I Don't Know
Bill Withers Lyrics


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I get a warm summer feeling walking through the snow
Even chilly darkness has the brightest glow
And I just love you so, sometimes I just don't know
Time just seems to help this wondrous feeling grow
Maybe I might wake up early one morning
And find it isn't so

I just love you so
Sometimes I just don't know

Feeling like a rich man haven't got a dime
Feeling like a young man but I'm old as father time

And I just love you so




Sometimes I just don't know
I just don't know

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of the song I Don't Know by Bill Withers are quite paradoxical. The line "I get a warm summer feeling walking through the snow" is an example of chiasmus, a rhetorical device where a sequence of words or concepts is repeated, but in reverse order, to create an artistic effect. The following line, "Even chilly darkness has the brightest glow," highlights how the singer is able to find beauty in unexpected places. The chorus of the song, "I just love you so, sometimes I just don't know," brings out a sense of confusion, where the singer's feelings for their loved one are overwhelming and they cannot fully comprehend them.


The singer expresses conflicting thoughts and emotions, such as feeling like a "rich man" despite not having a dime, and feeling like a "young man" despite being old. These lines could be interpreted as the singer acknowledging how the feeling of love transcends material possessions and age. As the song progresses, the singer expresses their fear of losing this love and how they might wake up one day to find that it was only a dream.


Overall, the song I Don't Know is about the complexities of love and how it can stir up conflicting emotions within a person.


Line by Line Meaning

I get a warm summer feeling walking through the snow
Even in the midst of difficult situations, I can still feel warmth and joy


Even chilly darkness has the brightest glow
Even though times can be tough, there is always a silver lining


And I just love you so, sometimes I just don't know
My love for you is so strong that it's hard to express in words


Time just seems to help this wondrous feeling grow
My love for you grows stronger every day


Maybe I might wake up early one morning
There is a chance that my love for you will change, but it's unlikely


And find it isn't so
Realizing that my love for you has faded would be devastating


Feeling like a rich man haven't got a dime
Although I may not have material wealth, I feel rich in love


Feeling like a young man but I'm old as father time
Though I may have age and experience, my love for you keeps me feeling young and alive


And I just love you so, sometimes I just don't know
I may not always have the words to express my love, but it is genuine


I just don't know
Even though I don't always have the answers, my love for you remains strong




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILL WITHERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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