Comments on: The Musical Talmud: I Want It That Way http://www.overthinkingit.com/2008/11/13/the-musical-talmud-i-want-it-that-way/ Overthinking It subjects the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:00:55 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Matt http://www.overthinkingit.com/2008/11/13/the-musical-talmud-i-want-it-that-way/#comment-2750 Matt Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:55:55 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=2957#comment-2750 Dear God, I've STILL got the song stuck in my head. Literally, right now, as I type this. Damn you, Howie D! Dear God, I’ve STILL got the song stuck in my head. Literally, right now, as I type this. Damn you, Howie D!

]]> By: Gab http://www.overthinkingit.com/2008/11/13/the-musical-talmud-i-want-it-that-way/#comment-2698 Gab Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:46:04 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=2957#comment-2698 Belinkie- are you saying you don't *like* the Backstreet Boys? Belinkie- are you saying you don’t *like* the Backstreet Boys?

]]> By: Matthew Belinkie http://www.overthinkingit.com/2008/11/13/the-musical-talmud-i-want-it-that-way/#comment-2694 Matthew Belinkie Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:09:45 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=2957#comment-2694 Jonathan - Yeah, you're probably right. But I think my interpretation is more interesting. And it's not worth getting that song embedded in my head unless I can go out on a limb with it. Thanks for reading! - Matt Jonathan -

Yeah, you’re probably right. But I think my interpretation is more interesting. And it’s not worth getting that song embedded in my head unless I can go out on a limb with it.

Thanks for reading!

- Matt

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.overthinkingit.com/2008/11/13/the-musical-talmud-i-want-it-that-way/#comment-2692 Jonathan Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:11:12 +0000 http://www.overthinkingit.com/?p=2957#comment-2692 While it would be more logical to have the lyric as "you want it that way," the overall interpretation of the song works better if the singer is directly quoting what he doesn't want her to say. Thus, “I never want to hear you say, ‘I want it that way,’” is, I feel, the best possible punctuation and meaning for this particular text in the absence of established punctuational norms. I think that the line "Don't wanna hear you say it" is the best indicator that this is the correct interpretation, as the pronoun indicates that we're dealing with a specific thing. While it would be more logical to have the lyric as “you want it that way,” the overall interpretation of the song works better if the singer is directly quoting what he doesn’t want her to say. Thus, “I never want to hear you say, ‘I want it that way,’” is, I feel, the best possible punctuation and meaning for this particular text in the absence of established punctuational norms. I think that the line “Don’t wanna hear you say it” is the best indicator that this is the correct interpretation, as the pronoun indicates that we’re dealing with a specific thing.

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