The Count of Monte Cristo, escapes, earns a fortune then destroys the lives of the people who betrayed him. You meet revenge in Hamlet, in Moby Dick and the film Carrie, as she enacts revenge on her cruel class mates. The Reign of Terror in the French revolution was all about revenge, as was the murder of Franz Ferdinand, which then triggered WW1.We come across it in in Kill Bill, The Gladiator, The Revenant and John Wick. Then of course there is Johnny Depp v Amber Heard, songs from Talyor Swift about her ex-lovers and Donald Trump in his legal battles. Then there is the Jullian Assange Wiki leaks case, and numerous mass killings and murders. Revenge can be via meticulous planning or blind rage. It can be one act or a series of acts . There is also a blurred line between justice ( liker Charles Bronson and Equalizer films) and a personal vendetta.
The core motives for revenge are restoring justice and balance. That is is to ‘even the score’ or ‘ an eye for an eye’. It allows you to reclaim power and control, if you have been humiliated or betrayed. It asserts identity and acts as a deterrent i.e. ’ this is what happens if you double cross me.’ Finally, there is a quest for emotional release i.e. getting even will bringing peace. Typically, these emotions are short lived, sometimes corrosive and replaced by negative vies e.g. guilt or shame or anxiety. It also chains you to the perpetrator for a long time.
Of course, revenge is not the only action you can take. You can declare your own part in the betrayal and walk away from it, to start again elsewhere and build a better life. It starts with self preservation before hopefully achieving some piece of mind. Revenge is an emotional debt that you pay the interest on every day. I like that I wish I had written that !
This a revenge song. The man knows his wife has been unfaithful but he is in no mood to discuss it or even contemplate ‘’trying again’. He knows now that all he wants is revenge. He sings ,’ I just want revenge; I know that now. I just gotta work out, when and how. Not interested in me or the facts. She's trying to cover up her tracks’
He has previously made some attempt to reconcile but to no avail, He sings ‘’ Unavailable, cold and so distant. It's not right, not for a moment. I tried to ignite the spark with affection. Lucky if she even looks in my direction’ We then learn more about this doomed relationship, ‘Seen dates with guys on her phone Blames it on me, on stress at home. I was sure, it’s what I knew deep down. Now home, after seeing a man in town’ So the cause of the problem seems to be stress at home and her new liaison. Well guess what, she is going to have more stress than she dreamed off when they go their separate ways. Sounds like he is relieved to bring everything out into the open when he sings, ‘Relieved not to have to sneak around. What I always suspected, beforehand. The heartbreak is wearing me out. Her betrayal, leaves me in no doubt’ On the other hand, she does not seem to feeling guilty at all and seems to have discussed it and even got approval from her family to call it a day. A verse in the song says ‘But she’s not feeling guilty about me. What her family think, will be the key’ It turns out she also laughed at him when he attempted to remind her of happier times, i.e. ‘Gave her an old wedding photograph. I'm hurt; but does she need to laugh?’ His coping mechanism is to hit the bottle , He sings , ‘To fill the gap, may have turned to drink’. In the end he asks for a divorce in her birthday card ( thats novel), ‘I’ll ask for a divorce in her birthday card.A ten-year marriage lost, gonna be hard’. Is that the revenge he wanted or is there more ?
