Say Goodbye

“Say Goodbye”


“So here we are tonight
You and me together
The storm outside, the fire is bright
And in your eyes I see
What's on my mind
You've got me wild
Turned around inside
And then desire, see, is creeping
Up heavy inside here
And know you feel the same way
I do now
Now let's make this an evening
Lovers for a night, lovers for tonight
Stay here with me, love, tonight
Just for an evening
When we make
Our passion pictures
You and me twist up
Secret creatures
And we'll stay here
Tomorrow go back to being friends…”
-Dave Matthews

I’m not going to elaborate much on this particular entry as I feel the above lyrics adequately capture the topic I am attempting to address….which is this--Is it possible to be lovers just for a night then go back to simply being friends the day after? Personally I would say it depends on the circumstances….as a general rule I would venture to say men (more than women) are more likely to be able to separate emotional attachments from physical pleasures. I personally have never been a fan of indulging in a “friends with benefits” relationship (perhaps I’ve seen far too many movies in which one of the friend’s ends up wanting or needing more than the other desires). On the other hand, one night stands (AKA sex between strangers-gross) has never appealed much to me either. Which brings me to my last question- Can two people who were once in a romantic relationship later revert to being only friends and still occasionally sleep with each other (without compromising their friendship)?  Or is this simply an unrealistic ideal that will only end in disaster?  Is it in fact better to sever all sexual components in a romantic relationship once it ends?  And if not, where do the boundaries begin and more specifically, where do they end?