"Don't Tell Me You Love Me" is a song by Night Ranger written by Jack Blades from their 1982 album, Dawn Patrol. It was released as a single in December 1982.[2]
| "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Night Ranger | ||||
| from the album Dawn Patrol | ||||
| B-side | "Night Ranger" | |||
| Released | December 1982 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock[1] | |||
| Length | 4:19 (album version) 3:37 (radio edit) | |||
| Label | Boardwalk, MCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jack Blades | |||
| Producer(s) | Pat Glasser | |||
| Night Ranger singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" on YouTube | ||||
The song was re-recorded for the music video game Rock Band and was released as downloadable content.
Background
editSinger Jack Blades was thinking about a hypothetical relationship that is "fun and happy" until one person confesses they love the other, at which point tension begins. He wrote the chorus first, followed by a few verses. He didn't think he had written enough lyrics, but his producer convinced him he had conveyed the message of the song sufficiently in those few words.[3]
Music video
editThe song's music video that was played on MTV, which shows the band performing the song on rail tracks in front of an oncoming train, was directed by Daniel Halperin[4] and produced by Paul Flattery. A live video for the song was released in 2016 to promote the live album 35 Years and a Night in Chicago.[5]
Track listing
edit- 7" single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" | 4:20 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Night Ranger" | 4:31 |
- Radio edit single
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" (radio edit) | 3:37 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Night Ranger" | 4:22 |
Charts
edit| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[6] | 40 |
| US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[7] | 4 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[8] | 9 |
References
edit- ^ Prown, Pete; Newquist, HP (1997). Legends of Rock Guitar: The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 207. ISBN 978-0-7935-4042-6.
- ^ "spreadit.org music". Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved February 5, 2009.
- ^ Ortega, Shawna (March 15, 2010). "Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Damn Yankees : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
- ^ "Night Ranger: Don't Tell Me You Love Me (Video 1983)". IMDb. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
- ^ "Night Ranger: 'Don't Tell Me You Love Me' Performance Clip From '35 Years And A Night In Chicago'". Blabbermouth.net. November 15, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
- ^ "Night Ranger Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "Night Ranger Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ "Night Ranger – Don't Tell Me You Love Me". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
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