Not Still In Love With You

Song Meaning

Tina Arena's "Not Still In Love With You" isn't a declaration of freedom so much as a cage of denial. The lyrical content drips with the anxiety of someone protesting too much. Arena sings, "I never miss the way you kiss," and itemizes all the things she *doesn't* miss, but the obsessive cataloging itself betrays the truth. It's the classic push-pull of a heart desperate to move on but still tethered to a past relationship. The song meaning resides in this tension. The pre-chorus, "I'm tired of walking 'round in circles," is the most honest line in the entire track. It acknowledges the repetitive, almost compulsive thought patterns that keep the singer trapped. The chorus, with its repeated insistence of being "not in love," functions as a mantra, a desperate attempt at self-persuasion. The lines about wanting the ex to call simply to reject them reveal a need for validation, a desire to prove to herself (and perhaps to him) that she holds the power now. It's a performance of indifference, carefully constructed but ultimately fragile. The bridge offers a brief glimpse beneath the surface. "Can't seem to shake this feeling / But I must be strong." Here, Arena acknowledges the struggle, the internal battle between the heart's lingering attachment and the mind's determination to break free. The image of being "under water but I'm breathing" is particularly striking, suggesting a suffocating emotional environment that she's nonetheless learning to navigate. The repetition of the chorus at the end only amplifies the underlying vulnerability. The song leaves you with the distinct impression that the singer is still very much in love, even as she vehemently denies it.