Meaning of "Like Lovers Do" by Lloyd Cole

"Like Lovers Do" by Lloyd Cole captures the transience and emotional complexity of romantic relationships. The imagery of living on juice and eating out of tuna cans in a mobile home with a partner, only to be cut loose, reflects a temporary and impermanent nature of love. Each encounter described in the lyrics, whether it's with a Dairy Queen, Julia eating a tangerine, or Saturday girls keeping the narrator warm for a while, ends in a similar pattern of temporary connection followed by disconnection. The references to specific days (Friday the third, Saturday, Sunday) serve as markers of time passing and relationships evolving in a predictable, cyclical manner. Despite the inevitable disappointments and misunderstandings, there is a sense of acceptance and resignation in the narrator's voice as they acknowledge the repetitive nature of romantic interactions. The chorus "Like lovers do" reinforces the idea that these experiences are universal and expected in the realm of love and relationships, echoing the sentiment that emotional ups and downs are a natural part of human connection.