Fan Reviews

 When you were just a young girl and still in school
How come you never learned the golden rule
Don't talk to strange men, don't be a fool
I'm hearing stories, I don't think that's cool

Why don't you tell me, someone is loving you
'Cause you're my girl, some say it's no longer true
You're seeing some slick continental dude
I'm begging you, please

Don't talk to strangers, baby don't you talk
Don't talk to strangers
You know he'll only use you up
Don't talk, don't talk, don't talk
Don't talk, don't talk to him
Nobody, nobody, ever told you

Now tell me, how's life in the big city
I hear the competition's tough, baby that's a pity
And every man's an actor, every girl is pretty
I don't like what's getting back to me

Now who's this, Don Juan I've been hearing of
Love hurts when only one's in love
Did you fall at first sight or did you need a shove
I'm begging you, please

Don't talk to strangers, baby don't you talk
Don't talk to strangers
You know he'll only use you up
Don't talk, don't talk, don't talk
Don't talk, don't talk to him
Nobody, nobody ever told you

Fais l'amour avec moi
What's he saying baby
Viens dormir, mon amour
I asked you not to talk to him
Donnez-moi votre coeur ce soir
I'm begging you

Don't Talk To Strangers, baby don't you talk
Don't Talk To Strangers, You know he'll only use you up
Don't talk, don't talk, don't talk
Don't talk, don't talk to him
Nobody, nobody ever told you

Don't talk to strangers, baby don't you talk
Don't talk to strangers
You know he'll only use you up
Don't talk to strangers, baby don't you
Baby don't you talk


(total playing time 2:59)

Song Facts:

Rick performed this song on the Live and Kickin Special and the video release of Beat of the Live Drum.  He continues to perform this song at concerts today, and even did a part of it during EFX Alive.  Rick has been known to talk on cell phones from the audience during this song, and this inspired a tv commercial for AT&T.

It appears on the follow releases:
Success Hasn't Spoiled Me Yet, Alive-Greatest Hits, Best 21, Best of, Best of Rick Springfield, Greatest Hits, Anthology (import) The Encore Collection, Behind the Music: Rick Springfield Collection, The Best of Rick Springfield (Japan), Platinum & Gold, Legendary, and Anthology (written in rock).  It reached #2 on the Pop Charts, debuting 3/6/82

Rick says: I'd always liked the title and I'd had it around in my head. What the song says, there's no deeper meaning, it's just my paranoia about loving someone and fearing that they're going to do me wrong - Hot Ones Radio Show, 1984.

I have a special place in my heart for this song.  This is the one that really made me a fan.  Between the song itself, the video, and Rick's performance of this on Solid Gold, he really got my attention.   It was because of this that I went and bought the cassette and started paying way more attention than I had before.  I never really thought about what the song meant specifically at the time, it wasn't until Rick admitted during a radio interview that he wrote it for his then girlfriend (now wife), that I realized how deep the jealousy went.   I just always liked the tune and the words.  Rick really does have such a way with words.  There is one line that impresses me so much and it's "I asked you not to talk to him".  A typical guy line would be "I told you not to talk to him", and I just LOVE it that Rick worded it that way.

Separating the fact that Rick has kind of turned this into a lesson to children at his concerts, this is a total song of jealousy. His feelings are based on rumors and innuendo which really play on his insecurity about his relationship. At one point in the song he's bitter and is kind of gloating at her assumed poor choice "Now tell me, how's life in the big city I hear the competition's tough, baby that's a pity" and then in another part he's begging her to be with him, both in English and in French. Total insecurity!

I know in interviews he has said he wrote this song about his wife (his girl friend at the time) and how insecure he was leaving her in California while he was touring. Now isn't that funny?! He's the big Rock God touring the country, having women fall at his feet willing to give themselves to him (totally) and he's the one worried about what the little woman is doing back home.

I really liked this song when it came out. When he was on Solid Gold and he turns to the camera with a smoldering look as he sings "I don't think that's cool"...those lips....whew!   But over the years.....I became a bit ambivalent towards it.  Then the Master sings it live and I SWEAR....when he sings "you know he'll only use you up"..and he goes high on "use"...GOOSEBUMPS!!  I don't know what it is about that one high note that changed everything for me...he is a powerful man!!!!! 

This song is my absolute favorite....ok that's hard to say really, but it is definitely the song that put me over the top. It wasn't Jessie's Girl at all.  This is the song that made me run out, buy the album and listen to it constantly until LIO came out.  I have to say THIS song did it for me.

I love the "Baby don't" in concert before he gets someone to sing. I am guilty of pretending to take pictures the whole time to avoid having to sing. However, getting to sing into his head mic, like the girl in Kansas City got to do, would be quite an experience.

No secret here. Jealousy, pure and simple. He has admitted as much. Really more insecurity. Maybe with his track record romantically speaking to that point he was always looking for things to go wrong relationship wise. Even once he was in a relationship that was good for him.

Side note: I forever sang "who's this dumb one" instead of Don Juan. Duh!   In fact, "dumb one" still pops into my head every time I hear it still! Can't get rid of it.:o)

This is the ultimate "hey, she's my girl!" song, eh? I remember when I heard Rick had written this song for his wife too (and that pang of jealously again - like I had a chance LOL). Prior to hearing that admission from him, I always thought this was Rick's perspective of girls in LA/Hollywood that he had encountered since coming to the US - "How's life in the big city, I hear the competition's tough baby that's a pity. But every man's an actor, every girl is pretty" Those lines pretty much speak for themselves, I believe.  And those French lines were completely responsible for me taking French 1 in high school. I kid you not, I was dying to find out what Rick was saying!

I have so many memories attached to this song. I too knew after hearing this song that I was a RS fan for life. I mean, JG reeled me in, ya know - but when SHSMY came out and I gave it that first listen -and it was just AS good as WCD - well I knew I was a lifer. I remember this song playing on the radio in the summertime and my best friend and I walking down our street carrying her radio singing it at the top of our lungs..The first time I saw Rick at Pine Knob in Detroit (I think it was '84) I was in the 3rd row and I got my first "he looked right at me" moment during this song. And speaking of that French class - my best friend and I also had shirts made up that said "Fais l'amour avec moi" on the front (in French) that we wore to that show. I think that's how I scored "the look". Needless to say our French teacher was NOT impressed when we then wore them to school (and YES, I did know what that meant in English -but that didn't mean every guy did, right??).

My early interpretation of the song ~ Well I was pretty naive back then & I thought it was an ex-boyfriend looking after a former girlfriend.  A sort of big brother type.  I never learned French so I never realized what he was saying to her until the late 90's.  After I heard Rick say (in interviews) that it was written regarding his insecurity and his wife (then girlfriend), of course I saw the song with the intended meaning.