Greetings to the New Brunette

The speaker describes a close, lively relationship with Shirley, mixing affection with arguments and uncertainty. At first, sharing a new room and waking up for her feel exciting. They talk late into the evening about politics, sex, and family, but their closeness does not prevent frustration. By the end, the repeated greeting to a “new brunette” suggests that the relationship may have changed or ended, though the song does not explain exactly what happened.

Several images give the relationship a youthful, unsettled feeling. Being “joined in the ideological cuddle” suggests that shared political ideas bring them together, even as their views create confusion. The speaker says he is more impressionable when his “cement is wet”: like soft cement that has not hardened, he feels young and easily shaped. “Trying the handles of parked cars” implies aimless or possibly petty trouble, while “there goes another year” adds regret about time passing.

The song can be heard as both a playful portrait of young love and a rueful look back at a relationship that may not last. The beer, classes, and teasing questions make the speaker sound informal and comic, but the final refrain carries a more distant tone. It could be a sincere message to a former partner, a sarcastic farewell, or a mixture of both; the lyrics leave the reason for the separation unclear.