At that point you're either convinced or not.' Rolling Stone was positive: 'The lead single, 'Don't Tell Me,' might be her most Avril-ish song yet, a petulant kiss-off to a horny boy. One or two reprises and we're out like a light, end of song. It starts slow and quiet, building to the first chorus, ebbs back, builds to another chorus, drops down into a bridge before coming back with a skull-crunching third chorus that leaves the riff firmly implanted in your skull.

The Guardian was mixed: 'Current single Don't Tell Me at least has some relevant advice to impart to her pubescent female fans: it depicts a confused and angry Lavigne fending off an over-eager boyfriend.' PopMatters was favorable: 'The first single, 'Don't Tell Me', is probably the best song on the album, with the kind of wonderfully effusive movement that makes the best pop so damn irresistible. Blender Music wrote that unlike Sk8er Boi the up-with-abstinence single “Don’t Tell Me” finds her kicking him out of bed. the sk8erboi of the first album has turned out to be a selfish, nasty creep who leaves when she won't go to bed with him' in reference to Don't Tell Me. In a review of the album Under My Skin, David Browne of Entertainment Weekly said 'Lavigne herself sounds more burdened. That's what a lot of guys are like and I just think girls need to be strong and not let any guy pressure them into doing anything. There are a lot of guys out there who just want to take you out to dinner and then, like basically go home and 'unhh' you.

When asked what 'Don't Tell Me' was about, Lavigne said:

4.5 Brazil, Europe, Japan, Mexico and United States CD promo.

4.2 France, Germany and United Kingdom CD single.

Dont tell me dont me why song lyrucs