Cleopatra

This song finds Rivers Cuomo breaking free of a co-dependent romance with a girl, whom he likens to the legendary Ancient Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra. He goes on to wish his ex the best, predicting great things for her.

This shifts from the standard 4/4 beat to 5/4 in the chorus. Asked during a Reddit AMA about the reason for the unusual time signature, Cuomo replied: "It just came to me, that's how the melody popped into my head. And I wasn't counting beats."

Cleopatra VII (69 BC – 30 BC) was the last active pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, only shortly survived by her son, Caesarion. She is one of the most famous women in history, due largely to William Shakespeare's famous tragedy Antony and Cleopatra. Here are some more songs that reference the Queen of the Nile. "Marilyn Monroe" by Pharrell Williams (Pharrell dismisses famous women including Cleopatra, in favor of a girl who is "different"). "Pyramids" by Frank Ocean (The song begins with a dream of Cleopatra and her ultimate betrayal, before switching to another doomed romance). "Legendary Lovers" by Katy Perry (The Egyptian pharoah is name-checked ("You're Cleopatra") as well as another famous Shakespearean heroine, Juliet). "Cleopatra" by The Lumineers (Recounts how after the death of her father, Cleopatra was forced to marry her younger brother).