Imagine Dragons is a Grammy award-winning alternative rock band which forme… Read Full Bio ↴Imagine Dragons is a Grammy award-winning alternative rock band which formed in 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The band consists of Dan Reynolds (vocals), Wayne Sermon (guitar), Ben McKee (bass) and Daniel Platzman (drums). The band released four EPs - "Imagine Dragons" (2009), "Hell and Silence" (2010), "It's Time" (2011) and "Continued Silence" (2012) - before releasing their debut full length album "Night Visions" on 4 September 2012.

The band's single "It's Time", which previously appeared on the "It's Time" and "Continued Silence" EPs in addition to appearing on "Night Visions", is the group's biggest hit, reaching #33 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In a dark kitchen in the middle of a sweaty night in Las Vegas, all 6’4” of Dan Reynolds is hunched over a laptop, slapping beats on the table and crooning lyrics into a tiny microphone. Before long, he and the other three members of indie rock band Imagine Dragons would be playing “It’s Time,” that same laptop-demo-turned-supersized-anthem, from the roof of a parking garage to a wave of thousands of screaming fans. This song title to the single from their 2012 debut KidInaKorner/Interscope release “Continued Silence EP” is an all too apt descriptor of the band’s hard-earned success—but it’s also emblematic of the deep-seated anxiety Reynolds and the rest of the band experienced leaving behind any realistic expectation of a normal job to do the thing they love most.

A third-generation Las Vegas native, Reynolds is no stranger to the adage “the house always wins,” choosing to pave his musical career with a near obsessive work ethic and hundreds of unused demos rather than roll the dice with the first songs that sprung from his mouth. It’s no surprise, then, that he was drawn to guitarist Wayne Sermon, another founding member of Imagine Dragons. Having practically grown up in a recording studio and graduated Berklee College of Music, Wayne had been practicing his guitar through meals and other socially inappropriate situations as long as he could remember; he challenged Dan in a way that was both uncomfortable and exactly what they both needed. When they began writing songs together and recognized something special was happening, Wayne called up his Berklee friend Ben McKee, who promptly dropped out of school with only a few credits left, moving across the country to play bass for the band. This sort of reckless/genius behavior is typical for Ben, who has an uncanny penchant for spicy food and a suitcase full of unbelievable road stories. More recently, the band was joined by drummer Daniel Platzman, another Bostonian schoolmate who seems way too nice to be playing rock and roll until you actually see him in action.

Several tours and three self-released EPs later, Imagine Dragons had made a serious name for itself, particularly in the west coast circuit. Although their songs vary from nearly whimsical and light to brooding and powerful, listeners are drawn to the inherent honesty in the music. The only rule of thumb for the band, it seems, is to write from a true place; the result is songs that literally run the spectrum of human emotion. Attend a concert, and it becomes clear that the live performance of deeply personal songs has a real effect on people. And the band itself is not immune, as demonstrated when Dan literally passed out into the drum set during a finale song, sending cymbals and drum stands crashing while the rest of the band played on until the close.

Great songwriting is bound to be noticed eventually. As proof that the harder you work, the luckier you get, one of those people who noticed was Grammy winning producer Alex da Kid (Eminem, Rihanna). Alex and Dan began collaborating on projects, and soon the band had developed a relationship with Alex and his team. The alchemy resulting from Alex’s hip hop sensibilities and Imagine Dragons’ anthemic rock is nothing short of explosive. The byproduct of this creative collision is “Continued Silence,” a six song in-your-face sonic grenade that breaks musical boundaries and yet is strangely relatable by its improbably diverse audience.

Despite it all, on any given day when they aren’t on the road playing shows, you can still find Imagine Dragons huddled away in a rehearsal room somewhere, banging out song after song in search of the next perfect track. Like most things in Vegas, the band is angled at going big or going bust. For the sake of those who love great music, we hope it’s the former.

They Don't Know You Like I Do
Imagine Dragons Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

He was never gonna make it
Every pill he found, he'd take it
Always on the edge of breakdowns
But keeping it together somehow
Just another cold November
You called me, but I didn't answer
I was so oblivious, now I'm asking for forgiveness

For every single time I failed you
I'm feeling like it's me that killed you
Remembering the time they jumped you
And I was too scared to help you
Looking back, I can't erase it, I guess it's time to face it
You never seem to know how to let it all go

Don't listen to a single word they say about you
They don't know you like I do
Don't listen to a single word they say about you
They don't know you like I do

Everybody saw you smiling, yeah, you were always good at hiding
You were always asking questions so you wouldn't draw attention
Everyone who used you, they never really knew you
You're always showing up for everybody but yourself

See, I wish I could take it back, change the future and erase the past
Grab the bullet out and pull you back
I promise that I'd save your life like you saved mine
But now it's far too late for that, and all I have is your story left to tell
So let me tell it, let me tell

Don't listen to a single word they say about you
They don't know you like I do
Don't listen to a single word they say about you
They don't know you like I do

Da, da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da, da
Da, da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da, da-da-da, da
Da, da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da, da
Da, da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da, da-da-da, da
Da, da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da, da

Da, da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da, da
Da, da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da, da
Da, da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da, da
Da, da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da, da
Da, da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da, da

Da, da, da-da-da
Da-da, da-da, da-da-da, da

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "They Don't Know You Like I Do" by Imagine Dragons tell a story about a person who was struggling with their mental health and facing various challenges in life. The singer reflects on their past and regrets not being there for the person during their difficult times. The mention of pills signals the person's struggle with addiction as a way to cope with their problems. The singer admits their own obliviousness towards the person's struggles, and now seeks forgiveness.

The song emphasizes that the people around the person didn't truly understand them, despite their outer facade. The person was skilled at hiding their pain and asking insightful questions to divert attention from their own struggles. The singer acknowledges that others used the person without truly knowing them, and that the person was always there for others, even though they neglected their own well-being.

The singer expresses a desire to change the past and save the person's life, but realizes it is now too late for that. All that remains is their story, which the singer feels compelled to share as a way to honor their memory. The chorus reinforces the idea that no one else truly knows and understands the person like the singer does, urging the person not to listen to what others may say about them.

Overall, "They Don't Know You Like I Do" explores themes of empathy, regret, forgiveness, and the importance of truly understanding and supporting someone.

Line by Line Meaning

He was never gonna make it
He had little chance of success

Every pill he found, he'd take it
He would consume any medication he came across

Always on the edge of breakdowns
He was constantly teetering on the verge of emotional collapse

But keeping it together somehow
However, he managed to maintain composure

Just another cold November
It was an ordinary, chilly November

You called me, but I didn't answer
You reached out to me, but I didn't respond

I was so oblivious, now I'm asking for forgiveness
I was completely unaware, and now I seek forgiveness

For every single time I failed you
For each instance in which I let you down

I'm feeling like it's me that killed you
I feel responsible for your demise

Remembering the time they jumped you
Recalling the occasion when they attacked you

And I was too scared to help you
And I was too frightened to assist you

Looking back, I can't erase it, I guess it's time to face it
Reflecting on the past, I am unable to undo it; it is now necessary to confront it

You never seem to know how to let it all go
You always struggle to release the past and move on

Don't listen to a single word they say about you
Pay no attention to any negative comments made about you

They don't know you like I do
They lack the understanding of your true nature that I possess

Everybody saw you smiling, yeah, you were always good at hiding
Everyone witnessed you appearing happy; you were adept at concealing your true emotions

You were always asking questions so you wouldn't draw attention
You constantly inquired to divert focus away from yourself

Everyone who used you, they never really knew you
All those who exploited you never truly understood you

You're always showing up for everybody but yourself
You consistently prioritize others over your own needs

See, I wish I could take it back, change the future and erase the past
I desperately desire to undo my actions, alter what lies ahead, and eliminate what occurred before

Grab the bullet out and pull you back
Remove the bullet and retrieve you from harm's way

I promise that I'd save your life like you saved mine
I pledge to rescue your existence just as you rescued mine

But now it's far too late for that, and all I have is your story left to tell
However, it is now too much time has passed for such actions, and all I possess is your narrative to recount

So let me tell it, let me tell
Allow me to narrate it to others, permit me to share your story