Some people (usually women) need you to express your feelings. Other people (usually men) need just to feel your feelings… no words needed. Because you say it best when you say nothing at all.

Keating gained worldwide attention when his single "When You Say Nothing at All" was featured in the film Notting Hill and peaked at number one in several countries.

It's amazing how you
Can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word
You can light up the dark
Try as I may
I can never explain
What I hear when you don't say a thing

The smile on your face
Lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes
Saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand
Says you'll catch me
Wherever I fall
You say it best
When you say nothing at all

All day long I can hear
People talking out loud
But when you hold me near
You drown out the crowd

Try as they may
They can never define
What's been said
Between your heart and mine

The smile on your face
Lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes
Saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand
Says you'll catch me
Wherever I fall
You say it best
When you say nothing at all

The smile on your face
Lets me know that you need me
There's a truth in your eyes
Saying you'll never leave me
The touch of your hand
Says you'll catch me
Wherever I fall
You say it best
When you say nothing at all

You say it best
When you say nothing at all
You say it best
When you say nothing at all

The smile on your face
The truth in your eyes
The touch of your hand
Lets me know that you need me

You say it best
When you say nothing at all
You say it best
When you say nothing at all

RIGHT TO= Straight to, directly to.

HEART= /hɑ:*t/

LIGHT UP= Illuminate, bring light to it.

TRY AS I MAY= However I try..., it doesn’t matter how hard I try...

LETS ME KNOW THAT= Tells me that..., informs me that...

SAYING= Which says.
This is what we called a "reduced relative clause": the –ing form takes the place of the relative connector + the verb.
- The man who is talking is my brother = The man talking is my brother
- The lady who lives upstairs comes from France = The lady living upstairs comes from France
- The bike that flies was my invention = the flying bike was my invention
- The Sleeping beauty = the beauty who sleeps

WHEREVER= In any place, no matter where.

NOTHING AT ALL= Absolutely nothing.
We use "at all" to emphasize negative and interrogative sentences:
- I don't like it at all (it emphasizes my dislike)
- Have you got any Italian friends at all? (I'm emphasizing the whole question, as if having Italian friends is something not very probable for you)

ALL DAY LONG= All through the day, all the time during the day, the 24 hours.

DROWN= /draʊn/ To drown is to die because you are under water and you can't breathe. It may also be transitive:
- The ship crashed and everybody drowned (intransitive)
- Stop holding me, you're going to drown me! (transitive)
In the song, "drown" has a figurative sense. YOU DROWN OUT THE CROWD means that your presence makes the noise from the crowd disappear, their image, their sound, goes out of my mind in the ocean of peace and love I feel when I'm with you.

Overstreet and Schlitz came up with "When You Say Nothing at All" at the end of an otherwise unproductive day. Strumming a guitar, trying to write their next song, they were coming up empty. "As we tried to find another way to say nothing, we came up with the song," Overstreet later told author Ace Collins.

Richard Curtis wanted a key song for his new film Notting Hill. He suggested this song to Ronan Keating, who was then still with the Irish boy band Boyzone. According to 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, Ronan Keating said, "As soon as he mentioned the title, I was hooked."