The song proved a hit. It reached the #6 spot on the Mainstream Rock chart as well as the #48 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. It has since been featured in greatest hits albums from the band.
Somebody Like You
.38 Special Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shoulda known what I be riskin
But nothin' short of holding you would ever do
Darling
If we could be together
I would wait for you forever
But how'm I gonna win
If you never lose
I could see you were something special
I couldn't walk away from you if I'd tried
Darling
I wanna be near you
If only you'd feel like I do
I must've had it wrong, I should've known
Somebody like you could break my heart
Somebody like you could tear my world apart
Oh yeah
Somebody like you could keep me in the dark
Somebody like you could break my heart
Yeah yeah
I knew that I was fallin'
I could hear your heart beat callin'
I was hopin' you'd be mine before the night was thru
Darling
I could keep on loving you
If there's a chance to somehow break thru
I must've had it wrong
I should've known
Somebody like you could break my heart
Somebody like you baby
Somebody like you I'm tellin' you
Somebody like you could break my heart
Yeah yeah yeah
Guess I new right from the start
That you were a pretender
But it was you who held my heart
I got love I wanna send you
Yeah, are you ready to surrender
Oh yeah
Somebody like you could break my heart
Somebody like you could tear my world apart
Oh yeah
Somebody like you could keep me in the dark
Somebody like you baby
Somebody like you I'm tellin' you
Somebody like you could break my heart
The lyrics of .38 Special's song "Somebody Like You" tells a story of a person who falls in love with someone whom they know could potentially hurt them. The singer knew they should have kept their distance and that being with this person comes with risks. However, they couldn't resist the irresistible feeling brought by holding this person. The singer wants to be with this special someone, even if they have to wait forever, but somehow feels like they can't win if this person never loses. The weight of their desire creates pressure but they can't just walk away from it all, even if they tried.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Somebody like you could break my heart, somebody like you could tear my world apart," emphasizing the pull and excitement of someone like this, but also the danger. The singer ultimately wants to keep loving this person, hoping for a chance to break through and make it work. The song conveys the message that love often involves taking risks, and sometimes we just have to follow our heart even though we know it may not lead to a happily ever after.
Overall, the lyrics of "Somebody Like You" is about the risk of falling in love with someone who could potentially hurt you, but it also emphasizes the desire to be with that person at all costs. Despite the risks and the potential heartbreak, the singer is willing to keep loving and hoping for a chance to make it work with this special someone.
Line by Line Meaning
Shoulda kept my distance
I knew I should have stayed away from you
Shoulda known what I be riskin
I knew the risks of getting involved with you
But nothin' short of holding you would ever do
Despite the risks, being with you is worth it
If we could be together
I wish we could be in a real relationship
I would wait for you forever
I am willing to wait for you no matter how long it takes
But how'm I gonna win
I don't know how to make you mine
If you never lose
If you never let your guard down
I could feel the pressure
I am feeling a lot of pressure to be with you
I could see you were something special
I knew from the beginning that you were unique
I couldn't walk away from you if I'd tried
I am incapable of leaving you even if I wanted to
I wanna be near you
I desire to be close to you
If only you'd feel like I do
If only you felt the same way about me
I must've had it wrong, I should've known
I made a mistake and should have realized that we could never work
Somebody like you could break my heart
I know that you have the power to hurt me deeply
Somebody like you could tear my world apart
You could destroy my entire existence
Yeah yeah
Just emphasizing my point
Somebody like you could keep me in the dark
You could keep me from seeing the truth about you
I knew that I was fallin'
I knew I was falling in love with you
I could hear your heart beat callin'
I could sense that you felt the same way about me
I was hopin' you'd be mine before the night was thru
I was hoping that we could become a couple soon
I could keep on loving you
I am willing to keep on loving you no matter what
If there's a chance to somehow break thru
If there's any possibility that we could make this work
Guess I new right from the start
I always knew that something wasn't right
That you were a pretender
You were not genuine about your feelings for me
But it was you who held my heart
Despite everything, you had a strong hold on my heart
I got love I wanna send you
I have a lot of love that I want to give to you
Yeah, are you ready to surrender
Are you willing to give in and be with me?
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD DONALD BARNES, JEFFREY S. CARLISI, JAMES DOUGLAS VALLANCE, LARRY STEELE, DONALD N. VAN ZANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind