Melody Gardot (b. 1985) is a Grammy-nominated U.S. jazz singer, writer, and… Read Full Bio ↴Melody Gardot (b. 1985) is a Grammy-nominated U.S. jazz singer, writer, and musician.

Born on the 2nd February 1985 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Gardot took up piano and played as a youngster on the nightclub scene of Philadelphia, influenced by jazz, folk, rock, and pop musics. At the age of nineteen she was a fashion student at the Community College of Philadelphia. While cycling in Philadelphia in November 2003 she was hit by a car whose driver had ignored a red traffic light. In the accident she suffered serious head and spinal injuries, and her pelvis was broken in two places. Because of these severe injuries she was confined to her hospital bed for a year. Her musical beginning was prompted by a tending physician who was concerned with her cognitive impairment as a result of head injury sustained in the accident. He believed that music would help her brain injury improve, as it has been known to show remarkable results in improving people's cognitive ability after such trauma.

Following her doctor's suggestion, Gardot made recordings bedside, while still unable to walk, and eventually released the works as an EP: Some Lessons: The Bedroom Sessions (2005). Gardot's desire to be well, combined with a bit of luck, brought her to the attention of a local radio DJ at the AAA station WXPN (known for launching the careers of artists such as Amos Lee and Norah Jones). Her cognitive powers slowly but surely became pronounced, leading to the independent recording and release of her debut CD, Worrisome Heart, which was reissued in 2007 by Verve records.

Gardot is hypersensitive to light and noise, so wears dark glasses; she also uses a cane to walk. Onstage she requires a special seating unit, and wears a Transcutaneous Electro-Nerve Stimulator, a TENS device, to assist in alleviating her neuralgic muscle pain. Though touring is difficult, she has been performing in major cities on the East Coast of the U.S. to support her recordings. In 2009, working with producer Larry Klein and arranger Vince Mendoza - both known for their work with Joni Mitchell - Gardot followed up her Verve debut with My One and Only Thrill.

In 2012, she released the album The Absence.

Pretend I Don't Exist
Melody Gardot Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've waited before
At the foot of your door
Like a lost little doll
I waited for love to call
But got not at all

So I should stay
While you wander away

From the warmth of my lips
Just try to forget my kiss
Pretend I don't exist

I don't think you could give
Any good reason why
I should stay in your arms
So I think you should try to forget
How good it felt
Try not to reminisce
Try to forget my kiss
Pretend I don't exist

I don't think you could give
Any good reason why
I should stay in your arms
So I think you should try to forget
How good it felt
Try not to reminisce

Try to forget my kiss
Pretend I don't exist

Overall Meaning

In Melody Gardot's song "Pretend I Don't Exist," the lyrics depict a sense of longing, heartbreak, and resignation that comes from unrequited love. The singer of the song reflects on waiting at the door of their beloved, hoping for love to come their way, but receiving nothing in return. There is a feeling of being forgotten or ignored, as the person they desire wanders away without giving them the attention they crave.

The lyrics suggest a certain amount of self-awareness on the part of the singer, as they acknowledge that there may not be a good reason for them to stay in the arms of the person they desire. They urge this person to try and forget the warmth of their lips and the intimacy they shared, as they believe it is better for them to pretend that they don't exist.

The repeated lines of "Try not to reminisce, try to forget my kiss, pretend I don't exist" emphasize the singer's desire to be forgotten, to be erased from the memories of the person they love. It is an acknowledgment that their affections are one-sided and that they are willing to accept that reality, even if it means being invisible to the one they desire.

Overall, the lyrics of "Pretend I Don't Exist" capture the pain and vulnerability of unrequited love. It explores the themes of longing, rejection, and the universal desire to be seen and loved by someone who remains out of reach.

Line by Line Meaning

I've waited before
I have experienced waiting in the past

At the foot of your door
In close proximity to your presence

Like a lost little doll
Feeling abandoned and helpless

I waited for love to call
I anticipated love's arrival

But got not at all
However, it did not happen

So I should stay
Perhaps I should remain

While you wander away
While you continue to explore elsewhere

From the warmth of my lips
Moving away from the affection we shared

Just try to forget my kiss
Attempt to erase the memory of our physical intimacy

Pretend I don't exist
Act as if I am non-existent

I don't think you could give
I do not believe you have the ability