Doiron started playing guitar (later switching to bass) in Eric's Trip at age 18, having joined the band under the insistence of her then-boyfriend, Rick White, also of Eric's Trip. Shortly before the band's break-up in 1996, she released a solo album under the name Broken Girl, which followed two previous 7" EPs under that name. All of her subsequent material, however, has been released under her own name.
In 1999, Doiron recorded an album with the Ottawa band Wooden Stars, the first time she had worked with a band since the end of Eric's Trip. She was honoured with a Juno Award for Julie Doiron and the Wooden Stars in March of 2000. She has also appeared as a guest musician on albums by The Tragically Hip, Gordon Downie and Herman Düne, and has also released a split record co-credited to the alternative country band Okkervil River.
Although most of her solo material has been written and performed in English, she has also released an album of French language material, Désormais.
Apart from her musical career, Doiron is an avid photographer, having published a book of her photographs entitled The Longest Winter with words by Ottawa writer Ian Roy. She often does her own promotional photos and cover artwork along with her husband, painter Jon Claytor.
Don't Ask
Julie Doiron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dreaming of this
Don't ask me to keep in touch
Don't feel bad
No, please don't feel bad
I'm still fond of you
Just don't feel bad
Maybe we will finally be doing what is right
Maybe we will finally be doing what you want
Just don't feel bad
And don't ask me to keep in touch
The opening verse of Julie Doiron's "Don't Ask" follows the singer's desire to walk away from a relationship that has turned toxic or has reached its expiration date. She doses off with thoughts of leaving, perhaps even excited for the prospect of moving on from it all. The chorus then repeats the plea for space: don't ask her to stay or keep in touch. She acknowledges that she still cares for the other person, indicated by the line "I'm still fond of you." This reinforces the idea that the decision to walk away was not an easy one, but one that needed to be made for her and her emotional well-being.
The following verses suggest a sort of dialogue between the two people. The lines "Maybe we will never see each other again / Maybe we will finally be doing what is right / Maybe we will be finally be doing what you want" hint at potential disagreement over the breakup. Despite this uncertainty or tug-of-war, the singer reiterates that she does not want the other to feel bad about it all. She's simply doing what she feels is best for both parties. Overall, the song speaks to the difficult, often conflicting emotions that arise in a romantic relationship's end. It's not as simple as just leaving or staying, but the song captures the hurt and hope that often accompany a breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't need to wake up
I don't need to be reminded of the past
Dreaming of this
Thinking about us and our relationship
Don't ask me to keep in touch
Please don't expect me to maintain regular communication
Don't feel bad
There's nothing to apologize for
No, please don't feel bad
I want you to move on and forget about me
I'm still fond of you
I still have positive feelings towards you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JULIE DOIRON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind