Unlike most boy bands, they formed independently and were later picked up by a record label, rather than being assembled by a label or a producer. They have sold over 10 million records worldwide and achieved eight top 40 singles in the U.S. In the late 90s to the early 00s, the group reached top-five on the Billboard Hot 100 with the songs "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)", "Because of You", "The Hardest Thing" and "Thank God I Found You" (with Mariah Carey and Joe); the latter as featured artists, topping the chart also making it their first and only number-one song.
The group reunited for a one-time performance at Mixtape Festival in Hershey, PA in August 2012. After the performance, the reunion expanded into a new album and a spot on "The Package" tour in 2013.
You Don't Know
98º Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time I see your face
Too many feelings left behind
Do you wonder why
I turn away when you look at me
Never wanting your eyes to see
This desperate heart that knows
How perfect we could be
Livin' my life without you
Baby, and you don't know what it's like
Lovin' you all this time
I'll give you all my love, heart and soul
Riskin' it all on a chance
Now when I need you the most
You don't know
All I ever wanted in this world
Baby, I found in you
I never felt this way before
But I can't break through
And now I lie awake, alone at night
So afraid now to close my eyes
Just one more dream of you
I'll carry here inside
Baby, 'cause you don't know how I feel
Livin' my life without you
Baby, and you don't know what it's like
Lovin' you all this time
I'll give you all my love, heart and soul
Riskin' it all on a chance
Now when I need you the most
You don't know
And I would hold you all through the night
I would stay right by your side
And I'd give you the world if your love was mine
But, baby, could it be I'm only dreamin'
Don't let it pass me by
Baby, 'cause you don't know how I feel
Livin' my life without you
Baby, and you don't know what it's like
Lovin' you all this time
I'll give you all my love, heart and soul
Riskin' it all on a chance
Now when I need you the most
You don't know
In 98º's song "You Don't Know," the singer expresses their feelings of unrequited love for someone who seems to be unaware of just how much they mean to them. The lyrics convey a sense of longing and desperation as the singer laments the fact that their feelings will never be reciprocated. The song starts off with the singer contemplating the emptiness inside every time they see the person they love. They wonder if the person knows just how many feelings they have left behind and why they turn away when they look at them.
The singer then goes on to express their frustration with the fact that their love is not being recognized. They fear that their desperate heart, which knows how perfect they could be together, will never be seen by the person they love. They then give a warning that the person does not know just how much they are loved, how they have risked everything, and how much they need them.
The song beautifully encapsulates the feelings of heartbreak and unrequited love. It conveys the fear of rejection and the struggle to come to terms with the fact that sometimes, no matter how much we love someone, it may not be enough. The emotional delivery by the band members only adds to the power of the song, making it one that can easily tug at the emotions of the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Who could know the emptiness inside
It's hard for anyone to understand the loneliness I feel
Every time I see your face
When I look at you, I remember all the feelings I have for you
Too many feelings left behind
I have so many unexpressed emotions that I still have for you
Do you wonder why
I'm not sure if you realize how much you mean to me
I turn away when you look at me
I can't bear to show you how I truly feel about you
Never wanting your eyes to see
I'm afraid you'll reject me if you knew how I felt
This desperate heart that knows
My heart is yearning for you in ways you could never imagine
How perfect we could be
Our love could be something truly special
Baby, 'cause you don't know how I feel
You don't know the depths of my love for you
Livin' my life without you
Not being with you makes my life incomplete
Baby, and you don't know what it's like
You can't understand the pain that not being with you causes me
Lovin' you all this time
I have been in love with you for a long time now
I'll give you all my love, heart and soul
I am willing to give everything for you and our love
Riskin' it all on a chance
I'm putting everything on the line for the chance to be with you
Now when I need you the most
At this point in my life, I need you more than ever
You don't know
But you don't understand how important you are to me
All I ever wanted in this world
My deepest desire in this world is to be with you
Baby, I found in you
You are everything I ever wanted
I never felt this way before
I have never experienced this level of emotion before
But I can't break through
Despite my feelings, I can't seem to make you understand how much I care
And now I lie awake, alone at night
I spend countless sleepless nights thinking about you
So afraid now to close my eyes
I'm afraid to sleep because I don't want to dream about you and wake up without you
Just one more dream of you
Even though it causes me pain, I still want to dream about you
I'll carry here inside
I'll always hold my feelings for you inside my heart
And I would hold you all through the night
If you were with me, I would never let you go
I would stay right by your side
I want to be with you through all of life's ups and downs
And I'd give you the world if your love was mine
I would do anything for you if you were mine
But, baby, could it be I'm only dreamin'
I'm not sure if it's possible for us to be together
Don't let it pass me by
I don't want to miss my chance with you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOUIS BIANCANIELLO, NICK LACHEY, SAMUEL WATTERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fengoku
amazing song, this deserves billions of views and listens, not the heartless and soulless crap on the radio nowadays...
Patricia J. Kamel
this music speaks to the soul and their voices are exquisite !!
Josh Chudeba
This song always speaks to my heart, body and soul
Jennifer Baxter
MY ALL TIME FAVORITE SONG BY 98 DEGREE. I LOVE 98 DEGREE FOREVER.
Chillin Vibes Music
Deeply touches every1's ❤️! 🥺
Very touching song!
footballrepertoire
saw them in concert two days ago. Nick's voice is beautiful and 98 degrees did a great job.
Joshua McCoury
Heard this song for the first time in 10 years and wept bitterly. My life is a sad story 😞
Chaquita Hewitt
It doesn't have to be find away to make it a happy story.... I hope and pray you find love peace and happiness.... All the best to you 🙏🙏
Joshua McCoury
@Chaquita Hewitt what a sweetheart 💖 thank you
Riojoy Sayde
Superb,very touching song...
It cuts the deepest part of my soul,with the voice of Nick Lachey so soft and refrigerated..