Don't Tell Me (Madonna song)
Encyclopedia
"Don't Tell Me" is a song by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 singer-songwriter Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...

. It was released as the second single from her eighth studio album Music
Music (Madonna album)
Music is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on September 19, 2000 by Maverick Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records...

on November 21, 2000 by Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...

. The single has sold around 4.5 million copies to date.

History

The track was written by Joe Henry
Joe Henry
Joseph Lee "Joe" Henry is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Henry's musical style spans several genres, including alt. country, rock, jazz and folk.- Early years :...

, Madonna's brother-in-law. He performed and released the track, originally named "Stop", on his 2001 album Scar. His wife Melanie sent a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...

 of the track to her sister, who liked it and recorded her own version with the help of Mirwais Ahmadzaï
Mirwais Ahmadzaï
Mirwais Ahmadzaï, more commonly known as Mirwais, is a Paris based record producer and songwriter. He was born in Switzerland to an Afghan father and an Italian mother. He is a leader in the French style of progressive electronic dance music and progressive electronica...

. The song is an unusual departure from most mainstream songs and Madonna's own sound up to that point, as the vocals used in its production are often 'dry', or without reverb. Ahmadzai convinced Madonna to try this as a unique effect. Strings were arranged by Michel Colombier
Michel Colombier
Michel Colombier was a French composer, songwriter, arranger, and conductor.- External links :*...

, who would continue working with Madonna on subsequent projects.

The unexpected brief pauses of silence heard on the guitar riff at the beginning of the song initially caused some listeners to think that track on the Music album was defective; these intentional pauses help form the unusual beat of the song. Madonna performed "Don't Tell Me" on her 2001 Drowned World Tour
Drowned World Tour
The Drowned World Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums Ray of Light and Music. It was also her first tour in eight years, following The Girlie Show World Tour in 1993...

 and her 2004 Re-Invention Tour. In 2003, Madonna fans were asked to vote for their top 20 favorite Madonna singles of all time by Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...

magazine, "Don't Tell Me" won the #13 spot. In 2005, the song placed at #285 on Blender magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born".

Chart Performance

"Don't Tell Me" peaked at number four on the U.S. charts and spent eight weeks in the top ten. It made gains at radio for three months consecutively (her longest-growing hit since "Take a Bow"), and also spent a long time on the club-play chart. Despite spending only one week at number one (most of her recent dance hits have spent at least two, and "Music
Music (Madonna song)
"Music" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 8th studio album Music and was released on August 21, 2000, by Maverick Records. It was also released on DVD single, a debut in this format by Madonna. It earned two Grammy Award nominations in 2001, for Record of the Year...

" five), it managed fourteen weeks on the chart, out-lasting "Music" and tying with "Ray of Light
Ray of Light (song)
A high-speed electronic dance song, "Ray of Light" has received stylistic comparisons to rave, psychedelic and acid music. The track contains strong techno elements, as well as disco, trance and Eurodance influences, and it sees Madonna deepen her dance roots and go for a more electronic sound...

" as Madonna's longest running club hit since "Bedtime Story" in 1995. In addition, "Don't Tell Me" is Madonna's biggest hit on the Adult Top 40 chart, where it peaked at number four, making it her only top five single on that chart. Charting at #10 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart, it was Madonna's last top 10 hit on the chart to date.

In March 2001 the single was certified gold. With this twenty-fourth gold record, Madonna tied with The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

 for the second spot of most gold records in the United States.

The song was also a huge hit around the world, peaking in the top five in many countries. It hit the number one spot in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, remaining at #1 for 3 weeks in the latter two countries. It also reached the number four slot in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 185,000 copies there.

Music video

The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 for "Don't Tell Me" was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino
Jean-Baptiste Mondino
Jean-Baptiste Mondino is a French fashion photographer and music video director. He has directed music videos for Madonna, David Bowie, Sting, Björk, Neneh Cherry and Les Rita Mitsouko...

, who worked with Madonna in her videos for "Open Your Heart
Open Your Heart (Madonna song)
"Open Your Heart" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released as the fourth single from her third studio album True Blue on November 12, 1986, by Sire Records. It has since appeared remixed on the compilation albums The Immaculate Collection and Celebration...

", "Justify My Love
Justify My Love
"Justify My Love" is the first single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection and was released on November 6, 1990, by Sire Records. It caused international controversy due to the accompanying music video which was sexually explicit...

", "Human Nature
Human Nature (Madonna song)
"Human Nature" is the fourth and final single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her sixth studio album Bedtime Stories, released on June 6, 1995 by Maverick Records.-Song information:...

" and "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", and filmed in October 2000. The choreography was done by Alex Magno
Alex Magno (choreographer)
Alexandre Magno is a Brazilian born, Emmy Nominated choreographer and director. Alex has a wide vocabulary of dance styles, which includes Hip-hop, Jazz, Ballet, Samba, Flamenco, Tango, Salsa, and Martial Arts...

, who also collaborated on the Drowned World Tour
Drowned World Tour
The Drowned World Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Madonna in support of her seventh and eighth studio albums Ray of Light and Music. It was also her first tour in eight years, following The Girlie Show World Tour in 1993...

. The tour designers Dsquared and Arianne Phillips also designed Madonna's cowgirl costume. The video features Madonna walking down an automated treadmill walkway in front of a projection screen, while cowboys dance and play on the sand in the video played on the screen behind her. Later, they join Madonna in front of the screen in a choreographed dance routine. The iconic final scene of the the video depicts a cowboy riding a Skewbald
Skewbald
Skewbald is a color pattern of horses. A skewbald horse has a coat made up of white patches on a non-black base coat, such as chestnut, bay, or any color besides black coat. Skewbald horses which are bay and white are sometimes called tricoloured...

 horse in slow motion getting thrown to the ground, and getting up again.

There are four unreleased remix videos, using the following audio mixes: Thunderpuss Club Mix, the Thunderdub, the Thunderpuss 2001 Hands In The Air Anthem and the Thunderpuss Tribe-A-Pella.
  • Director: Jean-Baptiste Mondino
  • Producer: Maria Gallagher
  • Director of Photography: Alex Barber
  • Editor: Angus Wall
  • Production company: DNA Inc.

Other performances

At the 2001 MTV Movie Awards
MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...

 as hosted by Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon
James Thomas "Jimmy" Fallon, Jr. is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and television host. He currently hosts Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, a late-night talk show that airs Monday through Friday on NBC...

 and Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Caroline Dunst is an American actress, singer and model. She made her film debut in Oedipus Wrecks, a short film directed by Woody Allen for the anthology New York Stories...

, a parody of the song (and video) were performed by the hosts, as they detailed the anticipated events of the evening. Fallon at one time dropped to the floor to bathe himself in sand, a la Madonna in the video. Fallon, however, got most of it in his pants.

Rock band The Androids
The Androids
The Androids are a rock band from Australia. Fronted by guitarist Tim Henwood . While their 2002 single, "Do It With Madonna", was commercially their most successful release - peaking at #4 in the Australia ARIA Singles Chart and #15 in the UK Singles Chart; their second and third singles, "Here...

 recorded a song entitled "Do It with Madonna", where they detail how they would prefer sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...

 with the titular star as opposed to more recently unveiled pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...

 idols. One citation they make to Madonna's appeal is a music video in which she's wearing a "cowboy hat and [...] kicking the dirt", a clear reference to the video for "Don't Tell Me".

Singer Lizz Wright
Lizz Wright
Lizz Wright is an American jazz/R&B singer and composer.Wright was born in the small town of Hahira in the US state of Georgia; one of three children and the daughter of a minister and the musical director of their Church. She started singing gospel music and playing piano in church as a child,...

 recorded a jazzy take on "Stop" which she included in her 2005 release, "Dreaming Wide Awake".

Track listings and formats

US 7" vinyl (7-16825)
US CD single (9 16825-2)
  1. "Don't Tell Me" (Album version) - 4:40
  2. "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss' 2001 Hands in the Air Radio) - 4:26


US 2 x 12" vinyl (0-44910)
  • A1 "Don't Tell Me" (Timo Maas Mix) - 6:55
  • A2 "Don't Tell Me" (Vission Remix) - 7:52
  • B1 "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss' 2001 Hands in the Air Anthem) - 10:20
  • B2 "Don't Tell Me" (Vission Radio Mix) - 3:38
  • C "Don't Tell Me" (Tracy Young Club Mix) - 11:01
  • D1 "Don't Tell Me" (Victor Calderone Sensory Mix) - 6:48
  • D2 "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss' 2001 Hands in the Air Radio) - 4:26


US Maxi-CD (9 44910-2)
  1. "Don't Tell Me" (Timo Maas Mix) - 6:55
  2. "Don't Tell Me" (Tracy Young Club Mix) - 11:01
  3. "Don't Tell Me" (Vission Remix) - 7:52
  4. "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss' 2001 Hands in the Air Anthem) - 10:20
  5. "Don't Tell Me" (Victor Calderone Sensory Mix) - 6:48
  6. "Don't Tell Me" (Vission Radio Mix) - 3:38
  7. "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss' 2001 Hands in the Air Radio) - 4:26
  8. "Don't Tell Me" Music Video


EU 12" vinyl (9362 44955 0)
  • A1 "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss Club Mix) - 7:53
  • A2 "Don't Tell Me" (Vission Remix) - 7:52
  • B1 "Don't Tell Me" (Tracy Young Club Mix) - 11:01
  • B2 "Cyber-Raga" - 5:31


EU 12" blue vinyl (9362 44968 0)
  • A1 "Don't Tell Me" (Timo Maas Mix) - 6:55
  • A2 "Don't Tell Me" (Victor Calderone Sensory Mix) - 6:48
  • B1 "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss' 2001 Hands in the Air Anthem) - 10:20
  • B2 "Don't Tell Me" (Album version) - 4:40


GR CD single (5439 16790 2)
  1. "Don't Tell Me" (Radio edit) - 4:10
  2. "Cyber-Raga" - 5:31


GR Maxi-CD (9362 44949 2)
JP Maxi-CD (WPCR-10903)
  1. "Don't Tell Me" (Radio edit) - 4:10
  2. "Cyber-Raga" - 5:31
  3. "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss Club Mix) - 7:53
  4. "Don't Tell Me" (Vission Remix) - 7:52


UK CD single 1 (W547CD1)
  1. "Don't Tell Me" (Radio edit) - 4:10
  2. "Cyber-Raga" - 5:31
  3. "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss Club Mix) - 7:53


UK CD single 2 (W547CD2)
  1. "Don't Tell Me" (Album version) - 4:40
  2. "Don't Tell Me" (Vission Remix) - 7:52
  3. "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss Radio Mix) - 3:40

Don't Tell Me:Remixes

EU Maxi-CD (9362 44977 2)
  1. "Don't Tell Me" (Timo Maas Mix) - 6:55
  2. "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss' 2001 Hands in the Air Anthem) - 10:20
  3. "Don't Tell Me" (Victor Calderone Sensory Mix) - 6:48
  4. "Don't Tell Me" (Vission Remix) - 7:52


AU Maxi-CD (93624-49692-2)
  1. "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss' 2001 Hands in the Air Anthem) - 10:20
  2. "Don't Tell Me" (Timo Maas Mix) - 6:55
  3. "Don't Tell Me" (Victor Calderone Sensory Mix) - 6:48
  4. "Don't Tell Me" (Tracy Young Club Mix) - 11:01
  5. "Don't Tell Me" (Thunderpuss' 2001 Tribe-A-Pella) - 8:31
  6. "Don't Tell Me" (Video) - 4:41

Official versions

Official versions
  • Don't Tell Me (Album version) - 4:40
  • Don't Tell Me (Radio edit) - 4:10
  • Don't Tell Me (Instrumental version) - 4:40
  • Don't Tell Me (A cappella) - 3:03
  • Don't Tell Me (Video version) - 4:38


Remixes
  • Don't Tell Me (Timo Maas
    Timo Maas
    Timo Maas is an electronic music DJ/producer and remixer.-Career:Maas bought his first set of turntables at the age of 17, and played his very first DJ set in 1982 at a party in his friend's home...

     Mix) - 6:56
  • Don't Tell Me (Timo Maas Dub)
  • Don't Tell Me (Victor Calderone Sensory Mix) - 6:48
  • Don't Tell Me (Vission Remix) - 7:51
  • Don't Tell Me (Vission Radio Mix) - 3:48
  • Don't Tell Me (Thunderpuss Club Mix) - 7:50
  • Don't Tell Me (Thunderpuss Radio Mix) - 3:42
  • Don't Tell Me (Thunderpuss 2001 Hands in the Air Anthem) - 10:20
  • Don't Tell Me (Thunderpuss 2001 Hands in the Air Radio Mix) - 4:26
  • Don't Tell Me (Thunderpuss Tribe-A-Pella) - 8:31
  • Don't Tell Me (Thunderdub) - 8:56
  • Don't Tell Me (Tracy Young Club Mix 1) - 11:00
  • Don't Tell Me (Tracy Young Club Mix 2) - 11:08
  • Don't Tell Me (Tracy Young Dub) - 8:11
  • Don't Tell Me (Dave Aude Funk Mix) - 7:57
  • Don't Tell Me (Dave Aude Funk Mix Edit) - 7:57

Charts

Chart (2001) Peak
position
Australia ARIA Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...

7
Austrian Singles Chart
Ö3 Austria Top 40
Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...

12
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)
Ultratop 50
Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995...

15
Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)
Ultratop 40
Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization...

27
Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....

1
Danish Singles Chart 15
Dutch Top 40
Dutch Top 40
The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...

26
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles
The European Hot 100 Singles has been compiled by Billboard and Music & Media magazine since March, 1984. The chart is based on national singles sales charts in 15 European countries: Austria, Belgium , Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,...

2
Finnish Singles Chart 3
French SNEP
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...

 Singles Chart
16
German Singles Chart
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...

22
Irish Singles Chart
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...

15
Italian FIMI
Federation of the Italian Music Industry
The Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy....

 Singles Chart
1
New Zealand RIANZ
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...

 Singles Chart
1
Norwegian Singles Chart
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...

6
Spanish Singles Chart 2
Swiss Singles Chart
Swiss Music Charts
The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...

10
UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Airplay 10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales
Hot 100 Singles Sales
The Hot Singles Sales chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures sales of commercial singles and is one of three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Airplay and the Hot Digital Songs, that determine the chart positions of singles on the...

1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...

1


Certifications

Country Certifications
Australia
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...

Platinum
France
Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique
The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...

Silver
United States
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...

Gold

External links

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