Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely

Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely
EP from Candy Apple Grey by Hüsker Dü
Released	March 1986
Recorded	October 1985–January 1986
Genre	Punk rock[1][2] pop-punk[3][4]
Length	3:29
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Bob Mould Grant Hart
Hüsker Dü chronology
Makes No Sense At All (1985) Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely (1986) Sorry Somehow (1986)

"Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" is a song by Hüsker Dü from their album Candy Apple Grey. The song was written by Grant Hart.^[5] It was released both as a single and EP in the United States and United Kingdom in March 1986. Hüsker Dü filmed a promotional video for the song, which garnered the band some play on MTV.^[6] The song, dubbed a "tuneful blast of Buzzcocks-style pop-punk," was labeled the high point of Grey by AllMusic's Stewart Mason.^[4]

The song is featured in the 2009 comedy-drama movie, Adventureland.^[7]

Track listing

EP track listing

Side One

1. "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" (Hart)
2. "Helter Skelter" (Lennon-McCartney)

Side Two

1. "All Work and No Play" (Long Mix) (Mould)

"Helter Skelter" was recorded live on January 30, 1985 at First Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[1]

UK single track listing

Side One

1. "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" (Hart)

Side Two

1. "All Work and No Play" (Mould) [2]

Side by Side: Record Store Day 2011

"Side by Side: Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely"
Single by Hüsker Dü and Green Day
A-side	"Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" (as performed by Hüsker Dü)
B-side	"Don't Wanna Know If You Are Lonely" (as performed by Green Day)
Released	April 16, 2011
Genre	Punk rock[2]
Label	Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)	Grant Hart
Green Day singles chronology
"When It's Time" (2010) "Side by Side: Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" (2011) "Oh Love" (2012)

On Record Store Day, 2011, Warner Bros. Records released an exclusive limited edition print of a "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" split single. The split single features the original version of "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" performed by Hüsker Dü on one side, and a cover version by the band Green Day on the other.^[8] The Green Day version had previously appeared on the single for their song, "Warning".

Side A

1. "Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" (as performed by Hüsker Dü)

Side B

1. "Don't Wanna Know If You Are Lonely" (as performed by Green Day)

Cover versions

"Don't Want to Know If You Are Lonely" has been covered by several different artists, including Green Day, who recorded it for an MTV show titled "Influences". The UK band Catherine Wheel recorded a version of the song on their 1992 "30th Century Man" EP.^[8] Also in 1992, Mega City Four covered it on their LP "Inspiringly Titled: The Live Album" and its advance EP "Shivering Sand - Live". The Swedish rockband Fireside has also recorded a version of the song on the "Hello kids" album. In 2013, Il Cattivo, a Denver-based heavy rock band released a guitar dueling rendition on their second record How To Assess Your Damages. The song was also covered by Australian musician Paul Dempsey.

References

1. Ritland, Erik. "The 25 Best Punk Songs to Help You Stick it to the Man". Music in Minnesota. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
2. Sacher, Andrew. "20 great covers of classic punk songs by '90s/'00s punk bands". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
3. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Candy Apple Grey – Hüsker Dü". AllMusic. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
4. Mason, Stewart. "Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely - Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved October 2, 2022.
5. Sweeting, Adam (September 14, 2017). "Grant Hart obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
6. Earles, Andrew (2010). Husker Du: The Story of the Noise-Pop Pioneers Who Launched Modern Rock p. 263. Voyageur Press. ISBN 978-1-6167-3979-9.
7. Martin, Clive (April 22, 2014). "My Favorite Soundtrack: 'Adventureland'". Noisey. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
8. Garvin, Patrick (September 18, 2017). ""Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely": Cover Songs Uncovered". The Pop Culture Experiment. Retrieved June 20, 2018.