The magic of the original track relies heavily on its minimalist composition. Gotye built the backbone of his hit by sampling Luiz Bonfá's 1967 instrumental track "Seville" . This classic bossa nova guitar loop provided a melancholic, hollow space perfectly suited for a narrative about emotional estrangement.
The song "Somebody That I Used to Know" is famous for its , where both Gotye and Kimbra blame each other for the relationship's failure. Kendrick employs a similar storytelling device in his own deep narratives:
"Fast forward, wait is that you? With them big ol' thighs after school? And your three kids and three baby daddies same car note that's overdue? I know..." Use code with caution. Kendrick Lamar - Somebody That I Used To Know -...
by T.I., which was originally intended to sample "Somebody That I Used To Know". However, due to sample clearance issues, the beat had to be changed for the official release. The Luiz Bonfá Sample: Both Gotye’s hit and the song "Anxiety" by
: The original version of this track heavily sampled Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know". The magic of the original track relies heavily
Gotye sings about mutual resentment after a romantic split — each partner seeing the other as toxic, reduced to "somebody that I used to know."
If you want, I can:
The verse closes with a definitive declaration of independence: "I'm grown now, I'm on my own now, I'm poppin'."