There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) The Spring… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) The Springfields was a British pop-folk vocal trio of the early 1960s remembered as the launch pad for singer Dusty Springfield.
2) The Springfields was an American indie-pop band from New England active between 1988 and 1991.

1. The Springfields was a British pop-folk vocal trio in the early 1960s, who had success both in the UK, USA and Ireland, but are now best remembered as the launch pad for singer Dusty Springfield.
The trio formed in 1960, when Mary "Dusty" O’Brien joined her brother Dion O'Brien and Tim Feild, who had been working as a duo,"The Kensington Squares". Dion became Tom Springfield, and Mary became Dusty Springfield. Feild was later replaced by Mike Hurst.
Tom Springfield was a songwriter and arranger with a wide knowledge of folk music, and the group had strong vocal harmonies and Dusty’s powerful lead. They were signed to Philips Records and released their first single, "Dear John," in 1961, followed by two UK chart hits with "Breakaway" and "Bambino" – like their other records, produced by Johnny Franz.
In 1962, their version of "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" – which surprisingly was not released as a single in the UK - reached the US Top 20, the first single by a British group ever to do so (predating the Tornados’ “Telstar” by two months, and the Beatles by 15 months). The record also reached # 1 in Australia.
At the end of 1962 they had the biggest hit of their career in Britain, "Island of Dreams", which reached # 5 in the charts, as did the follow-up "Say I Won’t Be There". By this time the Springfields were one of the most popular groups in the UK. However, Dusty Springfield felt increasingly hemmed in by the group's image as a folk act and Tom's lead role within the trio, and towards the end of 1963 decided to leave for a solo career.
Tom Springfield and Mike Hurst also developed successful careers in the music industry, while Tim Feild (as Reshad Feild) later became a prominent mystic and writer.

2: The Springfields was an American indie-pop band from New England, USA, related to Choo Choo Train and Velvet Crush. They released several 7" singles between 1988 and 1991 on Bus Stop, Sarah, Seminal Twang; with Matthew Sweet producing their Sunflower single.
Discography:
Sunflower (7") 1988 on The Bus Stop Label - BUS 1
Sunflower (7") Jul 1988 on Sarah Records - SARAH 010
Mini-LP [unreleased] (LP) on Subway Organization - SUBORG 06
Wonder / Tomorrows Ends Today (7") Feb 1991 on Sarah Records - SARAH 040
Reach For The Stars (7") 1991 on Summershine Records - SHINE 005
She Swirls Around Me (7") 1991 on Picture Book Records - PB005
Tranquil (7") on Seminal Twang Records
They were also featured on many Sarah compilations including the label's final release There and Back Again Lane.

Say I Won't Be There
The Springfields Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Call the boys and tell them
Say I won't be there
You can tell them
I'm not going anywhere
Yesterday was dreaming
But my dream came tumbling down

Call the boys and tell them

Say I won't be there
If you see my darling
Out there in the crowd
Say I still remember
Promises we vowed
Yesterday was dreaming
But my dream came tumbling down

Call the boys and tell them
Say I won't be there
Bring me back my darling
Be my friend for life
I don't want no new lover
I just want a true lover

Call the boys and tell them
I won't spoil their fun
Everyone there dancing
But I'm the lonely one
Yesterday was dreaming
But my dream came tumbling down

Call the boys and tell them
Say I won't be there
Bring me back my darling
Be my friend for life
Oh, I don't want no new lover
I just want a true lover

Call the boys and tell them
I won't spoil their fun
Everyone there dancing
But I'm the lonely one
Yesterday was dreaming
But my dream came tumbling down

Call the boys and tell them

Say I won't be there
I won't be there

Overall Meaning

The Springfields' song "Say I Won't Be There" is a heartbreakingly beautiful ballad about lost love and lonely nights. The song opens with the singer stating, "Call the boys and tell them, say I won't be there," implying that she is canceling plans to go out with friends because she cannot face the thought of being in a social situation without her lover. The repeated phrase, "Yesterday was dreaming, but my dream came tumbling down," emphasizes the pain and disappointment that the singer feels after her dreams of love and happiness have been shattered.

Despite the singer's deep sadness, she still longs for her former lover and wishes to be reunited with them. She asks, "Bring me back my darling, be my friend for life, I don't want no new lover, I just want a true lover." This line speaks to the endurance of love, even after the end of a romantic relationship. The singer recognizes that what she wants most is not a fling or a rebound, but a deep and meaningful connection with someone she truly loves.

The repeated refrain of "Call the boys and tell them, say I won't be there" creates a sense of finality and resignation, as if the singer is accepting her situation and moving on. However, the final line of the song, "I won't be there," feels less like a statement of fact and more like a plea for forgiveness or understanding. The ambiguity of this ending adds to the emotional complexity of the song and leaves the listener with a sense of empathy and compassion for the singer's plight.

Line by Line Meaning

Call the boys and tell them
Ask your friends to spread the word for me

Say I won't be there
Let them know I won't be attending the gathering

You can tell them
Make it clear that I'm not going

I'm not going anywhere
I won't be present at any event or party

Yesterday was dreaming
In the past, I had hopeful thoughts

But my dream came tumbling down
But my hopes were destroyed and dreams shattered

If you see my darling
If you come across my love

Out there in the crowd
In the midst of the group

Say I still remember
Remind them that I haven't forgotten

Promises we vowed
The solemn commitments we made to each other

Bring me back my darling
Bring back my love to me