“Don’t Speak” is a deeply emotional and widely acclaimed ballad by American rock band No Doubt, released in April 1996 as the third single from their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom. Written by Gwen Stefani and Eric Stefani, the song captures the heartbreak and pain of a relationship’s end and became one of the band’s most iconic and successful tracks.
The lyrics reflect the personal experience of Gwen Stefani’s breakup with bandmate Tony Kanal, making the song especially poignant. “Don’t Speak” is a pop-rock ballad with elements of soft rock and orchestral arrangements. It begins with a gentle acoustic guitar and builds into a powerful and emotionally charged chorus. The production highlights Gwen Stefani’s emotive vocal performance, which transitions from tender and reflective to passionate and anguished, perfectly capturing the song’s themes.
The song was a massive commercial success, topping the charts in multiple countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. In the United States, while it wasn’t eligible to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 due to charting rules at the time, it spent 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay Chart, cementing its status as one of the biggest hits of 1996 and 1997.