Don't Answer Me

I had the greatest love affair of my life once, and all of a sudden she completely checked out and disappeared. She wouldn't answer my letters or take my phone calls. I almost never found out what happened. (Later I found out she was an alcoholic and had started drinking again, and attempted suicide.) I think "Don't Answer Me" really means "OK, go ahead then, be that way, don't answer me. What do I care?" Meaning he's dying for an answer.

This is one of the rare cases where the lyrics seem rather clear to me. Picture a man and woman in a "magical" relationship that unfortunately breaks down in a very nasty way, with hurtful words and actions exchanged. Imagine she is very strong-willed, determined not to "lose" the battle because she fears showing weaknesss more than losing what could be a beautiful love. I'm not suggesting that all the details are laid out in the song, but these hypothetical descriptions might give a feel for what is being said: >If you believe in the power of magic, >I can change your mind >And if you need to believe in someone, >Turn and look behind He can probably see that she's not happy, and he's asking her to give him--to give *them*--the chance to let magic work. She doesn't need to be looking for someone to believe in--he's right there in her past. >When we were living in a dream world, >Clouds got in the way >We gave it up in a moment of madness >And threw it all away They had it all and yet threw it all away, letting misunderstandings interfere. >Don't answer me, don't break the silence >Don't let me win >Don't answer me, stay on your island >Don't let me in He's not suggesting this. It's more like a mocking of her behavior. I could see him thinking: "You refuse to listen to what I say because it might mean you have to let go of the anger." "Instead of reaching out for what we could have, you throw up passive-aggressive barriers and think that's 'winning,' even though it hurts us both." >Run away and hide from everyone >Can you change the things we've said and done? "You act as if you can just hide and all the accusations and actions will go away...but we hurt each other and that won't change on its own. The hurt won't go away unless we face it, not hide from it." >If you believe in the power of magic, >It's all a fantasy >So if you need to believe in someone, >Just pretend it's me If you truly believe in the power of magic or redemption, then you know you can make your own reality through your own actions. >It ain't enough that we meet as strangers >I can't set you free >So will you turn your back forever on what you mean to me? So...are you going to sit in pain and isolation, all to avoid "giving in"...Can't you open up to me again, despite what we went through?

I can see the points some people are making. Like he's saying fine just go a way. I see it slightly different though. He starts by listing the beginning of the relationship when they were lost in each other and the passion of a new relationship. During this time they didn't take an honest look at the other. As things progressed, some cracks appeared. When things were the perfect setting that things were in the beginning, she shut him out and blamed him for the problems. Most of the rest of the song is him listing the things, almost sarcastically, that she is doing to shut him out. That he feels she is the one putting up barriers to them growing through their problems.

I love this song. I think it is about two persons who were in a relationship but then seperated in a moment of madness. And now they have somehow met up as strangers and the singer is saying Don't answer me as it will make me win this fight, just run and hide and think if we can change the things that happened.

I don't know, I think the meaning of this song is pretty basic. A lot of people read too much into APP and their 'concept albums'. The reality is, much of their music had NOTHING to do with the overall concept, and Woolfson has admitted as such. I don't think you have to shoehorn a meaning into this one folks. It's clearly a love relationship gone bad where the protagonist bitterly dares his love not to speak to him. She will win, but will she really? She's out on her own island without him, is that preferable?

This song is about how fragile relationships and love can be... how you can leave someone for no good reason in a moment of madness and regret it forever. When he realizes what he had lost, he tries to fix things, to talk with her and get her back. But she won't answer. She got too hurt by his previous behavior or words. She might still miss him, but decided that it's better to stay in "her island" than to risk suffering over him all over again. She "wins" the game. He loses, as she's gone forever. But in reality they both lost. He keeps wishing someone could change the things they've said and done - maybe if he did believe in this magic, she would answer him.

I think it is about the artist losing touch with mystery. In my own specific context I guess I would describe it as he is losing touch with magic/fantasy/wonder, in exchange for science and logic ("In a moment of madness," mind you).. "If you need to believe in someone, just pretend its me." (In my opinion) It's his own anthropomorphism of science(emperic logic? better?) speaking to him throughout the song, but for the chorus, which kind of seems to me like his subconscious striving to get him back in touch with mystery and wonder. That's what it means to *me* I should say...

"If you believe in the power of magic, It's all a fantasy" A cynic never dreams for he is a realist. "So if you need to believe in someone, Just pretend it's me" A cynic does not trust anyone easily. (Btw, the video music rocks!)

dispite the video, I don't think it's about a love story. maybe it is about the difficulty to relate with someone or to believe in something in a industrial society (Ammonia Avenue is about living in such a society)

Yeah, probably the song has no meaning. But that's not what it's about. I think songs, or art in general have to have a unique meaning to each person. For me it stands for an ended relationship and that what followed afterwords. When the feelings die but you still cannot forgive entirely... Then you sometimes say or do things that hurt your ex-love. And then, not to recieve an answer is sometimes that what I do wish...