You Never Listen
The Sheepdogs Lyrics


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It's up to you
You play your cool
You never say it
Hey you never listen

That's why we play
That same old song
You never hear it
Hey you never listen

Chorus
I can talk all day
I got nothing to say
Why don't you stand in your own place (?)
Hey you never listen

I got money to buy you things
But you threw them away
Now your walking out to pay
Hey you never listen

You don't ask why
We'll never tell
You'll stop to hear it (?)
Hey you never listen

That's why we stand,
The gates of Hell
We'll go down low
Hey you never listen

I can talk all day
I got nothing to say
Why don't you stand in your own place (?)
Hey you never listen

I got money to buy you things
But you threw them away
Now your walking out to pay
Hey you never listen

Oh yeah, you threw it all away
Hey you never listen
Hey you never listen

It's up to you
You play your cool
You never say it
Hey you never listen

That's why we play
That same old song
You never hear it
Hey you never listen

I can talk all day
I got nothing to say
Why don't you stand in your own place (?)
Hey you never listen

I got money to buy you things
But you threw them away
Now your walking out to pay
Hey you never listen

Oh yeah, you threw it all away




Hey you never listen
Hey you never listen! x3

Overall Meaning

The Sheepdogs’ song You Never Listen is a rock lament about feeling unheard and unacknowledged by someone who is supposed to be listening. The singer sings to someone who never seems to pay attention to anything they say or do. The song is characterized by its upbeat, guitar-heavy instrumentation, while the lyrics are soaked in frustration and bitterness.


The opening verse suggests a kind of performative coolness that this person has. They play it smooth, but they never reveal what's actually going on beneath the surface. Moreover, they don't seem to care about what anyone has to say. And the repeated chorus emphasizes this lack of attention and engagement. The singer desperately wants to be heard, but this person remains largely indifferent.


As the song unfolds, we learn that the singer had been willing to buy this person things, but they seemed to have no appreciation for the gifts. The frustration is compounded when the person throws those things away and walks out without so much as a word. While the singer is willing to talk, they feel there’s no point because the listener isn’t really hearing them anyway.


Ultimately, You Never Listen is an angsty track about the pain of feeling unheard, unappreciated, and unloved by someone. The catchy, upbeat, and guitar-driven sound may initially distract from the rawness of the lyrics. However, the refrain, repeating "Why don't you stand in your own place?" is a direct appeal for a response, a shift in attitude, or finally acknowledging someone else's feelings.


Line by Line Meaning

It's up to you
The responsibility is yours


You play your cool
You act like nothing bothers you


You never say it
You keep your feelings to yourself


Hey you never listen
You refuse to hear what others have to say


That's why we play
We do this because of you


That same old song
The repetition signifies your lack of attention


You never hear it
You don't pay attention to what we're doing


Chorus
Repetition of earlier lines


I can talk all day
I have plenty to say


I got nothing to say
You're not interested in what I have to say


Why don't you stand in your own place (?)
Why don't you take responsibility for what you've done?


Hey you never listen
Reiteration of the original complaint


I got money to buy you things
I offered you material things to show my affection


But you threw them away
You didn't appreciate the gesture


Now your walking out to pay
You'll suffer the consequences of your action


You don't ask why
You're uninterested in the reasons behind things


We'll never tell
We won't waste our time trying to explain


You'll stop to hear it (?)
Maybe if you listened carefully we could make progress


That's why we stand,
We're committed to this situation because of you


The gates of Hell
We're in a bad situation because of you


We'll go down low
We'll go to the bottom if that's where we have to go


Oh yeah, you threw it all away
Your actions have negative consequences


Hey you never listen
A final reiteration of the same complaint


Hey you never listen! x3
The complaint bears repeating




Contributed by Thomas T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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