Musical Throwbacks: Just the Girl

So I think you all know this song, it happened to come up on my Pandora today at work so I thought I would do some close reading of the lyrics. Despite the fact that I'm annoyed that the hook ends with a preposition, it's pretty catchy and I really liked this song in middle school. HOWEVER. I didn't really think about what the lyrics mean until now so let's take this verse by verse.

She's cold and she's cruel
But she knows what she's doin'
She pushed me in the pool
At our last school reunion
She laughs at my dreams
But I dream about her laughter
Strange as it seems
She's the one I'm after

She sounds abusive. But seriously, bro...she's a b*tch to you yet you still want her? Why?


'cause she's bittersweet
(Honestly, she only really sounds bitter so far)
She knocks me off of my feet
And I can't help myself
I don't want anyone else
She's a mystery
She's too much for me
But I keep comin' back for more
She's just the girl I'm lookin' for

Ahh, here we go. She puzzles you, that's why you keep going after her. Either our guy here has a huge ego and is confused as to why a female would so outrightly reject him...or he's a masochist.

She can't keep a secret
For more than an hour
She runs on 100 proof attitude power
And the more she ignores me
The more I adore her
What can I do?
I'd do anything for her


So he likes her because she's sassy...but she ignores him. Yet that makes him like her more? He likes that which he cannot have, which sounds totally healthy. Also, the fact that he brings up that she's a gossip seems significant.

And when she sees it's me
On her caller ID
She won't pick up the phone
She'd rather be alone
But I can't give up just yet
Cause every word she's ever said
Is still ringin' in my head
Still ringin' in my head
She's cold and she's cruel
But she knows what she's doin'
Knows just what to say
So my whole day is ruined


...okay. So she clearly is not interested in him yet he keeps trying to pursue her. He also fixates on everything she's ever said to him(which, at this point I think is all mean things). Why do I keep thinking that this is going to end with a restraining order?

To summarize: This is a "nice" guy is obsessed with some girl who is not giving him the time of day. This story will be on repeat for the rest of his life. He seems to be on the road to perdition and we're just singing and dancing to it. Funny world, isn't it?