulfill the real-life emotional need that the singer craves.
The third verse lets the listener in on a little secret; that the singer has been struggling to communicate truthfully. He tries to get his point across but there is miscommunication in the lines “We say and we don’t mean, and we don’t mean and we say”. The implication is that the singer has been putting up a wall to protect himself from getting hurt. The narrator realizes the importance of open and honest communication in order to make a relationship work but his fear of the unknown prevents him from doing it.
The song ends with the narrator coming to a realization that technology will never replace real human connection and how desperately he needs to reconnect with his significant other. In a world of communication blues, the wish to be together in person remains strong in both the singer and his partner.