No Fair At All
The Association Lyrics

The Association's No Fair At All is a song that delves deep into the emotions of a relationship that seems to be falling apart. The lyrics seem to be a reflection of the singer’s realization of his partner's inner feelings which were previously unknown to him. The song begins with the admission of never having seen this new emotional side of his partner before. It seems like the singer is taken aback by the strength of these feelings which he did not expect from his partner. However, he acknowledges that he has discovered this new side of his partner only now. The second part of the verse reveals that he had no idea his partner could feel this way before.

The chorus of the song reinforces the conflict between the perceived fairness of the situation in the relationship and the unfairness that the singer feels at that moment. The chorus marvels at how unfair the situation seems to be despite the many years spent together. The singer feels as though he does not understand why what seems like a great relationship has unraveled suddenly. The singer emphasizes this perception of unfairness even in the second chorus by reiterating the conflict with the phrase “No fair at all.”

The second verse continues with the theme of the “unknown.” The singer admits he has never seen the moonlight through his partner’s hair before, and he has not heard the sweet things his partner can say until now. This highlights the sense of unawareness that seemingly permeates the relationship. It appears like they have not been paying attention to each other, and now that they are, it is too late. The singer of the song appears to be regretful and perplexed by the turn of events.