Let’s close this month of April with something sensual, shall we? Well, it might be sexual, but yeah, I guess it must be sensual. Have you ever felt like you know someone inside out? Have you ever felt like you someone knows you outside in? It is like you do not only find someone who completes you, but also someone who comprehends you. And that someone is being another subject in the relationship you both share instead of just an object of the affection you have. It is like that someone knows you underneath your clothes; beyond your appearance and what you have been wearing all this time. And that someone loves you for who you really are. It is like that someone understands you underneath your clothes; more than just skin and bones but all deepest thoughts you have inside. And that someone accepts you for every plus and minus quality you have. And that in the end of the day, after everything and amidst any situation, you both still belong to each other and there is no other place you would rather be than with that someone. Well for me, I have ‘that someone’ now; and I feel grateful more than anything.
“You’re a song written by the
hands of God. Don’t get me wrong, ‘cause this might sound to you a bit
odd. But you own the place where all my thoughts go hiding. And right under
your clothes is where I find them.” –Shakira, Underneath Your Clothes
This sensual song I
would like to talk about is “Underneath Your Clothes”, performed by Colombian
singer-songwriter, Shakira. It was released on February 2002 as the second
single taken from her fifth studio album, “Laundry Service”. The album is
Shakira’s first album to be primarily recorded in English. The power ballad
features lyrics by Shakira with music and production from her and Lester
Mendez. Lyrically, the song tells the story of the unconditional love that a
woman has for her boyfriend, with lyrics about being worthy of somebody’s love
for being a good person and having maternal instincts. More than that, it is
about loving and being loved by someone for all the imperfections underneath
all the outer trappings.
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| "Underneath Your Clothes" single cover | source: en.wikipedia.org |
Have you ever wondered about who you really are? I guess everyone in this world must have some time in their life wondering about that. People struggle with identity all the time. Who is the person underneath the clothes? Whether it is consciously, people deal with the question about their identity all the time. Sometimes we find the answer, but some other time we do not. Sometimes we find it by ourselves, but some other time we find it through someone else. And that is what could happen with our significant other. Having a significant other means having someone to share our deepest thoughts, even our darkest secret, fear, doubt, and insecurity. And the most important of all, having a significant other means having someone who can accept all of thoughts without judging. Having a significant other is always personal. “You’re a song written by the hands of God. Don’t get me wrong, ‘cause this might sound to you a bit odd. But you own the place where all my thoughts go hiding. And right under your clothes is where I find them.”
Having a significant
other means having a person who is able to accept even our oddest trait. Having
a significant other means having a person who can see through to ourselves even
without we say it out loud; a person who is able to know that there is
something wrong even when we are silent about it. Instead of literally ‘not
crying anymore’, having a significant other means we are running out a reason
to keep crying even when the situation is very bad and sad. “Because of you, I forgot the smart ways to
lie. Because of you, I’m running out of reasons to cry. When the friends are
gone, when the party’s over, we will still belong to each other.” Having a
significant other means having someone to share our soul; more than just ‘bodies
meet’ and all physical attributes. “I
love you more than all that’s on the planet, moving, talking, walking,
breathing. You know it’s true, oh baby, it’s so funny, you almost don’t
believe it. As every voice is hanging from the silence, lamps are hanging from
the ceiling. Like a lady tied to her manners, I’m tied up to this feeling.”
Having a significant
other means having someone to rely on; a person who chooses to stay even when
everybody else is leaving already. Having a significant other means having
someone to lean on; a person who is always there in the end of the day. Having
a significant other means having someone we know and understand (perhaps)
better than we know ourselves; someone we know and understand well like the
back of our hand. I believe that a significant other supposed to be like that.
I believe that a relationship we share with a significant other supposed to be
like that. If it is no like that, well maybe we have not found the significant
other yet. A significant other, in my humble opinion, is more than just a
partner; a girlfriend or boyfriend, a wife or husband, a best friend, moreover
a sex-buddy. No, significant other is beyond those attributes. It is someone
whom we feel deepest connection with. “Underneath
your clothes, there’s an endless story, there’s the man I chose, there’s my
territory. And all the things I deserve for being such a good girl.”
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| "Laundry Service" album cover | source: en.wikipedia.org |
Manuel Castells argued that identity is people’s source of meaning and experience (2010: 6). It is the process of self-construction and individuation that involved in a person’s shaping of meaning; a symbolic identification by a person of the purpose of their action. Identity is not the same as social roles, for examples: ‘a partner’, ‘a husband’, ‘a wife’, ‘a lover’. Identity organizes the meaning of those social roles we have. Hence it is constructed. And people deal with the construction of identity all the time, whether they realize it or not. For example, they ask themselves frequently the reason why they stay with their partner or what is the impact if they make a certain decision in the relationship. Everyone can define ‘a significant other’ differently; it depends on the construction of their identity. For me personally, ‘a significant other’ itself is an identity; particularly when it comes to a romance relationship I share currently with my significant other. Having a significant other, indeed, is never unrequited. We know we have finally met our significant other when that person feels the same way. If they are not, well maybe they just are not the one.
“Because of you, I forgot the
smart ways to lie. Because of you, I’m running out of reasons to cry. When the
friends are gone, when the party’s over, we will still belong to each other.”
–Shakira, Underneath Your Clothes
You’re a song written
by the hands of God
Don’t get me wrong ‘cause this
might sound to you a bit odd
But you own the place
where all my thoughts go hiding
And right under your
clothes is where I find them
Underneath your
clothes, there’s an endless story
There’s the man I
chose, there’s my territory
And all the things I
deserve for being such a good girl, honey
Because of you I
forgot the smart ways to lie
Because of you I’m
running out of reasons to cry
When the friends are
gone, when the party’s over
We will still belong
to each other
Underneath your
clothes, there’s an endless story
There’s the man I
chose, there’s my territory
And all the things I
deserve for being such a good girl, honey
I love you more than
all that’s on the planet, moving, talking, walking, breathing
You know it’s
true, oh baby, it’s so funny, you almost don’t believe it
As every voice is
hanging from the silence, lamps are hanging from the ceiling
Like a lady tied to
her manners, I’m tied up to this feeling
Underneath your
clothes, there’s an endless story
There’s the man I
chose, there’s my territory
And all the things I
deserve for being such a good girl, honey
Wrote by Mashita Fandia
