[Verse 1] At first you’re just a character, a curiosity, a little eccentricity, a welcome irregularity. Then time removes the flattering disguise: the interruption, repetition, expertise in your own eyes. Some dominate the dialogue, some promise they’ll be there, Before arriving late and act as though it’s perfectly fair. Some wonderfully disorganised, spectacularly relaxed and somehow every consequence becomes someone else’s task. [Pre-Chorus] I learn your little tells. You learn mine. We both know where all the buttons are and we both pretend we’re fine. [Short Chorus] Familiarity breeds contempt, Or so the saying goes, I know exactly what you’ll do before you even know. [Verse 2] Some people turn up the volume when the alcohol arrives, some dispense unsolicited advice as though it saves our lives. Some promise every wonder and deliver absolutely none, some have the emotional availability of a disused telephone. Some never answer messages, some answer far too much, some always in a hurry, some consider haste a crutch. Some organise their chaos by creating more of mine and I am certain someone somewhere has a list of faults like mine. [Pre-Chorus] Because I’m not exempt. I’m painfully aware: the things that make me- well, ‘me’ are probably hard to bear. [Chorus] Familiarity breeds contempt, The sweetness and the dross. The mystery keeps our interest; the details remove the gloss. We keep each other at arm’s length, with carefully measured space, already braced for the weaknesses, already reading the face. [Bridge] Maybe tolerance is temporary. Maybe patience has a shelf. Maybe everyone’s unbearable when you know them pretty well. Because strangers get our manners. Friends get the unedited cut. And love is just discovering how much of it you can put up put up with [Instrumental with solo] [Chorus] Familiarity breeds contempt, (ohh ah oh) The sweetness and the dross. The mystery keeps our interest; (ah oh) the details remove the gloss. We keep each other at arm’s length, (ohh ah oh) with carefully measured space, already braced for the weaknesses, (ah oh) already reading the face. [outro] Familiarity is closeness, And analysis isn’t cheap. The more I learn about you, the more you learn of me. So here’s to all our little faults, (cheers!) the ones we can’t hide I’ll tolerate the ones you’ve got if you try to tolerate mine.
