About the Song
In its essence, “I Guess (It’s a Love Song)” constitutes an exemplificative application of a tenet fundamental to modern criticism, that a work must stand on its own; and being so constituted, as applied to the particular song, it is possible to state that a song about love, like love, means exegetically what it actually means. That is not to say that love is not a source of confusion.
I Guess (It’s a Love Song)
Words and Music by Thomas Gannett
I guess I never really understood.
And I guess you never tried ’cause you thought I would.
I have been disabused, but I’m still confused.
And I keep to what I know even if I don’t know.
And I guess I never thought I’d let you down;
always thought I’d have the time to make up the lost ground.
So many things of late past their best-by date,
but I’ll still do what I can do even if it won’t do.
Now if it happens I should say “I love you,”
and you don’t know what that means, anymore:
If you wonder what it means that I do,
what a wondrous thing must my love be for you!
I guess it doesn’t matter what I say
if what I’m trying to convey amounts to word play.
But if my point is missed I can still insist
when all is said it did amount just to what I said.
Well I guess it all makes sense, at least so it seems,
but I guess I’m still nonplussed, whatever that means.
I learn my lessons hard but I learn them well.
If you ask me what I’ve learned I’ll answer, “time does tell.”
Now if in passing I should say “I love you,”
and you don’t know what that means anymore:
if it needs to be defined, can’t you see,
what an infinite thing my love for you must be!