Won't Tell

[onemanarmy]

If ever they had a chance of having a big mainstream hit again, this surely has to be it - the chorus is one of the best they've written in a very long time.

[VinylGuy]

I went from whats this? to yeah i like to damn, this is great

should be a single

[ABNorman]

The one bum note on this is that "you can find me here" sounds like it's building to one of their facsimile big anthems, like Amongst the Waves. It certainly feels like I've heard that melody somewhere in the past on a substandard song. But that's very quickly dispelled when they lean into the chorus.

[Fattie_Vedder]

I love this song so damn much. A song with such a moving and beautiful chorus could often have a throwaway bridge. Nope. This bridge or gorgeous too.

I’m still digesting the lyrics of this one and not sure what the message of this song really is. There is a need, a wanting, but for what? And why is it a secret that Eddie (or whoever the protagonist he’s speaking about) can’t or won’t share? He’s waiting for the person he’s singing about/to to give him the message (signal) that it’s ok to reach out and connect. Then moments like “in my dream you told me to let the longing go” feels specific.

Was this the one that Jeff wrote based on a dream he had or was that Upper Hand?

[Ms Harmless]

I love this song so damn much. A song with such a moving and beautiful chorus could often have a throwaway bridge. Nope. This bridge or gorgeous too.

I’m still digesting the lyrics of this one and not sure what the message of this song really is. There is a need, a wanting, but for what? And why is it a secret that Eddie (or whoever the protagonist he’s speaking about) can’t or won’t share? He’s waiting for the person he’s singing about/to to give him the message (signal) that it’s ok to reach out and connect. Then moments like “in my dream you told me to let the longing go” feels specific.

Was this the one that Jeff wrote based on a dream he had or was that Upper Hand?

this one yeah

[psychobain]

I still think this has heavy Infallible vibes. The slower/groovier verses with the super poppy chorus.

agree, but they mesh this time

yes
and then a nice U2/The Cure outro at the end

yes
the cure
a letter to elise? pictures of you?

[Strat]

this is like Kings of Leon pop territory.

That outro lick, instead of a solo, is so cheesy and unlike PJ but so fucking perfect.

[digster]

I still think this has heavy Infallible vibes. The slower/groovier verses with the super poppy chorus.

agree, but they mesh this time

yes
and then a nice U2/The Cure outro at the end

yes
the cure
a letter to elise? pictures of you?

That line at the end feels really close to something out of Pictures of You. That and the quickly-strummed acoustic buried in the mix (with some chorus on it, I think) really make me think of the Cure with this song in a way that feels like it had to be a bit intentional.

[blueviper]

I'm wondering how someone can give this a "1".

I mean, a "1" is Stupid Mop

A "1" is my first day learning guitar trying to form a barre chord

[Birds in Hell]

I still think this has heavy Infallible vibes. The slower/groovier verses with the super poppy chorus.

agree, but they mesh this time

yes
and then a nice U2/The Cure outro at the end

yes
the cure
a letter to elise? pictures of you?

That line at the end feels really close to something out of Pictures of You. That and the quickly-strummed acoustic buried in the mix (with some chorus on it, I think) really make me think of the Cure with this song in a way that feels like it had to be a bit intentional.

Agreed the song is definitely drawing on that Pictures of You, Letter to Elise vibe - perhaps a little Halo as well.

During one of the promo interviews for the record, Stone mentioned going to see the band's 2023 Seattle show and how much he enjoyed it, so they're clearly fans.

There was this from a few years back too:



Matt Cameron would be a great Cure drummer, they should give him a call.

[RockPusher]

Wow- did not know about that. Would love to see Pearl Jam cover that song or other Cure. Jeff and Stone were ripping it up!

[VinylGuy]

Im loving Ed´s vocal melody

[mikejasond]

If you take the album as a sort of concept album about divorce/loss of relationship.

I wonder if this song is depicting the narrator having some kind of new forbidden relationship in the wake of his divorce, OR if it is him looking back at when he first got together with his significant other. Maybe in the wake of a break-up, he is remembering those romantic early days when he opened himself open to them for the first time.

I guess it could be the latter because of the line in scared of fear that says

Hurting yourself, nothing to tell
Your secret is well and safe with me
We used to laugh, we used to sing
We used to crash, we used to believe

Is there a connection between the 'secret' and the promise that he won't tell a soul?

Hm.

Maybe the verses are flashbacks to the beginning of the relationship, and the choruses are the narrator hoping his wife will come back to him? Or it means both at the same time? That's how he felt then and also feels now?

The more I think about it the more I believe the second interpretation.

Or you know, its just a story song about nobody in particular

[Monkey_Driven]

The chorus has been stuck in my head for the past six days. Love the bridge too.

[DeeDee]

Eddie and Jeff drive this to the moon.

Gorgeous song.

[Buby]

Heavy "Smile" guitars on the verses to my ears (anyone else?).
Also on these verses, probably the best vocal melody from Ed in ages.

Hard to pick a favorite on this one on the first week, but so far I have a 3-way tie
Scared Of Fear
Won't Tell
Upper Hand

[Ms Harmless]

yeah the melody is wonderful on this one

and yes to the Smile DNA

[Buby]

yeah the melody is wonderful on this one

and yes to the Smile DNA

I mean, at least it started as a Jeff song

[darth_vedder]

Wow- did not know about that. Would love to see Pearl Jam cover that song or other Cure. Jeff and Stone were ripping it up!

Not sure if you have seen it, but Ed covers with Cure with The Earthlings...

[Angus]

I love this song so much!