Song Meaning
The narrator is consumed by anxiety over an upcoming Wednesday visit from his girlfriend, Amy. He’s already dreading Thursday, fearing disappointment and the need to contact someone named Orville Stoeber, perhaps for advice or intervention. The looming visit is framed not as a joyful reunion, but as a potential source of further heartache, highlighting a deep insecurity about the relationship's stability and his own worthiness.
The core tension lies in the narrator's conflicting desires and fears. He desperately wants Amy to love him, even admitting "I love you anyway" despite the apparent instability of their connection. Yet, he simultaneously acknowledges, "we should not fall in love," suggesting a self-awareness of the relationship's unsuitability or his own inability to sustain it. This internal conflict fuels his dread of the impending Wednesday.
The lyrics cleverly weave in specific details that amplify the emotional weight. The mention of Amy having "gone back to Sweden" creates a sense of distance and transience, making the narrator’s plea to "get back in touch with you Saturday" feel particularly desperate. The repeated question, "Will I be disappointed this Thursday?" underscores a pattern of negative anticipation, while the introduction of "Robert Steven" and "Orville Stoeber" adds a layer of mundane, almost bureaucratic, reality to his emotional turmoil.
This song hits hard because it captures the paralyzing fear of vulnerability in love. The narrator’s focus on specific days – Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday – grounds his abstract anxieties in a tangible timeline, making his dread feel immediate and inescapable. The contrast between his stated love and his foreboding about the future reveals a raw, relatable struggle with self-doubt and the precariousness of romantic connection.