SADDEST SONG ON THE RADIO

I frequently flip channels on the car radio as I drive, desperately looking for songs from the 80s. This leaves me with at least a passing familiarity with current pop music, which is largely terrible (something it has in common with 80s music). 

There's one song I have heard a lot in the past year that I have been back in the States and it leaves me so sad each time: I Hope by Gabby Barrett.

If you're not familiar with it, do not judge the song by the title; it is definitely not about "hope" in a biblical sense.

The first time I heard it, as the song progressed through the opening lines, I thought, "Wow, a song about well-wishes, possibly for an ex ... how refreshing!"

I hope you both feel the sparks by the end of the drive

I hope you know she's the one by the end of the night

I hope you never ever felt more free

Tell your friends that you're so happy

I hope she comes along and wrecks every one of your plans

I hope you spend your last dime to put a rock on her hand

I hope she's wilder than your wildest dreams

She's everything you're ever gonna need

True forgiveness! Wishing the very best for another person! Now that's some pure, mature, biblical love. 

And then ... she continues:

And then I hope she cheats 

Like you did on me.

Oh. 

There's no love here. Only a raging hate and a burning desire for revenge. 

And she doesn't even want to settle for "an eye for an eye". No, she goes on to wish that after the new girl cheats on him, they work hard to patch it up, he "forgives and almost forgets", and finds renewed happiness ... so that she can cheat on him AGAIN.

I looked up the song on YouTube. Between its various incarnations there, the song has well over 100 million views. 

It's a song that celebrates and wallows in hate and revenge, two of the most negative aspects of fallen humanity. And it is super popular.  

And that is sad.