You Don't Know Me
Jann Arden Lyrics


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You give your hand to me And then you say hello
And I can hardly speak My heart is beating so
And anyone can tell You think you know me well
But you don't know me

No you don't know the one Who dreams of you at night
And longs to kiss your lips Longs to hold you tight
Oh I am just a friend That's all I've ever been
Cause you don't know me

I never knew the art of making love
No my heart aches with love for you
Afraid and shy I let my chance go by
The chance that you might love me too

You give your hand to me And then you say goodbye
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
Oh you will never know The one who loves you so
Well you don't know me

You give your hand to me And then you say goodbye
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
Oh you will never know The one who loves you so
'Cause you don't know me




Oh no you don't know me
Oh you don't know me

Overall Meaning

Jann Arden's song, You Don't Know Me, is a heartbreaking ode to unrequited love. The song begins with Arden describing how her heart beats so hard when her object of affection greets her, and how he thinks he knows her, but he really doesn't. She then goes on to reveal that she is just a friend, and that although he may not know her, she dreams of him at night, longs to kiss him, and hold him tight. She is aching with love for him, but is too shy and afraid to make a move.


The chorus of the song repeats and reinforces the idea that he doesn't know her, and that he doesn't know the one who loves him so. The second verse is particularly poignant as she reveals that she has never known the art of making love, and that she let her chance go by. She lives with the pain of unreturned love, watching him walk away with another man, knowing that he will never know how deeply she loves him. The song ends with a final plea for him to know her, to see her for who she truly is - an adoring, devoted lover.


Overall, You Don't Know Me is a beautifully melancholic song that captures the pain of unrequited love with clarity and honesty. It highlights the frustration of feeling unseen and unrecognized, and the sadness of being unable to express one's feelings. Arden's voice perfectly captures the emotion in the lyrics, creating a hauntingly memorable song that speaks to anyone who has ever longed for someone they can't have.


Line by Line Meaning

You give your hand to me And then you say hello
We interact in a friendly manner and you greet me with a handshake.


And I can hardly speak My heart is beating so
I become flustered and nervous around you, making it difficult to speak because my heart races with excitement.


And anyone can tell You think you know me well
Based on how you act towards me, others might assume that you know me deeply and intimately.


But you don't know me
Despite what others may believe, you do not actually know me as well as you might pretend to.


No you don't know the one Who dreams of you at night
You are not aware of the person who frequently dreams of being with you or about you when they sleep.


And longs to kiss your lips Longs to hold you tight
This person desires to be close to you, fantasizing about kissing you and holding you tightly in their arms.


Oh I am just a friend That's all I've ever been
Despite their desires and feelings, this person has only ever acted as a friend to you and nothing more.


Cause you don't know me
The reason why this person has not expressed their feelings to you is because they believe you do not truly know who they are.


I never knew the art of making love
This person has never had the experience or knowledge of making love with another person.


No my heart aches with love for you
Despite their lack of experience, this person's heart is filled with love for you.


Afraid and shy I let my chance go by
Due to their fear and shyness, this person has let opportunities to express their affections towards you pass them by.


The chance that you might love me too
The opportunity that was missed was the possibility that you might have also had feelings for this person.


You give your hand to me And then you say goodbye
We say our goodbyes as we part ways after our encounter.


I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
I observe as you walk away, holding hands with someone else, someone who is fortunate enough to be with you.


Oh you will never know The one who loves you so
You will never truly understand the depth of affection this person feels for you.


Well you don't know me
The fact remains that you do not really know who this person is and what they feel for you.


Oh no you don't know me
The repetition of the previous line emphasizes that you truly do not know this person and what they feel for you.


Oh you don't know me
Once again, the lyrics highlight the idea that despite any assumptions or beliefs, you do not know this person as well as you may prefer to think.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cindy Walker, Eddy Arnold

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@nadiav3109

You give your hand to me And then you say hello
And I can hardly speak My heart is beating so
And anyone can tell You think you know me well
But you don't know me
No you don't know the one Who dreams of you at night
And longs to kiss your lips Longs to hold you tight
Oh I am just a friend That's all I've ever been
Cause you don't know me
I never knew the art of making love
No my heart aches with love for you
Afraid and shy I let my chance go by
The chance that you might love me too
You give your hand to me And then you say goodbye
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
Oh you will never know The one who loves you so
Well you don't know me
You give your hand to me And then you say goodbye
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
Oh you will never know The one who loves you so
'Cause you don't know me
Oh no you don't know me
Oh you don't know me



All comments from YouTube:

@alexkollar941

Out of all the versions, Jann sings with convincing pain of love that can never be. Be strong those who are alone!

@cjermainesmith5229

This is the best version..

@kkitten8183

Any pain I felt long over, I love myself, and freedom to let people in that love me too. 😊

@marygrace8386

Still listening in 2024😊

@owenprince4823

I met Jann Arden this summer. She is so kind and warm hearted. She shook my hand and introduced herself. I told her that I know who she is and was very pleased to have to opportunity to meet her. She is famous for being a wonderful person as well as a great singing artist. I can confirm that she is both wonderful and a great singer.

@Purplenetz

Who is listening to this lovely song in April 2020? Love the movie and of course the song 😄

@ArtOnWings

It’s April 2021 💖

@lorinalorina8788

I do!

@petrapan121

2021

@SuperAlias11

This song is so heartbreaking, I have to put it on repeat.

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