Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group cons… Read Full Bio ↴Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The group rose to fame with their international debut album, Backstreet Boys (1996). In the following year, they released their second international album Backstreet's Back (1997), along with their self-titled U.S. debut album, Backstreet Boys (1997), which continued the group's success worldwide. They rose to superstardom with their third studio album Millennium (1999) and its follow-up album, Black & Blue (2000). They also released a greatest hits album, The Hits - Chapter One (2001), with a new single, "Drowning." After a two-year hiatus, they regrouped and released a comeback album, Never Gone (2005). After the conclusion of the Never Gone Tour in 2006, Richardson left the group to pursue other interests. The group then released two albums as a quartet: Unbreakable (2007) and This Is Us (2009).

Richardson permanently rejoined the group in 2012. In the following year, they celebrated their 20th anniversary and released their first independent album, In a World Like This. Their follow-up album DNA (2019) debuted at number one, more than two decades after the group formed and 19 years after they last topped in 2000. They also became the first boy band to top the U.S. album charts in three different decades.

The Backstreet Boys have sold over 100 million records worldwide, making them the best-selling boy band of all time, and one of the world's best-selling music artists. They are the first group since Led Zeppelin to have their first ten albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, and the only boy band to do so. The albums Backstreet Boys and Millennium were both certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making them one of the few bands to have multiple diamond albums.

The group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 22, 2013.[ They also released their first documentary movie, titled Backstreet Boys: Show 'Em What You're Made Of in January 2015. In March 2017, the group began a residency in Las Vegas that lasted two years, titled Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life. They released their first Christmas album, A Very Backstreet Christmas in 2022.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backstreet_Boys

Studio albums
Backstreet Boys (1996)
Backstreet's Back (1997)
Millennium (1999)
Black & Blue (2000)
Never Gone (2005)
Unbreakable (2007)
This Is Us (2009)
In a World Like This (2013)
DNA (2019)
A Very Backstreet Christmas (2022)

If I Knew Then
Backstreet Boys Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Life should be like a game of cards
You make a mistake
Shuffle the deck and start over
It should be just like drivin' in your car
Get lost and your navigation system
Gets you closer

But there ain't no handbook

You're on your own
Got no instructions
When it comes to love
Cause once you do something
Can't be undone
Wish I could take back
Letting you go

If I knew then
What I know now
I wouldn't have said
I don't need you around
Alone in this bed
Silence is so loud
So I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
Yeah I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now

Wish I come with remote controls
Then I just rewind into
The time it was better
It should have a restart button
So, I could travel right back
To the day that I met her

But there ain't no handbook
You're on your own
Got no instructions
When it comes to love
Cause when you do something
Can't be undone
Wish I could take back
Letting you go

If I knew then
What I know now
I wouldn't have said
I don't need you around
Alone in this bed
Silence is so loud
So I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
Yeah I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now

Oh, oh, oh yeah
Cause there ain't no handbook (handbook)
You're on your own (your own)
Got no instructions (instructions)
When it comes to love (to love)
See once you do something (you do)
Can't be undone (undone)
Wish I could take back
Letting you go

If I knew then
What I know now
I wouldn't have said
I don't need you around
Alone in this bed
Silence is so loud
So I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
Yeah I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew

If I knew then
What I know now
I wouldn't have said
I don't need you around
Alone in this bed
Silence is so loud
So I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
Yeah I would treat you the best

Baby if I knew then
What I know now

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Backstreet Boys's song If I Knew Then express a longing for a way to turn back time and correct past mistakes. The lyrics draw an analogy between life and a game of cards or driving a car, where if you make a mistake, you can simply shuffle the deck or use your navigation system to get back on track. But when it comes to love, there's no manual or instruction book to follow. Once you've made a mistake, it can't be undone, and you're left with regret and longing for a chance to make things right.

The lyrics express regret for a past mistake of letting someone go. The singer wishes he could go back in time and treat the person better, knowing what he knows now. The silence in his lonely bed is deafening. The use of the phrase 'If I Knew Then' in the chorus emphasizes a sense of longing for a chance to go back in time and do things differently.

The song's message is relatable to anyone who has ever felt regret for a past mistake, especially in matters of the heart. It's a reminder to cherish the people we love and to treat them well while we have the chance.

Line by Line Meaning

Life should be like a game of cards
Life should be forgiving like a game of cards where you can reshuffle or restart when you make a mistake

You make a mistake
Mistakes are inevitable in life

Shuffle the deck and start over
You should be able to start over after making a mistake just like in a game of cards

It should be just like drivin' in your car
Navigating life should be as easy as using a navigation system while driving

Get lost and your navigation system
Making a wrong turn in life can help guide you back to the right path

Gets you closer
Even when you get lost, you can learn from the experience and it can bring you closer to your destination

But there ain't no handbook
There's no manual for the challenges you face in life

You're on your own
You have to find your own way through life's challenges

Got no instructions
There's no clear set of guidelines for how to handle difficult situations, like love

When it comes to love
Love can be a complex and confusing experience

Cause once you do something
Actions in love, like in life, have consequences

Can't be undone
Once something is done, it can't be reversed

Wish I could take back
Sometimes you wish you could undo your past mistakes

Letting you go
The regret of losing someone you care about

If I knew then
Hindsight is 20/20, looking back on past experiences can bring a new perspective

What I know now
The knowledge gained from past experiences can bring insight into current situations

I wouldn't have said
Reflecting on past mistakes can show you what you would have done differently

I don't need you around
The hurtful words said in the past that caused separation

Alone in this bed
The loneliness felt after losing someone important

Silence is so loud
The deafening sound of being alone and missing someone

So I would treat you the best
If given the chance, you would treat someone you lost with the respect and care they deserve

Baby if I knew then
If you knew then what you know now, you would have acted differently

Oh, oh, oh yeah
A vocalization that reinforces the emotion of the lyrics

Cause there ain't no handbook (handbook)
There's no guidebook for how to navigate love or life

Your own (your own)
Individual experiences vary and you must find your own way

Got no instructions (instructions)
There's no clear-cut plan for how to handle difficult situations

To love (to love)
Love is a complex and challenging experience

See once you do something (you do)
Actions have consequences and can't be taken back

Can't be undone (undone)
Once something is done, it can't be reversed

If I knew
Reflecting on past experiences and wishing for a different outcome

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CLAUDE KELLY, CARSTEN SCHACK, KENNETH KARLIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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