Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American compos… Read Full Bio ↴Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter from Indiana. His works include the musical comedies Kiss Me, Kate (1948) (based on Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew), Fifty Million Frenchmen and Anything Goes, as well as songs like "Night and Day", "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "I've Got You Under My Skin". He was noted for his sophisticated (sometimes ribald) lyrics, clever rhymes, and complex forms. He was one of the greatest half-dozen contributors to the Great American Songbook.

You Never Know
Cole Porter Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I so often dream
We might make a team
But so wild a scheme
I must banish
For each time I start
To open my heart
You vanish

We might find some isle
Where lotuses smile
And our time beguile
Going native
But how can we go
Unless you are co-
Operative

My dear, I've a feeling you are
So near and yet so far
You appear like a radiant star
First so near, then again so far

I just start getting you keen
On clinches galore with me
When fate steps in on the scene
And mops up the floor with me
No wonder I'm a bit under par
For you're so near and yet so far

My condition is only so-so
'Cause whenever I feel you're close, oh

You turn out to be, oh, so
Far

Overall Meaning

In Cole Porter's song You Never Know, the singer expresses their desire to be in a relationship with someone they are deeply in love with. However, the object of their affection seems to be constantly out of reach, both emotionally and physically. The singer dreams of a life together on a faraway island, surrounded by beauty and tranquility, but realizes that this fantasy is unlikely to ever become a reality. Every time the singer tries to open up to their beloved, they disappear, leaving the singer alone with their unrequited love. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer is resigned to their fate, feeling under par and unwell due to the emotional toll of never being able to be with the person they love.

At its core, You Never Know is a song about the challenges of unspoken love and the disappointment that often comes with it. The title itself suggests that we can never truly know how someone else feels or what they might want, which leaves us constantly apprehensive and uncertain in our relationships. The song is a testament to the emotional turmoil that we can experience when we are unable to connect with someone who matters deeply to us, and the pain of knowing that our love may never be returned.

Line by Line Meaning

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS