The song "Somebody That I Used to Know (Русский перевод)" by Gotye featuring Kimbra is about the emotional aftermath of a broken relationship. It explores themes of love, heartbreak, and the complexities of moving on.
The lyrics reminisce about the past when the narrator and the person they once loved were together. The person they loved claimed to be happy until death, which the narrator now realizes was not entirely true. The narrator acknowledges that they convinced themselves the person was perfect for them, but ultimately found their company dull. The lyrics imply that the relationship was characterized by both love and pain, with the pain being a lasting memory.
The chorus expresses the narrator's frustration with the other person's behavior. The metaphor of being addicted to their own sadness is used, highlighting how the other person tends to dwell in negative emotions. The line "Всегда в конце" (Always at the end) suggests a pattern where things inevitably come to an end. The narrator is unable to find meaning or a resolution in their connection anymore, but the other person insists they can remain friends. However, the narrator admits that they are secretly relieved that everything turned out the way it did.
The song continues to explore the narrator's feelings of being discarded and reduced to nobody. They question how the other person could simply erase them from their life, treating them as a stranger. The lyrics describe the other person's actions as cruel, including asking friends to take their belongings and changing their phone number. The narrator had believed they didn't need the other person anymore, but it still hurts to be left behind like this. The repeated line "Ты теперь лишь кто-то, кого я знал" (You're just somebody that I used to know) emphasizes the sense of loss and the realization that the person they once knew is now a stranger.
Towards the end of the song, the lyrics mention the narrator's attempts to defend themselves during the relationship, but ultimately deciding they don't want to live in deception anymore. They express a desire to no longer read hidden meanings in the other person's words. The song concludes with the repetition of "Кто-то" (Somebody), suggesting that the narrator is finally accepting the reality that the other person has become somebody unfamiliar to them.