Don
B.B.King Lyrics


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You don't know how much I love you
You don't know how much I care
You don't know how much I need you
Without you, life I can't bear

You don't know
You don't know, baby
You don't know how much I love you
And you can't know just how I feel

The flame is still burnin'
Burnin' deep down in my soul
When I think of your love and kisses
It makes my blood run cold

You don't know, baby
You don't know, baby
Yes you don't know how much I love you
And you can't know just how I feel

All my friends call me crazy
For acting the way that I do
But I just can't help myself
'Cause I'm so in love with you

You don't know
Yes baby, you don't know
You don't know how much I love you
And you can't know just how I feel

You don't know
You don't know
You don't know, baby
You don't know
You don't know
You don't know, baby
You don't know





Yes you don't know how much I love you
And you can't know just how I feel

Overall Meaning

In B.B. King’s song “Don’t You Want a Man Like Me,” the singer expresses his undying love for his partner. The song is a soulful blues ballad, with King’s signature guitar playing adding to the emotional depth of the lyrics. The singer opens up with a confession - “You don't know how much I love you,” and goes on to detail just how significant their partner is to their life. They proclaim that they cannot imagine living without their beloved, and their love is so deep that it makes their blood run cold. Despite the fact that their love is real and intense, their partner cannot know the exact depths of their emotion.


King’s guitar playing enhances the emotional intensity of the song. His slow and deliberate finger-picking adds a somber tone to the song, while his bending and sliding of notes convey feelings of pain and longing. The singer’s confessional tone and his plea to be known by his partner are relatable, as we have all had moments of wanting to be understood by the person we love.


Overall, “Don’t You Want a Man Like Me” is a blues ballad that showcases King’s distinct style of guitar playing and his ability to convey complex emotions. It’s a song that speaks to the longing and intensity of human relationships while capturing the essence of blues music.


Line by Line Meaning

You don't know how much I love you
I have deep, intense feelings for you, but you are not fully aware or reciprocating them.


You don't know how much I care
My love for you goes beyond words- it is something that I feel deeply and passionately.


You don't know how much I need you
You are an essential part of my life- without you, I feel incomplete and lost.


Without you, life I can't bear
Your absence creates a deep pain within me that is unbearable- I need you to function and survive.


You don't know
I feel like you are not fully understanding or appreciating my true feelings for you.


And you can't know just how I feel
My emotions for you are so intense that it's impossible for you to fully comprehend them.


The flame is still burnin'
My passion and love for you have not diminished, even though time has passed.


When I think of your love and kisses
Your affection and attention make me feel alive and fulfilled- thinking of these moments brings me joy.


It makes my blood run cold
Reflecting on your love creates such strong emotions within me that it physically affects me.


All my friends call me crazy
My behavior towards you may seem irrational to those around me, but my love for you is worth it.


For acting the way that I do
My actions and words towards you may seem over-the-top or excessive, but they come from a place of love and devotion.


But I just can't help myself
My love for you is so intense that it overpowers my ability to control my emotions and actions.


Yes you don't know how much I love you
I want to express the depth of my love for you, but I feel like you are not fully aware or understanding of it.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAUL BIHARI, RILEY B. KING

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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