Musical Gems - Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend

Music resonates with emotion, and love is one of the strongest emotions.  Last week I did a blog post about Dan Fogelberg's song, "Same Old Lang Syne," which was about an encounter with and old flame.  Today and tomorrow I am posting songs about unrequited love.  That is, love that is not returned by the object of one's affection.

The first is "Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend", by Lobo.  Lobo is the stage name of Roland Kent LaVoie, who was born in 1943 in Tallahassee, Florida.  He had a string of soft rock \ easy listening hits in the Seventies.  These included, "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" and "I'd Love You to Want Me."  This song and "I'd love You to Want Me," are both from his 1972 album, Of a Simple Man.

This is a song for anyone who has loved someone, but has been fated to "just be friends."  It's poignant, sad, heart-rending, painful, wistful, forelorn, pensive.  Check your thesarus for other good adjectives.  The singer is not angry or bitter, just in love with a woman he has come to realize will never view him as anything more than a friend.  "I love you too much to ever start liking you.

So don't expect me to be your friend."

On it's face, the song is very simple with the bass and acoustic guitar driving most of the harmony.  Like many of the soft rock songs (or pop songs in general) of the time, there is an orchestral track as well which gives the song a rich, mellow feel.

I stopped sending flowers to your apartment

You said you aren't home much anymore

I stopped dropping by without an appointment

Cause I'd hear laughter coming through your door.

Sometimes late at night you'll still call me

Just before you close your eyes to sleep

You make me vow to try and stop by sometime

Baby that's a promise I can't keep.

I love you too much to ever start liking you

So lets just let the story kinda end

I love you too much to ever start liking you

So don't expect me to be your friend.

I don't walk down through the village or other places

That we used to go to all the time

I'm trying to erase you from my memory

Cause thinking of you jumbles up my mind.

You always act so happy when I see you

You smile that way you take my hand and then

Introduce me to your latest lover

That's when I feel the walls start crashing in

Songwriters: Kent Lavoie

Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

This song made it to #8 on the Billboard charts in 1972.  It was a number one hit on the Easy Listening chart.