Songs where a narrator claims to be doing fine after a breakup, but really isn't.

The Statler Brothers - Flowers On The Wall

Crowded House - I Walk Away

Go-Betweens - Clouds

Al Green - Have You Been Making Out OK?

"Sittin On Top of the World" - Trad.

Definitive: Smokey's "Tracks of My Tears" ("My smile is my make-up I wear since my break-up with you"). "Tears of a Clown" might also fit, but I think that's faked happiness in a more general sense.

Scott Walker - On Your Own Again

The Posies' "Any Other Way," sort of: "She left me alone, claiming we’d run out of things to fight about/I was crushed of course, but at least I’ve something I can write about."

John Waite - "I Ain't Missin You" - OBVVVVVV

Probably a few dozen George Strait songs but the one that comes to mind is "Ocean Front Property."

Not sure it's intentional, but definitely a bittersweet note in the melody of Gwen Stefani's Cool.

ha - the wikipedia page for "Sittin on Top of the World" (!) has this:

The ‘peaches’ verse has a long history in popular music. It appears as the chorus of an unpublished song composed by Irving Berlin in May 1914: “If you don't want my peaches / You'd better stop shaking my tree”. The song "Mamma's Got the Blues", written by Clarence Williams and S. Martin and recorded by Bessie Smith in 1923, has the line: "If you don't like my peaches then let my orchard be". In her version of "St. Louis Blues", Ella Fitzgerald sang, "If you don't like my peaches, why do you shake my tree? / Stay out of my orchard, and let my peach tree be". In 1929 Blind Lemon Jefferson recorded “Peach Orchard Mama” ("... you swore nobody’d pick your fruit but me / I found three kid men shaking down your peaches free"). In later years lines using similar imagery were used in “Matchbox” by Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis ,“The Joker” by the Steve Miller Band, an early version of "Pipeliner Blues" by Moon Mullican and "I Want To Be Your Man" by the band The Evolutionary Tree Incident. Ahmet Ertegun was able to convince Miller to pay him US$50,000, claiming authorship of the line in his song "Lovey Dovey". This verse and its ubiquitous usage is an example of the tradition of ‘floating lyrics’ (also called 'maverick stanzas') in folk-music tradition. ‘Floating lyrics’ have been described as “lines that have circulated so long in folk communities that tradition-steeped singers call them instantly to mind and rearrange them constantly, and often unconsciously, to suit their personal and community aesthetics”.[7]

Yes - McAlmont & Butler.

(Even if unintentional - I think he's protesting too much.)

The Ass Ponys - Kung Fu Reference

Flight of the Conchords - I'm Not Crying.

Boyz II Men, "i'm Doing Fine", which wasn't a big hit or anything, but has a lot of ironic lines:

"Time made me stronger, you're no longer on my mind" sung in a chorus that repeats several times, as if the singer needs convincing

"Because you let our love just fall apart, you no longer have a heart" -- these types of angry retorts don't usually come out after one has healed!

"I Ain't missin you at all" -- sung and WAILED at fortissimo, almost like a cry.

New York City

I'm Doing Fine Now

"Tears of a Clown"

people say this a lot about "irreplaceable" by beyonce to make it sound like a deeper and better song than it really is.

I'm trying to decide if Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" is an example of this, or if it is more literally a "I'm done being messed up about you and can now move on" song. I guess I need to listen to it and determine if there is irony in the celebration.

"I'm Not in Love" 10CC seems to contain an even further level of (self?) deception involving calling up and bothering the ex with the reassurances as if she is the one with the problem.

"Everybody's Here," Brad Paisley. Doesn't quite fit the bill but I love this song.

Crazee and Heaven "Not Crying Anymore"

Magnetic Fields - "When You're Old and Lonely"

actually, I'll bet there's a pretty substantial number of Mag Fields songs that would qualify.

Nina Simone - You Can Have Him

The Blossoms - That's When The Tears Start

Jason Aldean - The Truth

kind of.

george jones - she thinks i still care

I Get Along Without You Very Well (in any number of versions, cos it's a standard) owns this thread.

There's a Gale Garnett song like this on Flying and Rainbows and Love...but I can't remember the title.

'4 Strong Winds'

Narrator reckons he's off to Alberta, suggests she come along, but knows she wont, maybe she could come later? but then it would be winter, so maybe not, but hey, see you around....

She Thinks I still Care was the obvious one I couldn't think of for the last half an hour xp

I Get Along Without You Very Well (in any number of versions, cos it's a standard) owns this thread.

Was going to mention this.

Does "The Day Before You Came" (ABBA) count here?

Pulp's "Bad Cover Version"

The word's on the street: you've found someone new.
If he looks nothing like me I'm so happy for you.
I heard an old girlfriend has turned to the church -
she's trying to replace me, but it'll never work.

Another great George Jones song, "A Girl I Used to Know."

reaching somewhat but Evita's Another Suitcase in Another Hall

Carolyn Crawford - my smile is just a frown
bit borderline i know

J.J. Jackson, "But It's Alright."

Breathe by ALL (quit laughing) is a great example of this

Lush Life

Written by a 17 year old!

Bob Dylan - Most of the time

Most of the time
I'm clear focused all around,
Most of the time
I can keep both feet on the ground,
I can follow the path, I can read the signs,
Stay right with it, when the road unwinds,
I can handle whatever I stumble upon,
I don't even notice she's gone,
Most of the time.

Most of the time
It's well understood,
Most of the time
I wouldn't change it if I could,
I can't make it all match up, I can hold my own,
I can deal with the situation right down to the bone,
I can survive, I can endure
And I don't even think about her
Most of the time.

Most of the time
My head is on straight,
Most of the time
I'm strong enough not to hate.
I don't build up illusion 'till it makes me sick,
I ain't afraid of confusion no matter how thick
I can smile in the face of mankind.
Don't even remember what her lips felt like on mine
Most of the time.

Most of the time
She ain't even in my mind,
I wouldn't know her if I saw her
She's that far behind.
Most of the time
I can't even be sure
If she was ever with me
Or if I was with her.

Most of the time
I'm halfway content,
Most of the time
I know exactly where I went,
I don't cheat on myself, I don't run and hide,
Hide from the feelings, that are buried inside,
I don't compromised and I don't pretend,
I don't even care if I ever see her again
Most of the time.

Connie Smith - Once a Day

Bobby Fuller Four - Let Her Dance

Wow, I just clicked on this to suggest "Once a Day" myself. Classic!

Beck - "Guess I'm Doing Fine"
Bob Dylan - "If You See Her, Say Hello"

The Chi-Lites - Have Seen Her

He laughs, tells a few jokes. It still doesn't ease his pain He knows he can't hide from a memory, though day after day's he's tried.

He keeps saying "she'll be back" but today, again, he lied.

*Have You Seen Her

^ most heartbreaking song ever. he doesn't really claim to be doing fine though.

Weird Al Yankovic - "One More Minute"

Chicago - "Look Away"

Cowboy Junkies, "Sun Comes Up, It's Tuesday Morning". "I'll admit there are times when I miss you, especially like now when I need someone to hold me. But there are some things that can never be forgiven, and I just got to tell you that I kind of like this extra few feet in my bed."

At Swim Two Bird's "Let Her Go": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p4FbNu9ZC4&feature=related

The claim of "I'm doing fine, thanks for asking" quite obviously isn't true.

Look Away. dammit, now I'm going to have that cheesy song in my head all day.

it isn't real subtle either..."IF YOU SEE ME WALKING BY, AND THE TEARS ARE IN MY EYE, LOOK AWAY, BABY LOOOOOOOOOOK AWAYYYYYYYY".