Phair's 1993 debut studio album, Exile in Guyville, was released to acclaim; it has been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Phair followed this with her second album, Whip-Smart (1994), which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and Whitechocolatespaceegg (1998). Ten years after the release of her debut, Phair's fourth album, Liz Phair (2003), released on Capitol Records, moved towards pop rock, earning her a mainstream audience but alienating critics.
After the release of her fifth album, Somebody's Miracle (2005), Phair left Capitol and released her sixth album Funstyle independently in 2010. In 2018, it was announced that Matador Records would be releasing a retrospective set for Phair's debut album Exile in Guyville which includes remastered recordings from her original Girly-Sound demo tapes. Phair released her seventh studio album, Soberish, in 2021.
Never Said
Liz Phair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never said nothing
I never said nothing
I never said nothing
I never said nothing
I don't know where you heard it
All I know is I'm clean as a whistle, baby
I didn't utter a sound
I never said nothing
I never said nothing
I never said nothing
I never said nothing
I don't know what they told you
Don't even care what about
All I know is I'm clean as a whistle, baby
I didn't let the cat out
So don't look at me sideways
Don't even look me straight on
And don't look at my hands in my pockets, baby
I ain't done anything wrong
I never said nothing
No, baby, I never said nothing
I never said nothing
I never said nothing
I never said nothing
No, not to anyone
I never said nothing
I never said nothing
I never said
The lyrics to Liz Phair's song "Never Said" seem to suggest a sense of denial and defensiveness. The lyrics are essentially a repetition of the phrase "I never said nothing" which indicates a reluctance to take responsibility or admit to something. The lyrics could be interpreted as someone who is being accused of something they did not do or are trying to protect themselves from being implicated in something they know about. They continue to reinforce their claims of innocence, saying that they don't know where the rumors or accusations are coming from and that they are "clean as a whistle".
The song could be seen as a commentary on the culture of gossip and hearsay, with the singer vocalizing their frustration at being accused of something they did not do. The lyrics also suggest a certain degree of paranoia, with the singer warning the listener not to look at them in a certain way or to scrutinize them too closely. The repetition of the phrase "I never said nothing" could also indicate a certain lack of agency or power, with the singer feeling helpless to defend themselves against the rumors and gossip that are circulating about them.
Overall, the lyrics to "Never Said" are open to interpretation and could be read in a variety of ways. They could be seen as a commentary on the nature of rumor and hearsay, as well as a reflection of the sense of powerlessness and defensiveness that people may feel when they are accused of something they did not do.
Line by Line Meaning
I never said nothing
I did not speak a word
I don't know where you heard it
I am unaware of how you obtained this information
Don't know who's spreadin' it 'round
I have no knowledge of who is sharing this information
All I know is I'm clean as a whistle, baby
I am innocent and have done nothing wrong
I didn't utter a sound
I did not make a single noise
I don't know what they told you
I am unaware of the details of what they said to you
Don't even care what about
I do not have any interest in the subject matter
I didn't let the cat out
I did not share any secrets or confidential information
So don't look at me sideways
Do not give me a suspicious look
Don't even look me straight on
Do not give me a direct stare
And don't look at my hands in my pockets, baby
Do not pay attention to my hands in my pockets as they are innocent
I ain't done anything wrong
I am innocent and have not committed any wrongdoing
No, baby, I never said nothing
I am reiterating that I did not speak a word
No, not to anyone
I did not speak to anyone at all
I never said nothing
I did not communicate verbally in any shape or form
I never said nothing
I did not make any sounds with my voice
I never said nothing
I did not express myself verbally in any manner
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Liz Phair
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cole Dugan
Liz Phair is on of the most underrated artists ever. So edgy and pioneering for many women. Got to see her live in Dallas, TX many years ago. Believe it or not....Jason Mraz opened for her!!
Noel da Costa
Especially this album.
ella elise
Underrated!?!? RS just put it at 50 on their 500 greatest albums of all time list!!
Kathy Kaffenberger
My hero!!
I could - can so relate. As a female in financial planning I was definitely in guysville, still am. The whole album was my anthem. Love you Liz- I put my vote in at the R & R Hall of fame, you are a trendsetter!
Australian Courtney Barnett carry’s your torch!
Josh Walls
What in the hell are you talking about?
Shannon D
*carries
Daryn Wiseman
It's cool that Matador decided to reissue the music videos from "Exile In Guyville" for the 25th Anniversary. They existed on YouTube before, but only in really low-quality from random users. It's nice that there are HQ videos now when you search for Liz Phair and not just VHS type quality.
Jo Boo
Daryn Wiseman - I suspect there will be so many 25th anniversary reissue / remastered in 2019 with 1994 being probably the greatest ever year for alternative
Gary Thompson
@Jo Boo 94 through 96 were just incredible!
thatwasprettyneat
@Gary Thompson Didn't realized how spoiled we were until the shitty 2000's era of music hit