The Other is a late night R&B-infused pop number driven by sensuous ambient sounds, a steady electronic pulse, and warm piano lines gently floating in the distance remixed by Ari Leff, a.k.a. Lauv, a New York-based songwriter/producer/singer. He co-wrote the lyrics with a Michael Matosic.
According to Lauv himself,
The song is about coming to the scary point in a relationship where something in you starts to question if the person is really the one for you, if the love is really as true as you thought.
The lyrics tell the story of the internal battle you go through coming upon a break up. You don’t want to admit it to yourself or to the world, but it just doesn’t feel right.
The simplicity of the song is what makes it absolutely beautiful.
This song reminds me of all my friends who come to me whenever they're starting to feel confused about their own relationship with the person whom they supposedly love. Well, I'm not sure if it's right to say supposedly since according to these friends, they actually love their significant other, they're just not sure if they are supposed to be with them forever.
Just like Lauv said, there comes a time when you wonder what you can have outside the relationship you're currently in. More often than not, even though people already feel this way, doubting that they are already with the one, they're also scared of leaving their safety net, because what if there isn't any other one out there for them? What if they're just messing with their own heads, so they stay in a relationship where they will forever doubt because they're scared to take a risk.
I know, I know. It's easier said than done and that's why love isn't just a feel-good kind of thing, it's not only an investment of feelings, but it's also a gamble of choices. It's dangerous so approach with caution.
As the song said, there's no actual guideline on how to say goodbye, but as for me, once you start doubting the relationship, you can't just simply put that doubt aside and continue on with the relationship, because one way or another that doubt will start to grow as time passses and once it becomes too much, it's gonna be too late. You've already invested too much, sacrificed too much and hurting someone, may it be yourself or your own partner and if you really love someone, even though you're not inlove with the person, you'd always try to avoid causing them pain.
So even though it's hard, saying goodbye and ending things with only good memories is the best way to go. You may be in denial, or scared of going through that path but you would know in your heart that it's the right thing to do.