You Don't Know Me At All
Don Henley Lyrics

I woke up this morning
The singer starts the song by saying they just woke up from sleep.

With an attitude
They woke up with a negative attitude or feeling.

Looked at the headlines
The singer looked at the news headlines, which made them feel worse.

Put me in a real bad mood
The negative news headlines put the singer in a worse mood than they were already in.

Sitting here remember
The singer is reflecting on past events while sitting down.

Tryin' to stay sane
They are trying to maintain their mental stability despite the difficult situation.

Between the end of the summer
The time frame is between late summer and early fall.

And the comin' of the blessed rains
The next season, fall, brings much needed rain that is seen as a blessing.

And I feel dirty
The singer feels unclean or guilty in some way.

All the way down
This feeling is pervasive and reaches deep inside the singer's being.

I feel dirty, baby
They are speaking directly to their lover, calling them 'baby', expressing how they feel.

Like this dirty town
The singer compares their feelings to the state of the town they're in, dirty and unclean.

I gave you everything
The singer expresses that they gave their all in the relationship.

On a silver tray
This could mean that the singer presented their love in the most attractive way possible.

Could have been a fool forever
The singer realizes that they could have made dangerous choices in love, but didn't.

But I'm not made that way
The singer acknowledges that they won't be foolish in love, no matter what.

And after all these years
After a long period of time has passed.

I think it's time to say goodbye
It's time to end the relationship.

I'm doing you a favor
Breaking up with you is a favor to you in the long run, even though it may hurt now.

I will not help you live a lie
The singer won't pretend that everything is fine when it's not.

And believe me
The singer wants their lover to understand their sincerity.

If you think I'm gonna catch you when you fall
The lover cannot expect the singer to come to their rescue every time they face a problem.

You don't know me
The lover doesn't understand the true nature of the singer.

You don't know me at all
The lover has no real knowledge or understanding of the singer's character or personality.

I closed up the curtains
The singer is staying inside all the time, avoiding contact with the outside world.

Learned to confess
The singer has learned the importance of admitting their faults and shortcomings.

Baby I knew better
The singer is reminiscing on the past and realizes they should have made better choices.

But you were such a pretty mess
The lover was attractive in a chaotic way, but ultimately not good for the singer.

You took my breath away
The lover was very attractive and charming to the singer.

And now I want it back
The singer wants to regain their former state of mind and not be affected by the lover.

Aah, you should have killed me
The singer expresses that it would have been better to die than to continue in the current situation.

'Cause you always looked so good in black
The lover had a dark and mysterious quality that the singer found alluring and attractive.

And after all these twisted roads
The singer reflects on the tumultuous path that the relationship has taken over time.

That we've been down together
The singer and lover have experienced many ups and downs in their relationship.

I think it's time to say goodbye
The singer decides that it's best to end things.

And believe me
The singer is serious and truthful in their decision.

If you think I'm gonna get down and crawl
The lover cannot expect the singer to beg or plead for them to stay.

You don't know me
The lover doesn't really understand the singer's personality or true nature.

You don't know me at all
The lover has no real understanding or knowledge of who the singer truly is.

After all these years
After a significant amount of time has passed.

I think it's time to say goodbye
It's time to end the relationship.

I'm doing us a favor, baby
Breaking up is beneficial for both parties, even though it might not seem like it at first.

You know I cannot live a lie
The singer refuses to pretend that everything is fine when it's not.

And when you need me,
The singer and lover used to rely on each other for support.

And you think I'm gonna be there when you call
The lover cannot expect the singer to always be there for them in the future.

You don't know me
The lover doesn't truly understand or know the singer's true nature.

You don't know me at all
The lover has no real understanding or knowledge of the singer's true self.