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We're Not Who You Think We Are

Certain Songs #1970: Robyn Hitchcock – “Beautiful Girl”

December 1, 2020 by Jim Connelly

Album: Eye
Year: 1990

. . .

While Eye was mostly filled with longish and downbeat-sounding songs, there was at least one seemingly upbeat tune, “Beautiful Girl,” which is just basically a strummy acoustic guitar song, like you’d imagine a busker somewhere singing while wandering around a BART station.

I’m in love with a beautiful girl
Yes I’m in love with a beautiful girl
Well I thought I knew all about everything
But I’m in love with a beautiful girl

What I love about “Beautiful Girl” is that it takes all of the hope and optimism about the first flash of falling in love, and ties it to the tiniest bit of doubt. “I though I knew all about everything” goes directly to the brain-rearranging that happens in that first flash, because even though admits that he was wrong about knowing all about everything, he never bothers to tell us what he didn’t know. Instead, he frets about her perspective.

And she’s in love with a wonderful guy
Yes, she’s in love with a wonderful guy
Well I hope she’s in love with whom I think she’s in love
I’m in love with a beautiful girl

I’m a charming and dangerous guy
Yes, I’m a charming and dangerous guy
If you don’t expect too much it’s alright
I’m in love with a beautiful girl
Yes, I’m in love with a beautiful girl

Like I said, “Beautiful Girl” is pretty simple musically — there are no other instruments outside of a single acoustic guitar — but vocally, Robyn plays with the overdubs a lot, adding and subtracting harmonies as he sees fit, so it’s always changing, matching the tension between his optimism and doubt.

“Beautiful Girl”

“Beautiful Girl” Official Video

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Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: Beautiful Girl, Eye, Robyn Hitchcock

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Previously on Medialoper

  • Certain Songs #2389: Soundgarden – “Spoonman”
  • Certain Songs #2388: Soundgarden – “Black Hole Sun”
  • Certain Songs #2387: Soundgarden – “Head Down”
  • Certain Songs #2386: Soundgarden – “My Wave”
  • Certain Songs #2385: Soundgarden – “Jesus Christ Pose”

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