The LA Times said in January 2007 'David Ford digs down deep in the heart-and-soul tradition: an English and male Lucinda Williams? He puts everything into every note, every word.'
Ford recorded his debut album 'I Sincerely Apologise For All the Trouble I've Caused' on his own in his cellar flat in Eastbourne during 2005 thinking he was just "doing a bunch of demos". However, the strength of these recordings led to magnoliaMAM taking him on for management and shortly thereafter licensing the 'demos' as a finished album to Independiente for the UK and then, in April 2006, to Columbia Records in New York for the USA and the 'rest of the world'.
The album was widely acclaimed and featured in the best of lists for 2006 in the LA Times, The Sunday Times, The New York Post, The Word and The Toronto Star - who said 'you have to go back to Dylan's 'Idiot Wind'/'Blood on the Tracks' to find such an impressively sustained, bile-soaked round of invective'.
Ford toured extensively in the USA, the UK, Canada and Australia during 2006. When performing live, Ford makes use of a 'looping pedal' which allows him to build up layers of vocals, guitars, percussion and keyboards to create extremely powerful and beautiful layers of sound; most notably when playing the song "State Of The Union". (live footage can be seen on both his myspace page and his old archived web site - www.myspace.com/davidford & www.davidford.mu - current website is at www.davidfordmusic.com)
2007 saw the release of his critically-aclaimed, yet widely ignored, album Songs For The Road. Ford spent the most of 2008 in the US promoting it.
February 2010 saw the release of his album, Let The Hard Times Roll, coinciding with a tour of the UK, with dates in the US too.
In April 2011 Ford released his autobiography, I Choose This, covering his musical experience from high school through to touring the United States as a solo artist.
Ford's musical honesty and passionately melodic songwriting has seen him compared to the likes of Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, James Taylor and Elton John.
Don't Tell Me
David Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pretend like you want me
And make you think
Like I know how it feels
Could I be so cruel?
Yeah well love don't come easy
Well I love you when you do
I made it through
The days that could end us
And oh will you
Let me know how it feels
And speak of love so true
Oh well I know you don't mean it
Still, I love you when you do
And you know
There is nothing worth believing
It's some boy who's only answering his bones
Yeah, and don't I just know it
So don't tell me
How I'm wrong
And don't tell me
Cause I already know
Don't tell me
I run this tank empty
Don't tell me
Oh will you
Pretend like you want me
And I'll make you think
Like I know how it feels
Could I be so cruel?
Yeah, well love don't come easy
Well I love you when you do
Oh, you know
There is nothing worth believing
It's some girl who's only answering her bones
Oh don't you know it
So don't tell me
How I'm wrong
And don't tell me
Cause I already know
Don't tell me
I run this tank empty
Don't tell me
Pretend like you want me
Know how it feels
The lyrics of David Ford's song Don't Tell Me depict the feeling of being trapped in a one-sided relationship. The singer is aware that their partner hardly reciprocates their love yet they still yearn for some form of affection. The lines "Oh will you pretend like you want me, And make you think like I know how it feels" conveys the idea that the singer's partner is just going through the motions and not really invested in their relationship. The line "Well love don't come easy, well I love you when you do" acknowledges the fact that love requires effort and reciprocity.
The chorus of the song "Don't tell me how I'm wrong, and don't tell me 'cause I already know, don't tell me I run this tank empty" reflects the singer's frustration with their partner. The singer is aware of their situation and does not need anyone to tell them that they deserve better.
The last verse of the song shifts the focus from a one-sided relationship to a broader observation about the futility of love. The lines "There is nothing worth believing, It's some girl/boy who's only answering her/his bones" suggest that love is not worth believing in because it is just a primal instinct that drives people to seek physical intimacy. The song ends on the chorus, highlighting the singer's desire to be accepted and loved for who they are.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh will you
Asking if the person in question is willing to do something.
Pretend like you want me
Act like you have romantic feelings towards me.
And make you think
Manipulating someone's thoughts and emotions to my advantage.
Like I know how it feels
Giving off the impression that I have experienced the same emotions as them.
Could I be so cruel?
Questioning whether or not my actions are harsh and unkind towards others.
Yeah well love don't come easy
Love is a difficult and challenging emotion to navigate and experience.
Well I love you when you do
I feel endeared towards the person whenever they express romantic interest in me.
I made it through
I have overcome and persevered through difficult situations.
The days that could end us
The past struggles that could have caused the end of our relationship.
And oh will you
Asking if they will inform me of their emotions.
Let me know how it feels
Inform me of the emotions that they experience.
And speak of love so true
Expressing romantic feelings towards me in an honest and sincere manner.
Oh well I know you don't mean it
I am aware that their words are not genuinely felt or expressed.
Still, I love you when you do
Despite knowing that their words may be insincere, I feel romantic towards them when they express that sentiment towards me.
And you know
Stating that the person in question is aware of something important.
There is nothing worth believing
Implying that the person does not believe anything is genuine or real.
It's some boy who's only answering his bones
The person believes that any expression of romantic love comes from a biological urge or instinct.
Yeah, and don't I just know it
Agreeing with the sentiment that romantic love is purely driven by biology.
So don't tell me
Asking someone not to inform me of something because I already know the truth.
How I'm wrong
Asking someone not to point out my faults because I am aware of them.
Cause I already know
Stating that I am already aware of the truth of a certain situation.
I run this tank empty
Implying that I am emotionally drained and have nothing left to give.
Oh don't you know it
Asking the person if they are also feeling emotionally drained.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PHILIP ALLEN BROWN, MICHAEL JAMES ANDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BertheaLeduc
A great song!
@fastra3621
Absolute brilliance...!!! Forgive my ignorance but this sounds very much like 'Has Your Mind Got Away' by Bernard Butler from the Friends and Lovers album.