They Don't Know
Common feat. Kanye West & John Legend Lyrics
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Though its wrong its hard to tell the truth, oh no
She don't have to know she don't have to know
When I meet 'cha, I got my shades on to cover up my eyes
I'm hoping that nobody sees me passing by
Through my disguise I still know you recognize
Sneaking out with me while your mans at home
You know your wrong but its so strong still carrying on
I go to the other side of town and so I
Never risk the chance will catch her eye
Oh no, she don't have to know, she don't have to know
Oh girl I know your doing the same thing too
But I won't tell your man the things we do
Oh no, he don't have to know, he don't have to know
Someone's watching we got to be careful next time or we're through
But damn it's so stressful doing that dirt we do
So sad but true, and I know one day I'm gonna pay
Then he ask me to sneak out of town for just a day or three
Go to DC and hold hands publicly all through the streets
Cause they don't know you and they don't know me
And oh I'll feel sorry for mistake we've made
There's no reason that we should tell her today
She don't have to know, she don't have to know
Girl oh, though you give a lot of love to me
Girl I know I'm not the only one you see
But he don't have to know, he don't have to know
Oh its getting crazy and I don't want to hurt my baby
And I'll know its supposed to be the last time for you and I
But let's not end this way just wait another day
Oh, I don't want to let you go and I
So I just can't let her go
She don't have to know, yeah, yeah
Oh I told you're doin' the same thing to her
Oh he told, they don't have to know
The lyrics of "They Don't Know" by Common featuring Kanye West and John Legend speaks about infidelity between individuals who are in relationships with other people. The song speaks about two people who are having an affair because they are both unhappy with their current relationships. Despite knowing that what they are doing is wrong, they continue to sneak around and keep their actions a secret because they don't want their significant others to know. The lyrics suggest that they are aware of the consequences of their actions and feel guilty about them, but they cannot resist the passion they feel for each other.
Common starts by admitting that he is stealing moments just to be with his lover; they both know that what they are doing is wrong but they can't resist the temptation. The lyrics then suggest that both people are hiding behind masks, but they still recognize each other. They both have secrets, and they're both sneaking around behind their significant others' backs. They are aware of the risks and are cautious of not getting caught.
As the song progresses, the lyrics suggest that they know what they are doing is wrong but still continue to do it. They feel guilty and feel that they will one day have to pay for their actions. Kanye West suggests running away to another town and being together publicly rather than hiding. However, in the end, they decide to keep their affair a secret and not tell their significant others.
Overall, "They Don't Know" is a song about the guilt and consequences of infidelity. The lyrics highlight the internal struggle that people go through when having an affair and their fear of being caught.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh stealing moments just to be with you
Taking time away from everything else just to spend it with you
Though its wrong its hard to tell the truth, oh no
Even though I know it's wrong, it's hard to admit the truth
She don't have to know she don't have to know
We don't have to tell anyone about what we're doing
When I meet 'cha, I got my shades on to cover up my eyes
Trying to hide my true feelings when I see you
I'm hoping that nobody sees me passing by
Trying to avoid being seen when I'm with you
Through my disguise I still know you recognize
Even though I'm trying to hide, you still know it's me
But you I know you got a little secret of your own
I know you're keeping something from me too
Sneaking out with me while your mans at home
Meeting up with me while your partner is unaware
You know your wrong but its so strong still carrying on
We both know what we're doing is wrong, but we can't stop
I go to the other side of town and so I
Going to a different part of town to avoid being caught
Never risk the chance will catch her eye
Avoiding the risk of being seen by anyone who knows us
Oh girl I know your doing the same thing too
I know you're seeing other people as well
But I won't tell your man the things we do
I won't reveal our secrets to your partner
Someone's watching we got to be careful next time or we're through
We need to be more cautious or our relationship will be over
But damn it's so stressful doing that dirt we do
It's difficult to keep our secrets and maintain our relationship
Then he ask me to sneak out of town for just a day or three
He wants us to leave town to be together for a few days
Go to DC and hold hands publicly all through the streets
Show our love for each other in a new place where nobody knows us
Cause they don't know you and they don't know me
We can be ourselves because nobody knows us in that place
And oh I'll feel sorry for mistake we've made
I'll regret what we've done and the choices we've made
There's no reason that we should tell her today
There's no need to tell anyone what we're doing right now
Girl oh, though you give a lot of love to me
Even though you show me a lot of love
Girl I know I'm not the only one you see
I know you're seeing other people too
Oh its getting crazy and I don't want to hurt my baby
Things are getting out of hand and I don't want to hurt my partner
And I'll know its supposed to be the last time for you and I
I know we're supposed to stop seeing each other after this
But let's not end this way just wait another day
Let's not end things on a bad note, let's wait a little longer
Oh, I don't want to let you go and I
I don't want to lose you
So I just can't let her go
I can't end things with you
Oh I told you're doin' the same thing to her
I know you're cheating on your partner with me
Oh he told, they don't have to know
Even though someone knows about our relationship, we don't have to tell anyone else
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN STEPHENS, WILL ADAMS, SYLVESTER STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Quakeinc14
Kanye always told the truth about himself in his songs.
"What more could you ask for?
The international asshole"
Who complains about what he is owed/
And throw a tantrum like he is, 3 yrs, old.
You gotta love it though somebody still speaks from his soul.
He never lied. Never changed up. Kanye always been himself. Love it or hate it.
@TheForeignNationalBornNatural
This album was a masterpiece
@iftekharahmed6799
It's insane how Kanye's verse on this song was a self-fulfilling prophecy.
@arrionmoses8122
Wow your comment
@ALGREEN540
Ye is the living embodiment of “speak it into existence”
@talibnuman6821
Facts!!
@lyrics2challenged
Drake did the same thing- Except he became EVERYTHING he used to talk so negatively about. Talk about a 180
@RayHarperspective
yes it does and to me all falls down does even more
@harrie7512
Listen to Ye’s bars, he’s always been “crazy” and calling himself a genius. The thing people hate is how self aware he is.
@supersaumon1631
Kanye might've been at his production peak on this whole album. So much soul.
@sylviadjp
Super Saumon I totally agree with you. This album doesn't get nearly as much respect & recognition it deserves.