Don't You (Forget About Me)
by Simple Minds

Album: The Breakfast Club Soundtrack (1985)
Charted: 7 1
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  • Hey, hey, hey, hey
    Ooh, woah

    Hey, hey, hey, hey
    Ooh, woah

    Won't you come see about me?
    I'll be alone, dancing, you know it, baby

    Tell me your troubles and doubts
    Giving everything inside and out and
    Love's strange, so real in the dark
    Think of the tender things that we were working on

    Slow change may pull us apart
    When the light gets into your heart, baby

    Don't you, forget about me
    Don't, don't, don't, don't
    Don't you, forget about me

    Will you stand above me?
    Look my way, never love me
    Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
    Down, down, down

    Will you recognize me?
    Call my name or walk on by
    Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
    Down, down, down, down

    Hey, hey, hey, hey
    Ooh, woah

    Don't you try and pretend
    It's my feeling we'll win in the end
    I won't harm you or touch your defenses
    Vanity, insecurity, ah

    Don't you forget about me
    I'll be alone, dancing, you know it, baby
    Going to take you apart
    I'll put us back together at heart, baby

    Don't you, forget about me
    Don't, don't, don't, don't
    Don't you, forget about me

    Will you stand above me?
    Look my way, never love me
    Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
    Down, down, down

    Will you recognize me?
    Call my name or walk on by
    Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
    Down, down, down, down

    Hey, hey, hey, hey
    Ooh, woah

    Hey, hey, hey, hey
    Ooh, woah

    Don't you, forget about me
    Don't, don't, don't, don't
    Don't you, forget about me

    As you walk on by
    Will you call my name?
    As you walk on by
    Will you call my name?
    When you walk away

    Or will you walk away?
    Will you walk on by?
    Come on, call my name
    Will you call my name?

    I say
    La, la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
    La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
    La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
    La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
    La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
    La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
    When you walk on by
    And you call my name
    When you walk on by
    La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
    La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
    La-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
    La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la Writer/s: Keith Forsey, Steve W. Schiff
    Publisher: Audiam, Inc., Music Hub, O/B/O DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 45

  • Padraig from Nowhere In ParticularThis should never have worked. A British indie band that takes itself even more seriously than the early U2 is given a throwaway off-the-shelf song written for an American teen movie to perform. The lyrics are doctored and pretend to have a deeper meaning where there isn't any, and the band instantly realize this and fundamentally dislike the song. When they are finally persuaded to record the song, they ridicule it by attaching a mock hair metal intro, the singer emphasizes the hollowness of the lyrics by crooning them out with particular gusto, and then, instead of adding lyrics where they are needed, he just sings lalalalala. They do it in a few takes and get on with it.

    And yet work the song does. Because the movie isn't any old teenage flick. It's The Breakfast Club. The song may be off-the-shelf, but the songwriting is ironclad. The mock hair metal intro manages to integrate itself seamlessly and instantly makes the song stand out from its peers. The crooning is infectious. And the lalalalala is so vigorously catchy, you can't help but sing along. Over and over again.

    There are bands that only ever really had one global smash hit, and for Simple Minds, theirs is the one song they did not write and did not like. Still. Could be worse, I guess.
  • Moosehead from Scwho are you? who are you? i'm a walrus!! took me forever to figure that line out!
  • Armin from GermanyDon't forget Billy Idol's version (on Youtube)
  • Ria5000 from Hampton NhI love this song, always have. There's something almost haunting about it totally fits the movie and love the freeze frame. I'm surprised no one mentioned this song is in Pitch Perfect, in the contest they won at the end in Lincoln center. They did a great job with the song, I thought
  • Steve Tulley from Wiltshire UkLoved this song from the first time I heard it !! Excellent drums from Mel Gaynor
  • Bridget from CoSo this was written about being there for someone.. surprising. I originally thought this was about not forgetting about someone, seeing as a kid who went to my school that is 4 grades ahead of me covered this at the end of the school year for the oldest students (Well, the middle and high school kids are mixed together at my school). I also thought this was called "Don't Forget About Me." Oops!
  • Esskayess from EarthThe "freeze-frame shot" of Rocky and Apollo is at the end of Rocky III, not Rocky II. [Fixed. Thank you. -editor]
  • Melinda from AustraliaNever was there a song that defined the mid 1980’s the most .

    When they talk about 1980’s music, Simple Minds are right up there. If you grew up in the 80’s and had access to Simple Minds music, and loved it, you would know.

    I was also totally hooked on their real early 80’s song, Love Song.
    The song they wrote about America.
    It was so unusual. Atmospheric, romantic almost, and deep. Unlike any the general music around at the time.

    And then their music on The Breakfast Club movie came out. And Simple Minds become much more well known.
    They deserved recognition way before that.
    I personally think their music has been highly influential.
    People who claim, their Breakfast Club era music wasn’t as good. Are just being musical snobs. And splitting hairs. The music Simple Minds made in The Breakfast Club era was just the same. And as good.
    It was just more slick. Cause the recordings were better. From my view that meant you could hear all the clever things they threw into their music.
    And further they were able to make the sound more powerful. Cause Simple Minds music was about powerful energetic sound.
    In my view also, Simple Minds were/are the ultimate, in Scottish musical romanticism.
    And should be remembered that way.
  • Patrick from Wahiawa, HiAt the end of the Futurama episode "Luck of the Fryrish," a the first verse plays as Fry visits the grave of his namesake 7-leaf-clover-lucky nephew.
  • Sion from Tucson, AzMolly Ringwald herself did a cover of this song from her 2013 jazz album "Except Sometimes."
  • Myla from San Diego, CaI never get tired of this songs. One of my all time favs! What would have happened if Billy Idol or Bryan Ferry (as it was mentioned) did the song first? What travesty!
  • Travis from Grandisland, FlGreat Song! Great Band! You can't hear this song and not think of the Breakfast Club! Judd Nelson Rules! I always wanted to walk off a feild somewhere with my fist high in air and this song playing in the background...someday!
  • Jessica from Bloomfield , NjThis song is one of the best to come out of the 80's. It's catchy and the deep sound of it is great.
  • Michelle from Ny, NyThis was used in the Family Guy episode where Peter goes back to high school. Peter does the whole Judd Nelson thing at the end where he raises his fist as he walks across the school yard..
  • Edwoodca from Los Angeles, CaLove the instrumental version running under the voice-overs in the movie. Anyone know if it was ever released, so that I can look for it? The guitar work really stands out when you strip out the lyrics.
  • Dave from Cardiff, WalesI think you'll find that Keith Forsey and Steve Chiff own the song, NOT Billy Idol. And his version sucks the big one hard. Simple Minds' version is the way to go!
  • Margaret from Worcester, MaI remember the film breakfast club was spoof by the A*Teens and X-Play
  • Megan from Winnipeg, CanadaI love the Breakfast Club. This is my favorite Simple Minds song. They go together good.
  • Abeer from Basra, Iraqthank you very much I'm glad to know you
  • Lalah from Wasilla, AkBilly Idol's owns this song. His is much better than SMs.
  • Kent from Toronto, CanadaIt was actually in two large former British colonies (see comment by Dave of Cardiff) that Simple Minds was initially really successful to the point of mega-cult status: Australia and more particularly Canada, where "Love Song" became their first bonafide hit (#15). This song's success led to the re-vamping of the tracklist for "Sons And Fascination" in Canada (erroneously referred to as the "US version"): the far superior running order and selection included 10 tracks, beginning with "Love Song" and including the enigmatic "League Of Nations", while excluding "70 Cities As Love Brings The Fall", "Careful In Career", "Wonderful In Young Life" and "Seeing Out The Angel". By 1984, SM could play four sold-out gigs back-to-back at Toronto's Massey Hall. (U2 was booked for one night only at the hall in the same year, although surely they could have played more shows.) On this tour of Canada, they were of course headliners, supported by China Crisis... for the American leg, they were relegated to a support act of The Pretenders (who would have been lucky at that point to have scored a support spot for Simple Minds in Canada!) "Don't You (Forget About Me)" brought along a whole new audience but the new direction all but killed off the hardcore arty fan base here that in Toronto had voted two albums by the band as best album of the year in the influential CKLN polls: 1981's "Sons And Fascination" (Canadian version) and 1982's "New Gold Dream", a feat which has remained unattained by any other group. In was without question inferior to their highly inventive, thought-provoking, physically infectious music up until that point, so it is (perhaps not?) ironic that this became their first mainstream megahit wordldwide.
  • John from Kirkland, WaMy understanding is this song was written specificaly for The Breakfast Clup and intended for Simple Minds to perform it.
  • Barry from Strange Planet, Hong KongLOL! I was in that band! (Best Company) We got into the dance charts with our version way back in 1992. The dub mix ended up being played for quite a long time on Pete Tong's radio 1 show and we got asked to do loads of appearances because of it. Great song, but I prefered the original! We loved 'The breakfast club'. Now making strange planet vid on barrykingstar.com
  • Dave from Cardiff, WalesThis is my favourite song of all time by my fave band of all time. Pretty much the only big hit the 'Minds would score in the US, although they were hugely successful elsewhere in the world, particularly their native UK where they have to date scored over 30 hit singles since breaking into the UK Top 20 for the first time in 1983 with "Promised You a Miracle". Certainly one of the more interesting rock bands of the '80s
  • Dave from Cardiff, WalesBilly Idol's version is NOT better, no one ever sang this song better than Simple Minds
  • Pytlak from Bakersfield, CaHey Daniel from Australia, I thought the exact same thing.
  • Ed from Lancaster, EnglandBilly Idols version is better.
  • Kevin from Tampa, FlThe reason this song was not included on "Once Upon A Time" is Simple Minds wanted the ablum to sell on its own merrits and not be aided by the success of Don't You, which as previousy stated is a song they didn't like to begin with and only recorded at the insistance of the record company. I have also read that Jim Kerr was specifically turned off by the use of the word "Baby" in "Don't you" and hated using that word.
  • Daniel from Melbourne, AustraliaSimple Minds only lyrical input on this track was the 'La, la, la, la' in the last 20 seconds that repeats until fade. When they play live, that 20 seconds is dragged out to a few minutes and you'd swear that the crowd would never get bored of singing along.
  • Dave from Cardiff, WalesSimple Minds were huge in the UK right throughout their recording career dating back to 1977, but after not releasing any new material between 1991 and 1995, they lost momentum, although they have continued to record until the present day
  • Mel from South Australia, Australiahmmm i have heard on several occasions that the song was written BY simple minds for 'the breakfast club'...i did a major study on rock history for my year twelve modern history assignment...
  • Neil from MiddlesbroughBest Company did a dance Version in the 90's
  • Becca from Hamilton, CanadaYellowcard's version was amazing. I am not a big Yellowcard fan. But wow. Their version is so amazing.
  • Lee from BournemouthThe end of the Family Guy show where they all do 'Toad' and Peter goes back to high school in the guise of 'Lando Griffin'. Very funny episode! "Gotta give it up, give up the toad now..."
  • Brian from Rochester, NyPunk band Rufio does a great cover on the Punk Goes 80's cd.
  • Dmytro from Toronto, Canadai luv this song its really cool and its just sounds good overall simple minds is a good band and they did a good job in this song.
  • Paul from Galway, IrelandI love this song. we love it overseas. loved the yellowcard version. they performed it at the MTV movie awards and it really hit me... emotionally. They showed clips during the song. UNREAL. btw I'm a basketcase
  • Sarah from Columbia, ChinaWell here is the info. Someone offered Billy Idol to record this song. He said no, but for some reason he recorded it later. (That was after it became popular)
  • Shana from Shreveport, LaBilly Idol's version is so much better.
  • Ryan from Windsor, CanadaWhat Family Guy episode is this song in?
  • Daniel from Werribee, AustraliaWhen I first heard this song I swear to God it was by U2. Listen to it. You will agree with me.
  • Jack from Derry, United StatesThis song was also used at the end of a family guy episode
  • Ari from Elizabeth, NjThis song was also offered to Billy Idol, but he declined. He would then go on to cover it. It can be heard as the last track on his Greatest Hits album.
  • Joe from Selinsgrove, PaThis song was played at the end of an emotional episode of the popular show "Futurama." Almost every song played on this show was from the 80s, because the main character Fry is stuck in that decade.
  • Eric from Glendale, CaBelieve it or not, Jim Kerr felt the song was "campy" and actually didn't like it despite its success. The song wasn't released on their 1985 'Once Upon A Time' album (to which this song ironically helped bolster) but later included it on their greatest hits album. The single's B-side contains a fanbase favorite 'The American' as well as an unacclaimed cut called 'A Brass Band in Africa' which is the beautiful epitome of Simple Mind's melodic side.
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