His awards include seven Tonys, three Grammys including Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Requiem, seven Oliviers, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, two International Emmys, the Praemium Imperiale, the Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, a BASCA Fellowship and the Kennedy Center Honor.
He currently owns six London theatres, including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and the London Palladium.
Tell Me on a Sunday
Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't call me at 3 A.M. from a friend's apartment
I'd like to choose how I hear the news
Take me to a park that's covered with trees
Tell me on a Sunday please
Let me down easy, no big song and dance
No long faces, no long looks, no deep conversation
Take me to a zoo that's got chimpanzees
Tell me on a Sunday please
Don't want to know who's to blame
it won't help knowing
Don't want to fight day and night
bad enough you're going
Don't leave in silence with no words at all
Don't get drunk and slam the door
that's no way to end this
I know how I want you to say goodbye
Find a circus ring with a flying trapeze
Tell me on a Sunday please
I don't want to fight day and night
bad enough you're going
Don't leave in silence with no words at all
Don't get drunk and slam the door
that's no way to end this
I know how I want you to say goodbye
Don't run off in the pouring rain
Don't call me as they call your plane
Take that hurt out of all the pain
Take me to a park that's covered with trees
Tell me on a Sunday please
The lyrics of “Tell Me on a Sunday” by Andrew Lloyd Webber convey a message of straightforwardness and sincerity is conveying the news of leaving a relationship. The opening line “Don’t write a letter when you want to leave” suggests that the singer wants to hear the news of their partner leaving face to face rather than through a letter. Additionally, the singer wants to hear the news in a calm environment, free from drama, as suggested by the lyrics “Let me down easy, no big song and dance.”
The singer also wants closure, to know why the relationship is ending. The line “Don't want to know who's to blame; it won't help knowing” shows that the singer understands that knowing who is at fault will not change the outcome. The mention of the circus and the flying trapeze in “Find a circus ring with a flying trapeze” reinforces the idea that the singer wants the memory of the relationship to end on a positive note.
Overall, through the use of gentle language and a request for sensitivity, this song highlights the importance of a graceful and respectful parting of ways.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't write a letter when you want to leave
Avoid communicating via letter when leaving as it would be better to say it directly.
Don't call me at 3 A.M. from a friend's apartment
Calling from a friend's apartment at an odd hour is not the best way to leave.
I'd like to choose how I hear the news
I would prefer to be told in a specific way that I am comfortable with.
Take me to a park that's covered with trees
I would like to be in a nature-filled environment surrounded by trees while being told.
Tell me on a Sunday please
Kindly inform me on a Sunday, while respecting what I've stated so far.
Let me down easy, no big song and dance
Please make it more effortless and less dramatic when you tell me.
No long faces, no long looks, no deep conversation
Avoid creating an intense atmosphere with deep conversations and long looks.
I know the way we should spend the day
I have an idea of how to spend the rest of the day and it would be helpful if you could adhere to it once you tell me.
Take me to a zoo that's got chimpanzees
I would appreciate a visit to a zoo with chimpanzees to distract me from the news.
Don't want to know who's to blame it won't help knowing
Knowing who's to blame won't affect the current scenario and it's better not to dwell on it.
Don't want to fight day and night bad enough you're going
It's not necessary to fight or argue over the matter, the fact that you're leaving is enough to deal with.
Don't leave in silence with no words at all
Don't leave without any communication or explanation.
Don't get drunk and slam the door that's no way to end this
Ending things while being drunk and slamming doors is not the way to proceed.
I know how I want you to say goodbye
I have a preference on how I would like you to depart.
Find a circus ring with a flying trapeze
It would be nice if my preferred goodbye could be performed in a circus with a flying trapeze.
Don't run off in the pouring rain
It's not optimal to leave when there's heavy rain.
Don't call me as they call your plane
Don't call me as you are boarding your plane.
Take that hurt out of all the pain
Try to alleviate the pain by taking into account my preferred way of being told.
Take me to a park that's covered with trees
As mentioned previously, kindly take me to a park that's full of trees.
Tell me on a Sunday please
Once again, respectfully inform me on a Sunday as per the previous requests.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Donald Black
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind