The English Beat – I Confess

Just out of spite,
I confess I've ruined three lives
Now don't sleep so tight
Because I didn't care till I found out that one of them was mine

Night after night time time after time
Done too much of both types of whining
Still wasn't right fight after fight
To get out of my life get away from me get away from that gun

No it's not a joke it's cards on the table time
I could have phoned I could have spoke
But how to break the news without beaking your heart

Being dead don't hurt,
No only dying
Cards on the table time,
Sometimes it's right to say goodnight

Always searching for paradise,
I'll admit that I'm good as blind
Darling I confess yes I've ruined three lives
And didn't care till I found out that one of them was mine

I confess
Our love seems like a punishment
And I confess,
If it's all the same to you I'll stay indifferent

I confess I confess I confess
I confess I confess I confess

No-one wins and there's no denying,
Don't pretend like you don't know why,
Just a little word here a little push there darling
I confess look I confess that I don't really care

I confess I confess I confess
Out like a light
Another boy who's given up trying
Blinded by fright

He scream my life's not open
Please get out,
I know I'm shouting,
I like to shout

It's not a joke it's cards on the table time
It's not a joke it's cards on the table time
I could have phoned I could spoke

But how to break the news without beaking your heart
Being dead don't hurt,
No only dying
Cards on the table time,
Sometimes it's right to say goodnight

Always searching for paradise,
I'll admit that I'm good as blind
Darling I confess yes I've ruined three lives
didn't care till I found out that one of them was mine

I confess
I deserve some type of punishment
I confess
If it's all the same to you I'll stay indifferent

I confess I confess I confess
I confess I confess I confess
I confess I confess I confess
I confess I confess I confess
I confess I confess I confess


Lyrics submitted by planetearth

"I Confess" as written by David Wakeling Wesley Magoogan

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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I Confess song meanings
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14 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment"Because I didn't care till I found out that one of them was mine."
    Sounds like a man who lives life by just having fun by going to clubs and having intercourse with randoms. Then one day he finds out that he is a father.

    "Still wasn't right fight after fight"
    I think this bit means he got together with the woman who was the mother of his child but she didn't want to be with him, and he is really making an effort to be with the son.

    "Sometimes it's right to say goodnight"
    I think at this part he means that maybe it'd be best for the child if he stopped trying, and maybe he's only causing pain for everyone?

    "Always searching for paradise"
    Going back to my initial idea of him being a careless bachelor.

    "If it's all the same to you I'll stay indifferent"
    And now I think this is his message to the woman saying, "If you don't want this to go anywhere it won't"

    "Out like a light, another boy who's given up trying"
    I think this part is later on, and the boy's opinion of this whole matter is that he's not something to be angrily fought over.



    That's my interpretation of it, to me it's either that or something relative to trying to commit suicide to prove a point. (Only because of all the references to death)
    Dirtmouthon July 01, 2007   Link
  • +1
    My InterpretationThe song works because it represents a true breakup feeling. There is no one feeling just an avalanche of emotion. When you breakup everyone gets hurt or dead, including your self. During the relationship you compromise 50/50 trying hard to make it work. Then the end where you give up trying. The "confession", the admonishment to get out of my life. The old life dying, the other person hitting back like a gun with their remembered promises. You admit your clueless when it comes to life.
    Through all this you worry about breaking their heart, because you know how drastically for the worst your life will change. Sometimes the dying in a relationship is twice as bad as he solitary end.
    Also key is the fact that all relationships affect more than one. Relatives, new loves, friends, yourself will all be terribly scarred.
    Ah but he is mature enough to know that the freedom will be laced with an almost never ending pain, and quiet desperation.
    The balance between the sensitivity and the angry bravado to make the change make this song a forever hidden classic.
    raneldo62on March 03, 2015   Link
  • 0
    General CommentAwesome song. I'm not even sure where to start interpreting this one. It seems that by this time, the Beat were talking less about typical ska themes (unity, politics, etc) and more about relationships, love, women, etc. (other songs on the album include End of the Party and Jeanette). If I had to take a stab at this one, I'd guess that it's about a guy who is unwilling to open himself up to the women he is involved with, and ultiamtely he doesn't care. The nature of this being a confession, however, suggests to me that these feelings are deeply rooted under the surface of an otherwise 'normal' man.
    endestewon November 10, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Commentthis is such a sad song, (which i loved to dance to happily/cluelessly as a teen)
    i think its definitely guy who had a child with a girlfriend who they had a tumultuous relationship and he bailed and later maybe years? The mom told the child his dad died and thats why hes not around, thinking hed never show up, now he has feelings of regret for himself and realizes how selfish it is to not really care about how the mom and kid feel/felt, but admit hes apathetic/selfish and lame, he never called or made any attempt to contact the child but the knowledge doesnt make him actually change his feelings, so he says listen im here right now, and i admit im not capable of this real love, and hes "good as blind" like he hasnt a clue about raising a kid or being a husband, so its probably easier if i just bail anyway and let the kid still think im dead, cuz i dont really care...ugh what a bonehead. i hate apathetic people more than jerks.
    bunnypawon August 10, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General CommentSad story. Great song from a great band.
    monster36604on January 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Commentsimply put, he was cheating and infected others including his lover(s), so he feels terrible but doesnt care because he feels so bad he feels like dieing. but hes speaking for his lover whom is to blame. notice there is no mention of a woman!
    twuxtopon May 01, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentAssuming that one of the three people is the girl involved, maybe the third person is the man (doesn't have to be a specific person; it could be any man) who is missing out on this girl because the narrator has her. He is completely apathetic about being with her, and he knows she could do better. This is why he says that their love is a sort of punishment. I don't know; it's a thought.
    TheCookFromMaineon June 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My InterpretationOk, I know I'm going to hear a lot of disagreement...but I signed up for this JUST to state my interpetation of this song. haha

    I feel like there's a guy who's in a relationship and he's partying a bit too much for his own good. He cheats on his girlfriend and there are some dire consequences (disease? pregnancy?).

    "No-one wins and there's no denying
    Don't pretend like you don't know why
    Just a little word here a little push there Darling
    I confess look I confess that I don't really care"

    She has probably told him many times "I will you'd just die! I hate you! Go away!" He can't take the arguing, the stress, so he decides to go "out like a light, another boy who's given up trying" it would be best to kill himself.

    "Being dead don't hurt
    No only dying
    Cards on the table time
    Sometimes it's right to say goodnight"

    He is admitting to cheating on her and knows that he "deserves to be punished:, but can't deal with the consequences so he just offs himself. He finally finds "paradise" and release in death. It's as if it's from his point of view afterwards. It's just how I always imagained the story. Not a concrete meaning.
    Crissy78on November 06, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General CommentTo summarize the above.....a guy has an affair because he's unhappy in his current relationship, partly because he has too high expectations & is prone to complaining. He does not care about the feelings of anyone involved or the consequences of the affair. His confession is an inevitable culmination of everything, and everything ends in a big, dramatic fight. Now he cares because he's realized he was a victim of his own actions, but he's trying to stay indifferent to it all because it won't solve anything to care now.
    voodoodollyon February 13, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Commentthis song is about a typical 'love triangle' where he busts in maybe on his friend's relationship with his girl friend and screws it all up. so yea "I CONFESS I RUINED THREE LIVES" his, the girls and his friends. so then he has extreme guilt and sorrow for the situation he created
    ToadSprocketon April 09, 2012   Link

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