Haunting in pastel: Romantic Thriller with ‘I Cannot Tell’
‘I Cannot Tell’ by Romantic Thriller sounds to me like a naively glittering synth pop moment that has blown over directly from the 90s. There's this slight electroclash tone, a delicate hint of undervoltage, which makes the whole thing seem familiar and a little strange at the same time. The whispered vocals draw me into a slightly eerie atmosphere – this isn't friendly, sparkling pop, but something that would be just as at home on a Halloween playlist.
Lyrically, there's a lot of teen drama in the song, a blurred look back at a night between fairground lights, jealousy and something that's never quite explained. This ambiguity fits the sound perfectly – sweet, wavering, innocent, but with a shadow that lingers.
Listen to "Romantic Thriller – I Cannot Tell" on Spotify
Lyrics of "Romantic Thriller – I Cannot Tell"
When I look back upon this day with you
I cannot tell if it’s sunny or blue
I cannot tell
And you’ve made me so confused
When I look back upon this day with you
At the fairground, I did not tell you the truth
I did not know
How to play by my own rules
When I think back to that night at the fair
We were spinning
on the tilt a whirl of terror
It was Heather
that dragged us over the fence
I tore my t‑shirt … but after that
nothing makes sense
It was a whirlwind, that fate-filled, evening’s events
We were fused together by that forest of myths
I think our love’s a trauma, we miss her so much
Your hold on me is melting away
but
I was a bird, fallen, from the nest
into your arms, a sucker, the kind you like best
I want to shake you, just shake you like an egg
until you’re helpless, so braindead
I said what I said
When we were out, in the woods in September
I did not tell you all things I remember
I could not lie
So I left you forever
But if I told you
I know you, would have
you would have, saved me from Heather
Wouldn’t you?
Save me from Heather
Do you know what she is capable of?
You think she wouldn’t hurt a fly
But you don’t know her like I do
You don’t know Heather
I know you would have
saved me from Heather
