Don't Tell Me (Avril Lavigne song)

"Don't Tell Me"

European physical single cover[1]
Single by Avril Lavigne
from the album Under My Skin
B-side "Take Me Away"
Released March 1, 2004 (2004-03-01)
Format CD single
Recorded 2003–2004
Ruby Red Productions,
(Atlanta, Georgia);
Skyline Studios,
(New York City);
Ocean Way Recording,
(Hollywood, California)
Length 3:22
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Butch Walker
Avril Lavigne singles chronology
"Losing Grip"
(2003)		 "Don't Tell Me"
(2004)		 "My Happy Ending"
(2004)

"Losing Grip"
(2003)		 "Don't Tell Me"
(2004)		 "My Happy Ending"
(2004)
Music video
"Don't Tell Me" on YouTube

"Don't Tell Me" is a song by Canadian recording artist Avril Lavigne. It is the first single from her second studio album, Under My Skin (2004). "Don't Tell Me" was written by Lavigne and Evan Taubenfeld, while the track was produced by Butch Walker. "Don't Tell Me" has been noted as having a "grungy sound".[2]

In an AOL Radio listener's poll, "Don't Tell Me" was voted Lavigne's ninth best song.[3]

Background and composition

When asked what "Don't Tell Me" was about, Lavigne said:

“ It's about being strong. There are a lot of guys out there who just want to take you out to dinner and then, like basically go home and 'unhh' you. That's what a lot of guys are like and I just think girls need to be strong and not let any guy pressure them into doing anything. ”
— Avril Lavigne, MTV.com[4]

She also said in a 2007 interview:

“ When I was writing "Don't Tell Me", I was just, kind of, thinking about what it was like being a girl, and I was seventeen when I wrote that song, so that was all, like, fresh on my mind. I was just coming out of high school, and there's a lot of pressure for girls these days, and I'm happy to have that song, to be able to sing it up on stage every night, and to introduce it with, you know, by telling the audience that this song is all about being strong, and this goes out to all the girls, and it feels good to be able to do that. ”
— MTV.com

"Don't Tell Me" has been noted as having a "grungy sound" by The Digital Fix.[2]

Reception

In a review of the album Under My Skin, David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said "Lavigne herself sounds more burdened; ... the sk8erboi of the first album has turned out to be a selfish, nasty creep who leaves when she won't go to bed with him" in reference to Don't Tell Me.[5] Blender Music wrote that unlike Sk8er Boi the up-with-abstinence single “Don’t Tell Me” finds her kicking him out of bed.[6] The Guardian was mixed: "Current single Don't Tell Me at least has some relevant advice to impart to her pubescent female fans: it depicts a confused and angry Lavigne fending off an over-eager boyfriend."[7] PopMatters was favorable: "The first single, "Don't Tell Me", is probably the best song on the album, with the kind of wonderfully effusive movement that makes the best pop so damn irresistible. It starts slow and quiet, building to the first chorus, ebbs back, builds to another chorus, drops down into a bridge before coming back with a skull-crunching third chorus that leaves the riff firmly implanted in your skull. One or two reprises and we're out like a light, end of song. At that point you're either convinced or not."[8] Rolling Stone was positive: "The lead single, "Don't Tell Me," might be her most Avril-ish song yet, a petulant kiss-off to a horny boy. As the guitars get revved up behind her, she asks, "Did I not tell you that I'm not like that girl/The one who gives it all away, yeah/Did you think that I was going to give it up to you?" The syntax may be tortured, but the singer sounds just fine: a righteous prude, confidently fending off the creeps."[9] Yahoo Music! liked the song but was angry because there are spelling mistakes in booklet: "we now have a stronger, more confident Avril - forthright in her determination not to lose her cherry on "Don’t Tell Me", which coyly spells ‘ass’ with an ‘a’ and two asterixes on the CD booklet, bitterly writing songs about doomed relationships."[10]

In an AOL Radio listener's poll, "Don't Tell Me" was voted Lavigne's ninth best song.[3]

Music video

Lavigne breaks a mirror with her hands to vent her anger.

The music video for "Don't Tell Me" was directed by Liz Friedlander and filmed in Los Angeles, California in March 2004. The video tells the story of the song. It opens with Lavigne's boyfriend leaving her apartment. After taking her anger out on her bedroom, she follows him around the city. During the bridge of the song, her boyfriend sees her in many places at once, so it is obvious that he is feeling guilty and her feelings are weighing heavily on his mind. At the end of the video, she decides that he is better off without her and lets him walk away.[11]

The video was nominated for Best Pop Video at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to No Doubt's video for "It's My Life".[12]

Track listing

Australia CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Tell Me" (single version)3:26
2."Don't Tell Me" (acoustic version)3:38
3."Take Me Away"2:57
France, Germany and United Kingdom CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Tell Me" (single version)3:26
2."Don't Tell Me" (acoustic version)3:38
Japan CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Tell Me" (single version)3:26
2."Take Me Away"2:57
International CD single
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Tell Me" (single version)3:26
2."Don't Tell Me" (acoustic version)3:38
3."Take Me Away" (album version)2:57
4."Don't Tell Me" (music video)3:23
Brazil, Europe, Japan, Mexico and United States CD promo
No.TitleLength
1."Don't Tell Me" (album version)3:22

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (2004) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[13] 10
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[14] 12
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[15] 22
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[16] 28
Brazil (ABPD)[17] 8
Canada Top 40[18] 5
Denmark (Tracklisten)[19] 14
France (SNEP)[20] 53
Germany (Official German Charts)[21] 10
Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[22] 30
Ireland (IRMA)[23] 9
Italy (FIMI)[24] 4
Japan (Oricon)[25] 35
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[26] 8
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27] 15
Norway (VG-lista)[28] 12
Russian Top 20[29] 1
Scottish Singles Chart[30] 3
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[31] 8
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[32] 30
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[33] 9
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[34] 5
US Billboard Hot 100[35] 22
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[36] 9
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[37] 10
Venezuela Pop Rock (Record Report) 1

Year-end charts

Chart (2004) Position
Australian Singles Chart[38] 98
Japan (Oricon)[39] 1
Swiss Singles Chart[40] 94
UK Singles Chart[41] 115
US Billboard Hot 100 92

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[42] Gold 35,000^
United States (RIAA)[43] Gold 500,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Awards

Year Awards ceremony Award Results
2004 MuchMusic Video Awards Best International Video by a Canadian Won
People's Choice: Favourite Canadian Artist Won
MTV Video Music Awards[3] Best Pop Video Nominated
MTV Video Music Brasil Best International Video Nominated
Canadian Radio Music Awards Fan Choice Award Won
2005 ChartAttack.com Best Video Nominated
Socan Awards Best Pop Song Won

Release history

Country Date Format Label
United States[44][45] March 1, 2004 Digital download Arista/RCA
March 16, 2004 Mainstream radio
Australia[46] April 19, 2004 CD single Arista
Germany[47] April 26, 2004
Japan[48] April 28, 2004 BMG Japan
United Kingdom[49] May 10, 2004 Arista

References

  1. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me". Discogs. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  2. 1 2 http://music.thedigitalfix.com/content/665/avril-lavigne-review.html "the guitars come in and there's a suitably grungy sound to work with"
  3. 1 2 3 Cheung, Nadine. "Top 10 Avril Lavigne Songs". AOL Radio. Archived from the original on January 15, 2011. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Avril Lavigne To Show Fans What Lies Beneath On New Album". MTV. 2004-02-27. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
  5. ↑ Browne, David (May 24, 2004). "Under My Skin (2004)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 13, 2010.
  6. ↑ "WebCite query result". Archived from the original on December 19, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  7. ↑ "WebCite query result". Archived from the original on December 19, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  8. ↑ "WebCite query result". Archived from the original on December 19, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Avril Lavigne Under My Skin Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  10. ↑ "WebCite query result". Archived from the original on December 19, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Avril Lavigne Just Lets Go In 'Don't Tell Me' Video". MTV. 2004-03-05. Retrieved 2011-01-06.
  12. ↑ "VMA's 2004". MTV.com.
  13. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Brazil" (PDF). ABPD. October 6, 2001. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Canada Top 40". Top40-Charts.com. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me". Tracklisten. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Musicline.de – Lavigne, Avril Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  22. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
  23. ↑ "Chart Track: Week 20, 2004". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  24. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me". Top Digital Download. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  25. ↑ "Avril Lavigne Ranking CD Single・ORICON STYLE" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 4, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 20, 2004" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  27. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  28. ↑ "Topp 20 Single uke 19, 2004 – VG-lista. Offisielle hitlister fra og med 1958" (in Norwegian). VG-lista. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  29. ↑ "Russia Top 20 2004-07-10". Top40-Charts.com. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Chart Top 100 - Official Charts Company".
  31. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  32. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me". Singles Top 100. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  33. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  34. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2004-05-22" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  35. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Avril Lavigne. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  36. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Avril Lavigne. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  37. ↑ "Avril Lavigne – Chart history" Billboard Adult Pop Songs for Avril Lavigne. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  38. ↑ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2004". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on May 2, 2015. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  39. ↑ "Japan Hot 100 Annual 2004". Oricon. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  40. ↑ "Swiss Year-End Charts 2004". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
  41. ↑ "2004 UK Official Singles Chart" (PDF). Charts Plus. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  42. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2004 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  43. ↑ "American single certifications – Avril Lavigne – Don't Tell Me". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  44. ↑ "®R&R :: Going For Adds™ :: CHR/Top 40". Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  45. ↑ "iTunes - Music - Don't Tell Me - Single by Avril Lavigne". iTunes. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  46. ↑ "Don't Tell Me – Single by Avril Lavigne – CD Single on Sonymusic.com.au". Sonymusic.com.au. 2004-04-19. Archived from the original on March 4, 2011. Retrieved 2010-12-28.
  47. ↑ "Don't Tell Me – Single by Avril Lavigne – CD Single on Avril.de". Avril.de. 2004-04-26. Retrieved 2010-12-28.
  48. ↑ "Don't Tell Me – Single by Avril Lavigne – CD Single on Amazon.co.jp". Amazon.co.jp. 2004-04-28. Retrieved 2010-12-28.
  49. ↑ "Don't Tell Me – Single by Avril Lavigne – CD Single on Amazon.co.uk". Amazon.co.uk. 2004-05-10. Retrieved 2010-12-28.
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