Song Dissection: "Mandy" by Barry Manilow

Oftentimes, we hear a song and we mindlessly sing along, perhaps for years, without taking a step back to pay attention to the lyrics or the back story. Every now and then, I will dissect such a song, revealing just how strange, creepy, or objectively idiotic a song might actually be.

"Mandy" by Barry Manilow is one of those songs. Because we're weird, back in law school when I was rooming with Tradd, Ryan, and AC, before heading out to the bars, we would occasionally put "Mandy" on the Victrola, crank it as loud as possible, and open the front door, so that it's soothing sounds would be broadcast down Grant Street. It made sense at the time.

When you hear "Mandy," you might assume that it's a sweet love song about a woman who selflessly tries to save the narrator from his bout with the shakes. However, when you dig a little deeper, you find something else. Mandy was a rewrite of a song written by a couple British songwriters named "Brandy." Urban legend has it that "Brandy" was about a dog. By the time Barry Manilow decided to cover the song, The Looking Glass had a hit of their own called "Brandy," so Manilow changed the name of the song to "Mandy" to avoid confusion. Also, there is a dog pictured on the back of the Barry Manilow II album, which "Mandy" is on.

With this as a backdrop, the lyrics to "Mandy" are very confusing.

I remember all my life
Raining down as cold as ice
A shadow of a man

Jesus, man, take a Valium. Either that, or move out of West Lafayette.

A face through a window

A puppy!

Crying in the night

Maybe feed the puppy.

The night goes into
Morning, just another day
Happy people pass my way

That makes sense, since people like dogs.

Looking in their eyes

No need to creep them out.

I see a memory I never realized
You made me so happy, oh Mandy

That's pleasant. It's always nice to hear dog owners praise their pets, although it's obviously a little concerning that he didn't appreciate what he had at the time.

Well you came and you gave without taking

This is just wrong. In fact, all dogs do is take without giving. For example, not once since I've owned Harley has she reimbursed me for any of the food, toys, shelter, beds, vaccinations, medication, or vet expenses that I've provided for her.

But I sent you away, oh Mandy

Sent you away? Like to a kennel? Or to a "farm"?

Well you kissed me and stopped me from shaking

This is just creepy.

I need you today, oh Mandy

Well, maybe you shouldn't have sent her away.

I'm standing on the edge of time

That's not true.

I walked away when love was mine

It's a dog. You could have kept it on a leash and/or not walked away from it. Either way would have prevented this predicament.

Caught up in a world of uphill climbing

This doesn't make much sense, since Manilow lived in New York at the time, and there aren't a ton of hills in the city.

The tears are in my mind

You should feel guilty about the dog's tears, since you, as the owner, had the ability to control whether or not your dog was crying.

And nothing is rhyming, oh Mandy

Again, this is false. "Rhyming" rhymes with "climbing." Therefore, something is rhyming.

Yesterday's a dream I face the morning
Crying on the breeze
The pain is calling, oh Mandy

Get a grip, man. You can always get another dog. Sure, it won't be the same as Mandy because, more than likely, it will take without giving, but it will still provide companionship. But this time, maybe don't abandon it or put it to sleep. Also, pain is an inanimate object, so it can't call.