It Could Be You (Live at The New Theatre Oxford, UK, 1980)

Song Meaning

The lyrics open with a series of direct, almost confrontational questions. There's an immediate tension, a mix of vulnerability and a search for connection. The speaker seems to be probing the audience, or perhaps themselves. The core tension lies between the speaker's initial sense of being targeted ("Who's the one who's out to get me?") and their simultaneous desire for intimacy ("share my fantasy tonight?"). This personal vulnerability quickly expands to a broader engagement with the listener, challenging their presence and perception. The shift from a specific "one" to the inclusive "anyone" in the chorus highlights this blurring of individual roles. The relentless use of direct questions is a powerful craft choice. From the opening "Who's the one to knock me over?" to the later "Can't you see it's really all a game?", these interrogatives pull the listener into an active dialogue. This technique, combined with the repetitive, almost hypnotic chorus featuring "It could be you" and "It could be me," blurs the lines between performer and audience, creating a shared, uncertain space. The subtle but impactful change in the final chorus to "Instead of me" further intensifies this sense of interchangeable roles and shared destiny. These lyrics resonate because they tap into universal feelings of both suspicion and connection, ultimately suggesting a profound interchangeability in human experience. The journey from personal anxiety to a broader, almost philosophical observation that "we're really all the same" provides a compelling arc. By constantly asking "Who?" and "Can you?", the lyrics don't just tell a story; they invite the listener to inhabit the questions, making the final realization that life is "all a game" feel both liberating and slightly unsettling. The direct address, especially in a live setting, makes the audience feel implicated in the very questions being posed.