Lyric Itâs Not Like Him

(Carly Simon/Jacob Brackman)

When Tom came home his hair was combed
He bought snakeskin boots in Rome
That s not like him
His socks are clean, his shirt is pressed
It isn t just the way he s dressed
He smiles out of context and acts so polite
He s staying at his cousin s overnight
The protein shakes, that s not like him
The carrot cakes, that s not like him
The oatbran flakes, that s not like him
And the sweet name he called me in his sleep last night
Oh, that s not like him

He whispers on the telephone
He goes out smelling of cologne
That s not like him
It s just a superficial thing
But he s misplaced his wedding ring
He s become quite a connoisseur of wine
He s quoting Yeats and Gertrude Stein
The Soho pub, that s not like him
The racquet club, that s not like him
Those books on love, that s not like him
And the sweet name he called me in his sleep last night
Oh, that s not like himI caught a glimpse of Tom today
At a checkout counter, about to pay
He had a girl on his arm
I m glad he s helping out the poor
It s not like the Tom I knew before
Something so touching it made me cry
But my heart was racing, I don t know why
Those new blue suede shoes, that s not like him
The Ray Ban shades, that s not like him
Those downtown ways, that s not like him
And the sweet name he called me in his sleep last night
Oh, that s not like him

The red suspenders, that s not like him
The berries in the blender, that s not like him
Those twelve step groups, that s not like him
And Guadeloupe, that s not like him
Those books on Zen, that s not like him
The Karate classes, that s not like him
The fishing gear, that s not like him
Not like him, That s not like him