Song Lyric Sunday — I Don’t Care Anymore

Fandango

For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday theme, Jim Adams has once again tapped Amy Braun’s suggestion for songs that feature lyrics of Anger, Frustration, Furious, Irritated, Mad, Provoked, and Revenge. My selection this week is Phil Collins’ song of angry, bitterness, and frustration, “I Don’t Care Anymore.”

“I Don’t Care Anymore” was written, performed, and produced by English drummer Phil Collins. It was the third single from Collins’ 1982 solo album, Hello, I Must Be Going! It was released as a single in early 1983 and is one of the Collins’ most recognizable songs. The song earned Collins his first Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance in 1984.

“I Don’t Care Anymore” is a rather dark song with angry lyrics directed at Collins’ failed first marriage to Andrea Bertorelli. In the song, Collins takes out his frustrations over their split and ultimate divorce.

Andrea couldn’t stand it when her ex-husband released songs laying bare their relationship troubles. Her side of the story was that Collins had a “short fuse and preference for arguing,” and that he left to tour right after their second child was in 1976, choosing his career over his family.

She added, “When I asked him to stop talking and writing songs about our relationship, he said he had ‘the artistic licence to write about whatever he wanted.’ Basically he was making too much money out of his divorce to worry about my feelings or his children’s feelings.”

Meanwhile, Collins told Rolling Stone that he was getting letters from her lawyers asking for unbelievable things. This made him bitter and he was resigned to put it behind him. In this song, he makes it clear that even though he’s being dragged through the mud, he doesn’t care anymore. When he wrote this song he had already begun dating Jill Tavelman, who would become his second wife.

Here are the lyrics to “I Don’t Care Anymore.”

Well you can tell everyone I’m a down disgrace
Drag my name all over the place
I don’t care anymore
You can tell everybody ’bout the state I’m in
You won’t catch me crying ’cause I just can’t win
I don’t care anymore, I don’t care anymore

I don’t care what you say
I don’t play the same games you play

‘Cause I’ve been talking to the people that you call your friends
And it seems to me there’s a means to and end
They don’t care anymore
And as for me I can sit here and bide my time
I got nothing to lose if I speak my mind
I don’t care anymore, I don’t care no more

I don’t care what you say
We never played by the same rules anyway

I won’t be there anymore
Get out of my way
Let me by
I got better things to do with my time
I don’t care anymore, I don’t care anymore
I don’t care anymore, I don’t care anymore

Well, I don’t care now what you say
‘Cause every day I’m feeling fine with myself
And I don’t care now what you say
Hey, I’ll do alright by myself
‘Cause I know

‘Cause I remember all the times I tried so hard
And you laughed in my face ’cause you held all the cards
I don’t care anymore

And I really ain’t bothered what you think of me
‘Cause all I want of you is just a let me be
I don’t care anymore, d’you hear? I don’t care no more

I don’t care what you say
I never did believe you much anyway

I won’t be there no more
So get out of my way
Let me by
I got better things to do with my time
I don’t care anymore
D’you hear? I don’t care anymore
I don’t care no more
You listening? I don’t care no more
No more!

You know I don’t care anymore!
Don’t care no more! No more, no more, no more
Don’t care, no more, no more, no more, no more, no more, no more, no more
No more, no more, no more, no more, no more, no more

Sources: Wikipedia and Songfacts.

15 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday — I Don’t Care Anymore”

  2. Paula Light December 26, 2021 / 6:15 am

    I didn’t know that song was autobiographical. Great choice!

    Liked by 1 person

  3. newepicauthor December 26, 2021 / 7:59 am

    Nice choice Fandango and relationships can get messy. Thanks for your wonderful explanation on this song.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Marleen December 26, 2021 / 11:34 am

    Autobiographical as well.

    In The End [Official HD] – Linkin Park

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marleen December 26, 2021 / 12:49 pm

      …. there are two[*] popular schools of thought concerning its meaning. One is that it is based on the main vocalist, Chester Bennington’s childhood. More specifically it is being relayed from the perspective of someone who is being bullied [and especially by an adult], thus the reference to being ‘mocked’ in the second verse. And if such is the case, the way the song reads is such that he has since moved on from his relationship with the person who was mistreating him.

      *I think there are three, but this (above) is the autobiographical one.

      Read more at: https://www.songmeaningsandfacts.com/linkin-parks-in-the-end-lyrics-meaning/

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Marleen December 26, 2021 / 12:32 pm

    I have some songs that would well illustrate somone who is mainly actually sad (even if there was maltreatment or callousness toward themself) over losing a significant other in terms of relationship, music by Beck being an example. But the prompt is more about anger. I think Phil Collins is probably a whiny dick, but there are times when anger is appropriate. I don’t know that this one is autobiographical, but it’s well done. Key lines: you got a reaction, you got a reaction, didn’t you; you took a white orchid, you took a white orchid, turned it blue.

    The White Stripes – Blue Orchid (Official Music Video)

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Marleen December 26, 2021 / 12:58 pm

    Here’s one for revenge. I also think of it in the context of having recently watched the Tina Turner biographical/autobiographical movie, although she wasn’t the violent one (even if she hit back a time or two).

    1995 Annie Lennox —

    A Thin Line Between Love And Hate

    Liked by 2 people

  7. willowdot21 December 26, 2021 / 4:59 pm

    I think Phil Collins is a nasty man , song is great for the prompt though!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Marleen December 26, 2021 / 7:31 pm

      That it is.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango December 26, 2021 / 8:59 pm

      I don’t know much about him personally, but I do like his music.

      Like

      • willowdot21 December 27, 2021 / 12:47 am

        Yes his music is good and I am afraid my feelings are coloured by what I’ve read over the years. Still good music 🎶🎶

        Liked by 1 person

  8. aisasami January 2, 2022 / 5:29 am

    I didn’t know the history about this song. Although, I am not surprised as Sting and his slew of popular songs of the 80s covered a similar issue.

    Liked by 1 person

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