"From the prairie city of Saskatoon, Canada come the Sheepdogs, 4 young gentlemen who revel in the joy of rock n roll so wholeheartedly, it's downright contagious. Sporting the long-haired looks of their musical forefathers, the lads make the most of their 2 guitars, bass and drums combo. Soulful vocalizations, everybody harmonizing, old-school guitar chops winding, riffing and chiming, and a grooving rhythm section that keeps it all going. Having already cemented their reputation as dynamic performers in their hometown, the Sheepdogs now turn their attention to spreading their affection for rock n roll cross-country. They have spent the last year covering the great white north, playing from Vancouver island to Montreal. They have played festivals, headlined a bill during 2007's Junofest, opened for the likes of Matt Mays and el Torpedo, and performed before thousands at 2006's Saskatoon Centennial Celebration. In January 2007 they released their debut LP Trying to Grow, a collection of guitar-driven originals that recall classic rockers like the Stones, CCR, and the Kinks. The album's title-track was featured in a province-wide campaign in their native Saskatchewan. Early 2008 has already seen the completion of their follow-up album, which mixes elements of southern rock and moody soul with gleeful straight-forward rockers. Once again, the boys are hitting the road, spreading their rock n roll revival to the rest of Canada."
-Bill Shakespeare, August 2007
Band Lineup:
Ewan Currie - lead vocals, guitar
Leot Hanson - backing vocals, guitar
Ryan Gullen - backing vocals, bass
Sam Corbett - backing vocals, drums
http://www.thesheepdogs.com/
You Never Listen
The Sheepdogs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
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.