Petty Poets Club

The songs “Compromise” and “Some Protector” on the Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye) album immediately reminded me of the popular song “Cherry” by Harry Styles off of the Fine Line album. While Fine Line is a more raw and depressing record than Kansas Anymore, these tracks’ similarities jumped out at me. Something that I have spoken a lot about in analyzing Kansas Anymore is the pettiness that has come from a heartbroken Tucker Pillsbury. This is something that I see as a prominent theme on Fine Line as well. 

In “Cherry,” Harry Styles’s pettiness shines through on many occasions. When he says, “I confess I can tell that you are at your best, I’m selfish so I’m hating it.” He’s admitting that he can see the woman is better off without him. But, admitting his resentment towards it demonstrates a huge sense of self awareness. He continues on with this judgment and jealousy when he asks, “does he take you walking round his parents gallery?” Further, the pettiness carries through in every chorus when Harry repeats, “don’t you call him baby….. Don’t you call him what you used to call me.” Repeating these lines again and again illustrates that Harry is not supportive of the new relationship and is calling the woman out for trying to replace him. He does not want the woman to carry what they shared over to her new relationship and have the same feelings and memories with a new person. This is similar to Tucker confessing in “Some Protector” about his jealousy regarding his past love “Holding on to someone new” in which he asks, “Does he love you any different?” This line is a prime example of Tucker’s jealousy towards whoever that “someone new” is that the woman has in her life. In both tracks, the men believe that the connections they had with the women were significant and cannot be replaced by whatever rebound the woman gets involved with. 

While “Some Protector” has that petty aspect to it, “Compromise” is also important in the way that his true sorrow is presented. I find that the general tone of “Compromise” is more similar to “Cherry.” At this point he is feeling less resentful and more apologetic. He says “I can’t spell us without U babe,” implying the sweet side of him that is accepting of the relationship’s end but still has parts of him trying to beg for it back. But most importantly, he encourages her to take charge of her freedom and never settle for someone not good enough for her. Ultimately, we see Tucker watching from afar and being a sort of cheerleader when it’s too late. 

Aside from these themes, my favorite similarities between the tracks is the French messages at the end of the music. In “Compromise,” after the line, “the sun will always rise” (which is to mean that despite all of the things said, life will always go on), a bright clash of delicate instruments plays in the background as a woman starts to speak in French. The voice is a bit muffled, and the translation for the message is “So where does it begin Where does it end It’s so much bigger than us in fact / One day you fall asleep (Don’t you wait on me) / Stars in your eyes A full heart / And then you wake up / With more than a memory / Was it real / Was it a dream (Let yourself be free) / In fact / We’ll never know / And to be honest Maybe that’s why / Love is so beautiful (hey) / I tell you wish it anyway” (Google Translate). This message is a bit confusing considering all of the questions that are left unanswered. But generally, I see this as a way of telling people that there is no answer to the way love unfolds in general. It cannot be predicted or changed or controlled. And when it’s all over, we wonder if it was ever real. 

In “Cherry,” a similar piece is used at the end of the track. The music slows and Harry starts to moan in emotional pain. When the moaning slows and the music stops, a recording is played of a fainter sounding guitar picking riff and a voice message in French. The translation for the message is “Hello, are you sleeping? Oh, I’m sorry Well no Nah, it’s not funny Yeah, you’re at the beach and now… Perfect, come on”(Google Translate). This message is clearly from the woman Harry is referring to in the song. And while this message doesn’t really reference love in a questioning, it does expose a moment of casual love. Love that is effortless and considerate. The simple interaction of the woman wondering where her partner was and the act of Harry saving it and thinking of it enough to insert it into one of his songs tells us all we need to know. Both people cared about each other deeply and will always look back on their love and the memories they built. But one day, this caring act of a voicemail turned into a piece of history to tell a story about a broken relationship that no longer exists. Which might just make us wonder……. “Was it real? Was it a dream?”