Freaks & Geeks

The world still is the same, you never change it As sure as the stars shine above Well, you’re nobody til somebody loves you So find yourself somebody to love

- “You’re Nobody Until Someone Loves You“ by Dean Martin

Scrambling to try and find a song to write about in this post, I got inspiration in a place that has helped me before. In this small coffee shop on this quiet Sunday afternoon, I sat patiently waiting for lightning to strike or inspiration to just hit me in the face. Over the intercom, as I sipped on my coffee, I was suddenly serenated by the one and only, Dean Martin. I have to admit (and I am sorry for this Mr. Martin, sir) he was never my favorite member of the Rat Pack. That “accolade” goes exclusively to Sammy Davis, Jr but I digress.

While I pride myself of knowing the standard singers of the 50′s, it wasn’t until recently, give or take 2 or 3 years, that I grew more infatuated with the ever suave, Dean Martin. Immediately, I was transported out of the coffee shop and into the memory of the first time I heard the crooner sing.

The particular song I fell in love with was, un-ironically, “You’re Nobody Til Somebody Loves You.” While watching an episode of Freaks and Geeks titled “Noshing and Moshing”, the final scene stood out to me. If you haven’t seen the show, music acts as an important character. Sprinkled throughout it are these wonderful moments, where songs are used to convey character’s feelings, all with them not saying a single word. This scene in particular does just that. It is the reason why it is my favorite scene and episode of the short-lived series.

Disclaimer: The video kind of repeats the video with no sound at 2:13 so you can stop watch it then.

The scene plays the whole song, transforming it into three distinct stories. First, is the excitement of a new found relationship. The words of the song represent the feelings of a person who is seeing everything in “color” for the first time. Second, is the revelation of a relationship chipping away at itself, bit by bit. The song, in this instance, is haunting. The words of the song are hollow, almost ironic. Lastly, the scene ends with our last mini vignette: an embrace, signifying the comfort and safety of finding a relationship, whether it be a romantic or a platonic. This visual made me realize how flexible the interpretation of this song was. However, it wasn’t until the song accidentally played, that I realized its true meaning to me.

I don’t remember the exact details of this instance. The only thing I do remember is the person who said it. We were both very different people to begin with. Looking back, I am not surprised she responded this way. I didn’t seem to notice that the song was playing until I heard an audible groan next to me. At first, I was taken a back. The song was pretty harmless. Then, she looked at me and said “Ew” during the titular part.

Not going to lie I was a tad bit offended. I think I may have been a little too offended with the comment. It’s not like I wrote the lyrics myself, but in my mind I did have ownership of them. Like all music, it represents something so much more to me, then the lyrics on the page. It reminds me of specific places where I was at in my life. In this particular place in my life, I wasn’t madly in love with anyone. I was just happy where everything was at. I had the support and love from so many people. I felt secure for once. I had a net beneath me to give me everything I could ever ask for. The song almost sort of knocked me over the head. It made me stop and look around at the love that had been all around me.

For me, it wasn’t that Martin was saying that you needed to find a “soulmate” to be complete. It was just the very concept of loving someone, of caring for someone other than yourself. No change can be made, within yourself or the world around you, unless you experience that kind of selflessness.

You’re nobody til somebody loves you You’re nobody til somebody cares You may be king, you may possess the world and it’s gold But gold won’t bring you happiness when you’re growing old The world still is the same, you never change it As sure as the stars shine above You’re nobody til somebody loves you So find yourself somebody to love

All while she looked at me, I found myself confronting the reason why I loved this song. Then, everything rushed to the front of my head. The song was a love letter to a community, not to any sort of prince charming.

But I stopped myself from saying anything and for me, at the moment, that was hard to do since we had already butted heads on several things before.

Why, you might ask? Because, like any poem/book/piece of art, interpretation is what keeps all of these things alive. It creates a conversation, but my comment would have stopped it completely. Instead of getting defensive, I became inquisitive. I saw it from her perspective, and I tried to understand it as much as my own.

Although it didn’t change my mind, I was reminded again of that scene. I then smiled to myself and walked away as the song played in my headphones.