Born in Brampton, Ontario, she wrote poetry and did theater at a young age. At 10, she began playing guitar and taught herself how to play various songs. At 13, she began her own YouTube channel where she posted covers of songs that she performed. She signed with EP Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings at the age of 18. Cara released her debut single in April 2015. Here was called a "song for everyone who secretly hates parties" by MTV. The song debuted on The Fader and accumulated over 500,000 streams in its first week. On May 5, 2015, the song was chosen as a can't-miss track by SPIN Magazine, listed as a must hear song by Cosmopolitan, and included on Billboard's "20 Pop Songs You Need For Your Summer Playlist" in June 2015.
Her debut album, "Know-It-All" was released on November 13, 2015 containing the singles "Seventeen", "Here", "Wild Things", and "Scars to Your Beautiful".
Her sophomore album, "The Pains of Growing" was released on November 30, 2018 containing the singles "Growing Pains", "Not Today", "Trust My Lonely", "A Little More", and "Out of Love".
Alessia released an EP in between her second and third albums called "This Summer" on September 6, 2019 which has six songs including "Rooting for You" and "Ready".
Her third album, "In the Meantime" was released on September 24, 2021 and contains the singles "Sweet Dream", "Shapeshifter", "Best Days", and "You Let Me Down".
I Miss You Don't Call Me
Alessia Cara Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You look the same, but different
Made me so damn sad and so I had to lie
I'm tryna keep a distance
But all my motor instincts
Still know their way around and every sound's amplified
And my heart beats still
But I'm too scared to breathe into it
I might revive it, oh
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
If I get too ahead of myself
I can tell I'm gonna stop me
I miss you, don't call me
Call me, don't call me
Don't call me, please call me
I think of things to say so
I never have to go home
Do you remember the last time we were this close?
You said that everything would be alright
And my heart beats still
And we can't hide it, oh, no, no
But I'm too scared to breathe into it
I might revive it, oh
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
If I get too ahead of myself
I can tell I'm gonna stop me
I miss you, don't call me
Call me, don't call me
Don't call me, please call me
You're the light I'm scared to turn on
You're the bruise I'll never learn from
Oh (oh)
I'm the one who's under your thumb
You're the one I'll never unlove (unlove)
Yeah
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
You're the light I'm scared to turn on
You're the bruise I'll never learn from
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
I'm the one who's under your thumb
You're the one I'll never unlove
Oh, I miss you, don't
Oh, I miss you, please call me
The overarching theme of "I Miss You Don't Call Me" by Alessia Cara is the complexity of a past romantic relationship that is still lingering in the present. The song details the singer's struggle to maintain emotional distance from an ex-partner who she still has feelings for. Right from the start, the lyrics suggest that the singer is uncomfortable around the ex-partner, as they "look the same, but different" and the experience makes her "so damn sad." She expresses a sense of weakness, stating that her "motor instincts" still react to the ex and that every sound is "amplified." Despite her efforts to move away from him, her heart still beats when around him, hence, making it difficult for her to breathe and continue keeping the distance.
Throughout the song, the singer indicates that she misses the ex, yet she doesn't want him to call her. The repetition of this phrase demonstrates her conflict, as she longs for his affection, but acknowledges that talking to him will only complicate matters further. There's a sense of confusion and apprehension as the singer reflects on the past, as seen in the line "Do you remember the last time we were this close?" The final lines of the song suggest that the singer still feels subservient to her ex and has little control over her feelings towards him.
In summary, "I Miss You Don't Call Me" is a song that captures the complexity of past romantic relationships, and the dilemma of being emotionally attached to an ex-partner, even when there is a clear need for distance. The lyrics emphasize the importance of understanding one's feelings fully, dealing with the scars caused by the break-up, and the perils of trying to reconnect without having first dealt with the hurt.
Line by Line Meaning
You played, I came to visit
You initiated contact, and I obliged by coming over to see you.
You look the same, but different
Physically, you haven't changed much, but something about you is different now compared to before.
Made me so damn sad and so I had to lie
Seeing you again brought up painful emotions, so I lied to hide my true feelings.
I'm tryna keep a distance
I'm attempting to maintain space and not get too close to you emotionally.
But all my motor instincts still know their way around and every sound's amplified
Even though I'm trying to distance myself, my natural instincts still respond to you, and everything seems more intense.
And my heart beats still
Despite my efforts to distance myself, my heart still has feelings for you.
And we can't hide it, oh, no, no
Our connection is still present, and we can't pretend it's not there.
But I'm too scared to breathe into it
I'm afraid to acknowledge or act on these feelings for fear of getting hurt again.
I might revive it, oh
If I let myself feel too much, my old feelings for you might come back stronger than before.
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
I still care about you but don't contact me because it's too painful.
If I get too ahead of myself, I can tell I'm gonna stop me
I'm aware of my own tendency to get in over my head and am trying to stop myself from getting too involved again.
Call me, don't call me
My mixed feelings are causing me to send mixed signals--I'm simultaneously wishing you would call me and too scared to pick up the phone.
Please call me
Despite my fear, I still want to hear from you deep down.
I think of things to say so, I never have to go home
I'm clinging to any excuse to stay longer and keep the connection going.
Do you remember the last time we were this close?
I'm reminiscing about how things used to be between us and wondering if you feel the same way now.
You said that everything would be alright
You offered reassurance to me in the past, but now I'm not sure if I can trust you anymore.
You're the light I'm scared to turn on
You represent something that brings me joy and comfort, but I'm hesitant to embrace that because it may hurt me in the long run.
You're the bruise I'll never learn from
Like a physical bruise, your presence still hurts me emotionally, even though I know I shouldn't keep coming back to you.
I'm the one who's under your thumb
I feel like I'm under your control or influence, even though I'm the one making the choice to see you.
You're the one I'll never unlove
Despite everything, I can't stop loving you and feeling drawn to you.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Alessia Caracciolo, Jon Levine
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nerina Arce
[Verse 1]
You played, I came to visit
You look the same, but different
Made me so damn sad and so I had to lie
I'm tryna keep a distance
But all my motor instincts
Still know their way around
And every sound’s amplified
[Chorus]
And the heart beats there
And we can't hide it, oh, no, no
But I'm too scared
To breathe air into it, I might revive it, oh
Oh, I miss you, don’t call me
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
If I get too ahead of myself
I can tell I won't stop me
I miss you, don't call me
[Post-Chorus]
Call me, don't call me
Don't call me, please don't
[Verse 2]
I think of things to say so
I never have to go home
Do you remember the last time we were this close?
You said that everything would be alright
[Chorus]
And the heart beats there
And we can't hide it, oh, no, no
But I’m too scared
To breathe air into it, I might revive it, oh
Oh, I miss you, don’t call me
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
If I get too ahead of myself
I can tell I won’t stop me
I miss you, don't call me
[Post-Chorus]
Call me, don't call me
Don't call me, please don’t
[Bridge]
You're the light I'm scared to turn on
You're the bruise I'll never learn from
Oh-oh
I'm the one who's under your thumb
You're the one I'll never unlove (Unlove)
Yeah
[Chorus]
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
(Call me, don't call me)
You're the light I'm scared to turn on
You're the bruise I'll never learn from
(Don't call me, please don't)
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
I'm the one who's under your thumb
You're the one I'll never unlove (Unlove)
(Don't call me, please don't)
[Outro]
Oh, I miss you, please call me
Thank You So Very Much
You played, I came to visit
You look the same but different
Made me so damn sad and so I had to lie
I'm trying to keep a distance
But all my motor instincts
Still know their way around and every sound's amplified
And the heartbeat's there
And we can't hide it
Oh, no, no, but I'm too scared
To breathe air into it, I might revive it, oh
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
If I get too ahead of myself, I can tell I won't stop me
I miss you, don't call me
Call me
Don't call me
Don't call me
Please call me
I think of things to say so
I never have to go home
Do you remember
The last time we were this close?
You said that everything would be alright
And the heartbeat's there
And we can't hide it
Oh, no, no, but I'm too scared
To breathe air into it, I might revive it, oh
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
If I get too ahead of myself, I can tell I won't stop me
I miss you, don't call me
Call me
Don't call me
Don't call me
Please call me
You're the light I'm scared to turn on
You're the bruise I'll never learn from
I'm the one who's under your thumb
You're the one I'll never un-love
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
Oh, I miss you, don't call me
(Oh, I miss you, don't call me)
You're the light I'm scared to turn on
You're the bruise I'll never learn from
(Oh, I miss you, don't call me)
(Oh, I miss you, don't call me)
I'm the one who's under your thumb
You're the one I'll never un-love
(Oh, I miss you, don't)
Oh, I miss you, please call me
Evy Darling
"You're the light I'm scared to turn on. You're the bruise I'll never learn from.
I'm the one who's under your thumb" .....
Thank you for visiting Red Flag City 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
ARCIE
I don’t think about an ex when this song plays. I think about my childhood best friend. We were so close when we were kids but the friendship was toxic. We grown apart now that we’re both grown ups, but a part of me will always miss experiencing her love.
Danielle Mazzola
❤❤❤
TNT Minecart
Easily the best song I've seen in a long time, the whole album is amazing but this song in particular is just so nice to listen to
matilde ramolini
She makes me feel things I’ve never even experienced before
Mirella Filippo
I think I’m in love with the whole album OMG❤️❤️🇧🇷🇧🇷
Trinity Valdez
This song out of the entire album is such a vibe 🥰
Jigyasa Takkar
This might be one of my top fives or even threes until now on this album. Alessia, I cannot define how beautiful your music is. And this song, ugh.
The self contradiction, the words say something but the emotion is completely different and they still fit together. ARGH. I'm crying.
Geetika Rautela
I really can't believe how someone can dislike this song
Taynara Sitoe
Just people with no good taste in music
Alini
The only reason I might dislike a song is if that song makes me relive trauma. But that’s a me issue. And I usually like it straight after