After a brief spell in the US Army, Vinton was signed to Epic Records in 1960 as a bandleader: "A Young Man With a Big Band." Two albums and several singles were not successful however, and with Epic ready to pull the plug, Vinton found his first hit single literally sitting in a reject pile. The song was titled "Roses Are Red (My Love)." It spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Arguably, his most famous song is 1963's "Blue Velvet" that also went to No.1. 23 years later, David Lynch named his movie Blue Velvet after the song. In 1964, Vinton had two #1 hits, "There! I've Said It Again" and "Mr. Lonely", the latter now being the basis for Akon's hit "Lonely."
In the 1970s, the "Polish Prince" continued to hit the Top 40, notably with "Ev'ry Day of My Life" and "Sealed With a Kiss" in 1972. That same year, Epic Records decided to end its relationship with Vinton and ended his recording contract. Undeterred, Vinton spent $50,000 of his own money on a self-written song sung partially in Polish: "My Melody of Love." After Vinton was turned down by 7 major labels, ABC Records bought Vinton's idea, and the result was a multi-million selling single that hit #1 on the AC charts in 1974. A gold album, Melodies of Love, followed as well as a successful half-hour variety show "The Bobby Vinton Show" (which aired from 1975 to 1978). He also starred in two John Wayne movies: Big Jake and The Train Robbers.
In the course of his career, Vinton has sold over 75 million records (singles, albums, compilation inclusions, etc) and is still performing on tour and at the Bobby Vinton Blue Velvet Theatre in Branson, Missouri.
Someone I Used To Know
Bobby Vinton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, how blind can you be?
To know, know, know you
Is to love, love, love you
Just to see you smile
Makes my life worthwhile
To know, know, know you
And I do, yes I do, yes I do
I'll be good to you
And I'll bring love to you
Oh, everyone says there'll come a day
When I'll walk along side of you
And to know, know, know you
Is to love, love, love you
And I do, yes I do, yes I do
Why can't you see?
Oh, how blind can you be?
Someday you'll see
That you were meant for me
To know, know, know you
Is to love, love, love you
Just to see you smile
Makes my life worthwhile
To know, know, know you
Is to love, love, love you
And I do, yes I do, yes I do
And I do, yes I do, yes I do
Yes I do
The lyrics to "Someone I Used To Know" by Bobby Vinton tell the story of a love that is not being fully reciprocated. The singer is asking why the person he loves cannot see the love that he has for them. He believes that knowing this person is to love them, and he would do everything in his power to make them happy. He describes how seeing them smile makes his life worthwhile and that he will be good to them and bring love to them. The singer's hope is that one day this person will see that they were meant to be together, and this love will finally be returned.
The song captures the feeling of unrequited love, a kind of longing that many people can relate to. By describing the joy he feels when he sees this person smile, the singer is presenting a simple yet powerful image of the depth of his feelings. The straightforward melody and plain language of the lyrics highlight the sincerity of his emotions. The repetition of the chorus, "To know, know, know you Is to love, love, love you," reinforces the idea that the singer's love is pure and unshakeable.
Line by Line Meaning
Why can't you see?
Why don't you understand my love for you?
Oh, how blind can you be?
How can you not see how much I love you?
To know, know, know you
Is to love, love, love you
The more I get to know you, the more I fall in love with you
Just to see you smile
Makes my life worthwhile
Your happiness means the world to me
I'll be good to you
And I'll bring love to you
I promise to treat you with kindness and to give you all my love
Oh, everyone says there'll come a day
When I'll walk along side of you
People believe that we are meant to be together
Someday you'll see
That you were meant for me
One day you'll realize that we are meant to be together
And I do, yes I do, yes I do
I truly love you, more than anything
Writer(s): Bobby Vinton, Lee Morris
Contributed by Ruby S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ron Lavallee
Gets me every time...thank God in the song he's singing to who he's currently with...otherwise, if he was singing to himself like I have to do, I'd really lose it
David Chernofsky
How can a fan like me never had heard this song?
Immanuel
@David Chernofsky is he your favorite artist or is it someone else? are there any other artists like bobby?
David Chernofsky
@Immanuel have for 60 yrs
Immanuel
you still listen to bobby?
Donna Marie Pszoniak
Beautiful Bobby 💞💞💞💞