Alan T studied at the prestigious Architectural Association in London and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in architecture from Columbia University. A longtime appreciator of the music and club scenes, he had dabbled in mixing and deejaying ‘just for fun’, and he seemed destined to pursue the career for which his education had prepared him.
But fate had other ideas. One night in the late 90s, Alan left a long and
kaleidopic message on the answering machine of producer Mike ‘DaMooch’ Mucci. Full
of the verbal twists and turns that would become an Alan T signature, this message led to
Mucci’s creation of ‘Come & Get It’ (SFP Records*), which caused a sensation at Liquid
and other clubs. With the buzz around him building, Alan hit the studio, and out of these
sessions was born his debut track ‘The Door’, which swept the club scene like wildfire.
Ace deejay Danny Tenaglia proclaimed, ‘This should be heard everywhere’, and
Danny’s 2001 remix of ‘The Door’ pumped more juice into the Alan T mystique.
Alan T blitzed the clubs from New York to South Beach, preaching the gospel of ‘The Door’ (‘Fierceness Is Always Welcome’) and then the follow up track ‘Jonesing’ was recorded. These tracks in particular earned his voice instant recognition on the club scene.
Apart from his striking, rapid-fire delivery, another Alan T hallmark is his imaginative use of costuming: Audiences never know if they’re going to be entertained by a kinetic Alan T dressed in the impeccably tailored Italian high style of Romeo Gigli or find him in the garb of a cop, a UPS delivery guy, or an astronaut in full flight drag. Alan’s wardrobe closet fills an entire room and will soon achieve landmark status.
Soon the hot spots of Europe, Canada and Israel came calling. Alan T packed his bags and hit the road. Europe may have seen a show of American strength during World War II, but they had to prepare themselves all over again for Alan T’s arrival. He has played to enthusiastic crowds in Rome (where he lived for a time), Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid and Tel Aviv, among others, and he is frequently asked back to perform in one of his favorite cities, Toronto.
And it all started with a message left on an answering machine. Ain’t technology great?
The Show
Alan T Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't let it show, don't let it show
Though it's getting harder to take what they say
Just let it go, just let it go
And if it hurts when they mention my name
Say you don't know me
And if it helps when they say I'm to blame
Even if it's taking the easy way out
Keep it inside of you
Don't give in, don't tell them anything
Don't let it,
Don't let it show
Even though you know it's the wrong thing to say
Say you don't care, say you don't care
Even if you want to believe there's a way
I won't be there, I won't be there
But if you smile when they mention my name
They'll never know you
And if you laugh when they say I'm to blame
They'll never own you
Even if you feel you've got nothing to hide
Keep it inside of you
Don't give in, don't tell them anything
Don't let it,
Don't let it show
The song "The Show" by Alan T is about having to put on a front or a façade to the world to hide your true feelings. The lyrics express the feeling of being overwhelmed and hurt but having to keep it together and not show weakness. The song encourages the listener to keep their emotions and struggles hidden from others and to not let their pain show.
The opening lines of the song highlight the difficulty of facing each day and how it might be getting harder to take what people say. It asks the listener to not let it show, meaning not to let your pain or struggles be seen by others. The chorus repeats this sentiment in different variations, emphasizing the importance of not giving in or telling anyone what is truly going on inside.
The second verse shifts to how others may mention the person's name or blame them for something, but it's better to deny any association and not let anyone own or control who they are. The lyrics imply that pretending not to care or being apathetic is the best course of action to keep oneself safe and protected.
Overall, "The Show" is a poignant reminder to keep up appearances and not reveal one's true self, even if that might be the harder thing to do. It encourages the listener to keep their emotions in check and to not let anyone get too close.
Line by Line Meaning
If it's getting harder to face every day
If life seems tough to you these days
Don't let it show, don't let it show
Conceal your struggle and don't let others know
Though it's getting harder to take what they say
Even though people's words are getting tougher to tolerate
Just let it go, just let it go
Just ignore what they say and move on
And if it hurts when they mention my name
If hearing my name itself pains you
Say you don't know me
Tell them that you have no connection with me
And if it helps when they say I'm to blame
If it makes you feel better when they blame me
Say you don't own me
Tell them that I'm not your responsibility
Even if it's taking the easy way out
Even if avoiding confrontation is the easier option
Keep it inside of you
Suppress your emotions and don't reveal them to anyone
Don't give in, don't tell them anything
Don't give them the satisfaction of knowing your true feelings
Don't let it,
Don't let your emotions take over
Don't let it show
Don't let others see the pain or struggle you're going through
Even though you know it's the wrong thing to say
Even if you know that the truth might hurt someone
Say you don't care, say you don't care
Tell them you don't give a damn for the sake of peace
Even if you want to believe there's a way
Even if you have hope that things will get better
I won't be there, I won't be there
I won't be there to help you through it
But if you smile when they mention my name
But if hearing my name doesn't bother you at all
They'll never know you
They'll never know how much you really care about me
And if you laugh when they say I'm to blame
And if you find it funny when they accuse me
They'll never own you
They'll never have control over your actions and emotions
Even if you feel you've got nothing to hide
Even if you feel like you are being completely honest
Keep it inside of you
Don't share your true feelings or opinions with anyone
Don't give in, don't tell them anything
Don't let them see any kind of weakness or vulnerability
Don't let it,
Don't let your emotions cloud your judgement
Don't let it show
Don't let them see any hint of what's actually going on within you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALAN PARSONS, ERIC WOOLFSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind