The Shouting Stage

Album: The Shouting Stage (1988)
Charted: 89
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Romantic relationships can go through many stages, one of which is the shouting stage, which is when it turns hostile. Armatrading sings from the perspective of someone who is going through this stage, wondering how she got there and thinking back to when they were in the throes of love, "blind from the same light."

    There is no resolution and no advice, just an outpouring of emotion as we hear her inner dialogue trying to sort this out.
  • Most of Joan Armatrading's songs are not about things that happened to her, but are based on observations. This one was inspired by a couple she encountered who were sitting at a table in a restaurant in Australia. In a Songfacts interview with Armatrading, she said: "They were having an argument that just escalated, just got louder and louder, and then in the end the guy just got up and walked out and the woman was in tears. The whole restaurant heard this, and I just wondered, What got them to the shouting stage? What caused all this? I can lay money that I'm the only one that went home and wrote a song about it. That's just because I was present, I was aware, taking it in."
  • Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits played guitar on this track. Other musicians on the track were Pino Palladino on bass, Dave Mattacks on drums, and Jody Linscott on percussion. Armatrading wrote, produced and arranged all the tracks on the album.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.

Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MG's, Blues Brothers)

Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MG's, Blues Brothers)Songwriter Interviews

Steve Cropper on the making of "In the Midnight Hour," the chicken-wire scene in The Blues Brothers, and his 2021 album, Fire It Up.

Weezer

WeezerFact or Fiction

Did Rivers Cuomo grow up on a commune? Why did they name their albums after colors? See how well you know your Weezer in this Fact or Fiction.

Is That Song Public Domain?

Is That Song Public Domain?Fact or Fiction

Are classic songs like "Over The Rainbow" and "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the public domain?

John Waite

John WaiteSongwriter Interviews

"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.

Chris Squire of Yes

Chris Squire of YesSongwriter Interviews

One of the most dynamic bass player/songwriters of his time, Chris is the only member of Yes who has been with the band since they formed in 1968.