I Didn't Know About You
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra Lyrics
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The usual laughs, not often, but loud
And in the world that I knew
I didn't know about you
Chasing after the ring, on the merry-go-round
Just taking my fun, where it could be found
And yet what else could I do
I didn't know about you
I had the loneliest yesterday, everyday
In your arms
I know for once in my life, I'm living
Had a good time, everytime I went out
Romance was a thing, I kidded about
How could I know about love
I didn't know about you
Darling, now I know
I had the loneliest yesterday, everyday
In your arms
I know for once in my life, I'm living
Had a good time, everytime I went out
Romance was a thing, I kidded about
How could I know about love
I didn't know about you
I didn't know about you
The song "I Didn't Know About You" by Duke Ellington is a classic love song that explores the idea of ignorance leading to loneliness. In the lyrics, Duke talks about running around with a group of friends, laughing and having a good time, and yet feeling lonely the entire time. He explains that he was always chasing after things that gave him temporary joy, like a ring on a merry-go-round or romance he kidded about. He admits that he didn't know about love until he met the person he sings the song to, and now that he does, he knows he's finally living.
The song beautifully captures the idea that sometimes we may think we know what brings us happiness, but we may be missing something crucial. Duke also reveals that he feels like he wasted a lot of time being ignorant of what true love and happiness were, but he's grateful that he knows better now. The song is a testament to the power of love to change our perspectives and bring us true happiness.
Fact 1: "I Didn't Know About You" was first recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra in 1941.
Fact 2: The song was written by Duke Ellington and Bob Russell.
Fact 3: Duke Ellington's recording of the song was a hit, reaching #4 on the Billboard charts.
Fact 4: Over the years, the song has been covered by many artists, including Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, and Ella Fitzgerald.
Fact 5: The song features the classic Ellingtonian sound, with lush orchestration and sophisticated harmonies.
Fact 6: Duke Ellington was known for his socially conscious lyrics, but "I Didn't Know About You" is a departure from that style.
Fact 7: The song has been featured in several films over the years, including "A League of Their Own" and "The Bridges of Madison County."
Fact 8: The song was included in the 1995 album "Love Scenes" by Diana Krall.
Fact 9: "I Didn't Know About You" has become a jazz standard and is often performed by modern jazz artists.
Fact 10: The chords for "I Didn't Know About You" are often played in the key of B-flat major, with a slow swing tempo.
Chords:
Intro: BbM7 D9 Gm7 C7
Verse:
BbM7 D9 Gm7 C7
BbM7 D9 Gm7 C7
EbM7 Cm7 F7
BbM7 Gm7 F7 BbM7
Chorus:
Gm7 C9 FM7 C7
Gm7 C7 F7 BbM7
Gm7 C9 FM7 C7
Gm7 C7 F7 BbM7
Line by Line Meaning
I ran around, with my own little crowd
I used to be surrounded by a group of people who I spent time with.
The usual laughs, not often, but loud
We used to laugh often and loudly, but it was always the same kind of laughter.
And in the world that I knew
In the world that I was familiar with,
I didn't know about you
I had no knowledge of you.
Chasing after the ring, on the merry-go-round
I was pursuing something that was constantly moving and difficult to capture.
Just taking my fun, where it could be found
I was only interested in having a good time, regardless of where it came from.
And yet what else could I do
But what else was there for me to do?
I didn't know about you
At the time, I had no knowledge of you.
Darling, now I know
Now, my love, I understand,
I had the loneliest yesterday, everyday
Each day, I felt painfully alone.
In your arms
But when I'm with you,
I know for once in my life, I'm living
For the first time in my life, I feel alive.
Had a good time, everytime I went out
Whenever I went out, I had fun.
Romance was a thing, I kidded about
I used to joke about romance and its significance.
How could I know about love
How could I have ever truly understood love?
I didn't know about you
At that time, I had no real knowledge of you or love.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB RUSSELL, DUKE ELLINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@76ajc
I wish I could’ve seen my
Mom and Dad dancing to this.
@jwh88
Ellington earned 12 Grammy awards from 1959 to 2000, three of which were posthumous. Also quite a few of his songs were given Grammy Hall of Fame status. See the Wikipedia entry for Duke Ellington.
@tonycalabro5125
love this tune !!!
@SheridanJazz
You have magnificent taste. My favorite Duke tune of them all.
@tonycalabro5125
Thank you so much for your feedback