Not Tonight

Album: Perfectly Imperfect (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Both Elle Varner's parents are in the music industry. Her mother, singer Mikelyn Roderick was a backup vocalist for Barry White and her father Jimmy Varner is a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, who has collaborated with Kool & the Gang, and Will Downing. Its no surprise that Varner was singing as soon as she could speak, playing the flute at 6 and the piano at 9. The Los Angeles native earned a coveted spot in New York University's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, but her early success as a musician didn't make Varner any less shy when it came to a college crush. "It's one of the saddest songs on the album, about not being able to say 'hello' to a guy that I was in a class with for four months," she admitted to MTV News. "And to this day, I never said anything to him. And it was kinda heartbreaking, like, 'Just say it!' but I can't."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"They're Playing My Song

When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.

Annie Haslam of Renaissance

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?