You Don't Know What Love Is
Chet Baker Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

You don't know what love is
Until you've learned the meaning of the blues
Until you've loved a love you had to loose
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 you're heart and you have lost
You don't know what love is

Do you know how a lost heart fears
The thought of reminiscing
And how lips have taste of tears
Loose the taste for kissing

You don't know how hearts burn
For love that cannot live, yet never dies
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes
You don't know what love is

You don't know how hearts burn
For love that cannot live, yet never dies
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes




How could you know what love is, what love is
What love is

Overall Meaning

In Chet Baker's song, You Don't Know What Love Is, the first set of lyrics explain that the listener cannot comprehend what love is until they understand what it means to experience heartbreak or loss. The listener, according to the song, must first encounter a situation where they lose or have to let go of someone they love before they can understand the true depth and meaning of love. In the second set of lyrics, the song goes deeper into describing the pain and hurt that comes with love. The lyricist discusses how kissing can hurt one's lips and that the heartache from love can even lead to sleepless nights.


The third set of lyrics goes even deeper into how love affects one's memories and emotions. The vocalist describes the fear that comes with remembering the past of a lost love and how that fear can impact one's life. The chorus repeats twice, emphasizing that it is impossible to understand what love is without first experiencing it for oneself. The song is a sultry jazz piece that resonates with listeners who have all experienced and can relate to the pain of heartbreak and lost love.


Line by Line Meaning

You don't know what love is
Love is a complex emotion that cannot be fully understood until you have experienced it.


Until you've learned the meaning of the blues
To fully understand love, one must also understand heartbreak and sadness.


Until you've loved a love you had to loose
Loving someone who you know you will eventually lose teaches what true love means.


You don't know how lips hurt
Kissing someone can be painful, especially when there are consequences for doing so.


Until you've kissed and had to pay the cost
Sometimes, showing affection can come with a significant price.


Until you've flipped you're heart and you have lost
Falling in love can be risky, as there is always the chance of heartbreak.


Do you know how a lost heart fears
A heart that has been broken and hurt is fearful of experiencing the same pain again.


The thought of reminiscing
Thinking back on past relationships can evoke feelings of sadness and hurt.


And how lips have taste of tears
Past love has left a bitter taste in one’s mouth, making it difficult to move on.


Loose the taste for kissing
After experiencing heartbreak, it can be hard to have the desire to show physical affection.


You don't know how hearts burn
The intense emotions and passion of love can feel like a fire deep within your heart.


For love that cannot live, yet never dies
Even when love is not reciprocated or the relationship falls apart, the feelings and memories of that love never truly go away.


Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes
When going through heartbreak, it can be hard to find rest because of the constant thoughts and emotions of love.


How could you know what love is, what love is
Without experiencing the full range of emotions and risks that come with love, it is impossible to truly understand what it means.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DON RAYE, GENE DE PAUL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@lgvelani2014

I think it is more than redemption. It's a consequence of a broken heart to be able to reach the depths of human suffer, and then translate it into the universal language of art.

Suffering is part of the human experience. It gives sense to happiness.

There's a song from the Brazilian composer Vinicius de Moraes, Samba da Benção, that says:

"Pra fazer um samba com beleza é preciso um bocado de tristeza"

which I freely translante into:

"in order to compose a beautiful samba, one needs a lof of sadness."



@LEauReine

You don't know what love is
Until 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
You don't know what love is

Do you know how lost heart feels
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 cannot live yet never dies
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes
You don't know what love is

You don't know how hearts burn
For love that cannot live yet never dies
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes
You don't know what love is

What love is



All comments from YouTube:

@thenotsodemocraticrepublic7731

I love the idea that Chet Baker is still popular enough to be played on the radio in 2077

@hankastarknivar

Mf u in 2077!?

@abdulsaeed4274

@@hankastarknivar lol the game Cyberpunk 2077 has his song on their radio

@hankastarknivar

@@abdulsaeed4274 ohhhh

@sub2myonlyfaas105

@@hankastarknivar yea, just played the game and heard the song. I just had to google it for myself :D

@granadasardegna2627

You know he s still alive when I play his lines...

9 More Replies...

@thurli1749

Goro Takemura has good taste.

@gabrielmcguoirk6106

Evelyn*

@SoWaySo

dats true

@PedroHenrique-fg1nl

Lol so true

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