The English Beat – I Confess

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)

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  @Dirtmouth

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.

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  @raneldo62

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.

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  @endestew

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.

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  @bunnypaw

General CommentSad story. Great song from a great band.

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  @monster36604

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!

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  @twuxtop

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.

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  @TheCookFromMaine

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.

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  @Crissy78

Song MeaningJust 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

-He was having an affair, and he did not care about who got hurt. He confessed out of spite in an argument, but now he's also suffering because he is all alone.

Night after night time, time after time
Done too much of both types of w(h)ining
Still wasn't right fight after fight
'Til "Get out of my life get away from me get away from that gun"

-He was unhappy, whined a lot, did not deal constructively with his feelings, & there was a lot of drama in his relationship.

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

-He could have come clean in a less spiteful manner.

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

-He's in the middle of a mess & feels like death would be better than this. He wants to put it all to rest now & move on (say goodnight).

Always searching for paradise
I'll admit that I'm good as blind, darling
I confess yes I've ruined three lives
Did not care til I found out that one of them was mine

-He's never happy with what he has & sabotages it in the search for a non-existant perfection. He ruined his relationship & the happiness of all involved by having an affair.

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

-He was unhappy in his relationship, it seemed more of a punishment at times than anything positive. He's trying to stay indifferent in the aftermath of his affair coming to light, and it's not that hard when he thinks about his unhappiness in the relationship.


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

-Everyone loses in an affair & it always comes to light at some point (there's no denying). He's also saying his ex should know why he cheated & why he was unhappy; it wasn't like she was perfect either. He's also confessing that he is rather heartless - he did not care about the results of his actions or hurting anyone.

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

-He's done with trying to save the relationship. It seems to describe the final argument, complete with screaming & telling the other person to get out.

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 had to look up the phrase "table time" - apparently its the time a pool or poker table is rented for. "The cards on the table time" then seems to mean the inevitable end to an affair that has its run its course, that has been like a game, and maybe even a bad gamble. His confession is not a joke, he is telling the truth now, and realizing it was inevitably going to come out.

No, only dying
Cards on the table time

-The outcome of the card game is "dying" or the end to the relationship. He has lost this game.

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

-Again, he was unrealistic in his expectations for his relationship, which led to his affair, which was a short-sighted "solution" (he was blind). He did not care about the people involved until he realized it led to his own unhappiness also. He has regret now, basically.

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

- Again, he's trying to maintain indifference, since caring won't solve anything now.

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  @voodoodolly
  0

  voodoodolly, I like your analysis. Just one thing. "Table time" isn't the phrase to examine, rather. it's "cards on the table". It does have to do with poker, when all the calls are done and you have to lay your cards on the table, meaning you have to show all your cards to all the other players. So putting all your "cards on the table" has become a metaphor for confessing, because you have to lay everything bare. I think you're right in interpreting the singer's behaviour as something of a gamble.

  Flag palpableon January 01, 2012  

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.

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  @voodoodolly