You Don't Know What Love Is
Andy Snitzer Lyrics
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'Til you've learned the meaning of the blues
Until you've loved a love you've had to lose,
You don't know what love is.
You don't know how lips hurt
Until you've kissed and had to pay the cost,
Until you've flipped your heart and you have lost,
Do you know how a lost heart fears
At the thought of reminiscing,
And how lips that taste of tears
Lose their taste for kissing?
You don't know how hearts burn
For love that can, not live yet never dies.
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes,
You don't know what love is.
In "You Don't Know What Love Is," Andy Snitzer sings about the depth and pain of love. He argues that someone cannot truly understand love until they have experienced the heartbreak that often comes with it. The bluesy sound of the song sets the mood for the melancholic lyrics. The first verse references the experience of loving and losing someone, which can only be understood by experiencing it. The second verse talks about the price one often pays for love, such as heartache and loss. The third verse describes the fear and sadness that come with remembering a lost love. And finally, the fourth verse speaks of the burning passion and drive that come with loving someone so deeply, despite the pain it may cause.
The lyrics of this song have been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Billie Holiday, Chet Baker, and John Coltrane, among others. The song was originally written by Gene de Paul and Don Raye in 1941 for a Hollywood movie called "Keep 'Em Flying." The song has since become a standard in jazz and blues music, known for its emotional depth and powerful lyrics. In addition to its popularity among jazz musicians, the song has also been recorded by pop and rock artists such as Bonnie Raitt and Phil Collins.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't know what love is
Love is not just a word, but an experience, and if you haven't experienced it, you know nothing about it.
'Til you've learned the meaning of the blues
To know what love is, you need to understand how it feels to lose it.
Until you've loved a love you've had to lose,
You can't comprehend the depths of affection until you've had to let someone you love go.
You don't know what love is.
Without the memory of a lost love, one hasn't endured the emotional rollercoaster ride of love.
You don't know how lips hurt
Physical pain is the manifestation of heartbreak and disappointment that accompanies love.
Until you've kissed and had to pay the cost,
Intimacy and the price of it always come at a price, especially if one has lost what they cherish most.
Until you've flipped your heart and you have lost,
Giving someone all of yourself and end up being rejected can lead to a devastating feeling like no other.
You don't know what love is.
Without the pain of rejection, one hasn't truly experienced the heartache and sorrow that come with love.
Do you know how a lost heart fears
The fear of not being able to find true love once again can be traumatizing and cripple someone dominated by emotions.
At the thought of reminiscing,
Memory of a love once treasured is both sweet and bitter, as it can bring both joy and longing.
And how lips that taste of tears
Remorseful kisses often accompany love and disappointment.
Lose their taste for kissing?
After the romance fades, so does the eagerness of embracing once felt.
You don't know how hearts burn
Only a heart that has been battered and broken could understand the emotional pain that is felt after the loss of love.
For love that can, not live yet never dies.
Feelings of love that are not reciprocated may never experience a full life but can, however, live forever in one's heart.
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes,
When someone has lost someone they love, it may be difficult to sleep well as heartache may interfere with restful sleep.
You don't know what love is.
The aftereffects of love that you have experienced every heartache and romantic loss can only be defined as truly the act of knowing love.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON RAYE, GENE DE PAUL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wyndhl8309
I have a pure, organic jazz album by Andy; one of the tunes which he plays is Turrentine's "Sugar."
It's soulfully and beautifully done a la Turrentine, of course, in the voice of Andy Snutzer himself.
I adore all of Andy's, which I have - except this ultimate one.
(Sell out or Crossover?)
Excellent interview, as always 👌 👏 👍, Jay.
@JosephAraza
His story is the living example of the classic definition of luck: when preparedness meets opportunity. Andy didn’t say much about how many hours upon hours he practiced developing that unmatched sound, and when that “random” thing happened he was ready. Great interview
@patrickkelcey2435
...what a nice guy... sax players are the nicest people....
@brianmatthews232
Love these interviews, you do a super job, being relaxed and personable and allowing the artist to open up😊
@michaelpedicinjr
Great interview Jay, as always. You do a wonderful job and it always feels so real. Andy is a wonderful guy and obviously a extremely talented saxophonist, and he is someone who also is very real! Enjoyed you both!
@patg3424
I remember meeting Phil Woods, Richie Cole, Tom Scott, Grover Washington and Micheal Brecker in the 80s. These were the greatest times for instrumental music and saxophone solos. The University of Miami and Berkeley school of music were the epitomes of learning saxophone. We seen this electronic age come in and knew that eventually music would go to synthisers and computer software. Nowadays we never hear a good sax solo and singers only sound good and are in tune because of auto tune.
@rossmuller9815
Another great interview. A very revealing exploration of the inner self and musicality of this great player. Andy comes across as a real cool and genuine person.
@georgefurlow1
This is one of the greatest interviews that I've ever seen. Andy Spitzer is one of my favorite saxophonists.. Andy Spitzer and Mark Douthit. They ring a bell in me. Thank you for that great interview with Andy. He is really one of the best players and he is a great jazz and pop player. So good to hear him live. Thank you so much.
@bettersax
Great to hear this from you.
@thepianokid27
Waiting for a star to fall... Man I love that song and I LOVE that sax solo!! Up till today, that song is still being heard on the radio!
@MarkPeotter
I have been listening to Andy Snitzer for about 25 years. Loved his music immediately, still love it!