The guitar invites the listener into the mind of Camden West. As the listener, I genuinely felt as if I was having a conversation with a friend and they were telling me this painful story of a past relationship that seems to linger. West begins to sing and we first find out what he does want to know/hear. “I just wanna hear you say you’re needing me and you’re feeling lonely, alone.” And then, what the song is essentially about, what he doesn’t want to know. “I don’t want to know what you’re doing on the weekends or who you’re with. I don’t want to know how he makes you feel or that you think this is the real deal.” West sings of a former lover and how they’ve seemingly moved on before he has. So, West is apparently still in contact with his ex and said ex has discussed their new lover with him. West hints at the fact that this lover appears to be doing so to hurt him.
So, the guitar continues strumming and the drums are now in the mix. West's vocals are front and center not drowned out by either as we get more details into the aftereffects of the relationship West sings about. West takes it a step further from proclaiming that he doesn’t want to know anything about his former lover’s new person by stating "To tell the truth, I just wish you'd lie." Willful ignorance is a path I've chosen many a time in life. I genuinely don't want to know some things, even if I do know them, I don't. Wishing that someone would spare you the pain of the truth is painful in and of itself. “This isn’t closure, you call me up just to fuck me up by saying he don’t treat you like I did.” As previously mentioned, this former lover is seemingly rubbing their new relationship in West’s face who doesn’t seem to have moved on from their love. However, West continues “Then, you come over, you wear that smile and then you stay awhile and say he gives you things that I can’t give.” West has crafted this song that dives into the depths of having your emotions toyed with by a former lover as well as the complicated web of keeping in touch with a former flame that you've not exactly let go of just yet. West warns the listener of this confusing nature to West and his former lover’s dynamic with the beginning of the song mentioning things being “complicated.” Complicated is certainly the word for the relationship that West describes throughout the song - someone who can’t move on, but hasn’t jumped to someone else and someone who has jumped to someone else but appears to only have done so to hurt their ex. Although West chooses to embrace willful ignorance by not wanting to know the details and also hoping for lies instead of the truth, at least West is doing so by himself. The drums are heard the most on the chorus and seem to help West relay his angst amid this situation while the guitar has been the steady partner throughout this song. Although we’ve all wanted to (and probably have) chosen willful ignorance over the truth, the truth will always be better than falsehood. So, we must accept the truth and move on, no matter how painful it is.
Camden West is a singer/songwriter based in Las Vegas and Nashville. West is described as being someone who is “sharing and spreading his vision of hope, peace and love through his music and lyric imagery.” His musical style is described as pop/rock with some funk and alt pop elements as well. Camden has previously released an album titled, “Outside The Lines”, an EP, “The Space Between”, as well as other singles that can be found on all music streaming services. West cites artists such as John Mayer, The Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton as some of his biggest influences. I most certainly hear the John Mayer vibes in “I Don’t Want to Know” and believe that he would definitely approve. If you approve of West’s single “I Don’t Want to Know” and do want to keep up with him and his music, then do follow him at his socials below!
Written By Keiunna Thompson
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