Music Review: Nickelback "How You Remind Me"

Nickelback
How You Remind Me
Album: Silver Side Up
Year: 2001
 
                 Chad Kroeger faces his past with his ex-girlfriend in the tortured     “How You Remind Me.”
                
               A guarded guitar opens the single, setting a  lamenting tone. She has to know. Without her, he’s played the role of philosopher to one girlfriend. He’s been a rebel with a cause to another. However, neither of them are actually him. It’s made him empty inside and everything he sees seems fake. (“Never made it as a wise man/I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing/Tired of living like a blind man/I'm sick of sight without a sense of feeling.”)
 
                 In the pre-chorus, she reminds that he’s a kind person with his own quirks. He stands up for what is right and believes in God but finds the church politicized. He’s not drawing himself with broad strokes, boxing himself into a label. He’s himself. (“And this is how you remind me/This is how you remind me/Of what I really am/This is how you remind me/Of what I really am.”)
 
                 In the chorus, she apologizes for not thinking of his feelings. He thought she’d tell him she flat out didn’t care. All the questions and hurt come rushing back. It led to many drinks at multiple bars. He sees the haunted look in his eyes, mirroring his own. He wants to get the past the pain and finally have good memories with her. (“It's not like you to say sorry/I was waiting on a different story/This time I'm mistaken/For handing you a heart worth breaking/And I've been wrong, I've been down/Been to the bottom of every bottle/These five words in my head/Scream "are we having fun yet?"/Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no/Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no.”)
 
                 He asks her how she could not know. How could she not look deeper into his actions. Despite her hurting him, he still cares just the same. However, the last couple of years have been rough for her, too. She broke down at one point and gave up, which unfortunately, led them to where they are now. (“It's not like you didn't know that/I said I love you and I swear I still do/And it must have been so bad/Cause living with me must have damn near killed you.”)
 
                 The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.

                  In the bridge, parts the first verse and pre-chorus are pieced together. (“ Never made it as a wise man/I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing/And this is how you remind me/This is how you remind me.”)
 
                    The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.

                    In the final section, he “yeah yeah’s” and says “are we having fun yet?” three times to end the single.
 
                       Kroeger is the in the midst of his epiphany and trying to figuring out what it all means. He wants a better future with her. However, he isn’t sure if it’ll ever happen. He simply wants to get through the conversation first.
 
                       The  heartsick “How You Remind Me” tries to put its demons to rest.