Jimmy Raney began his jazz guitar career very early with the history showing he played in the Jerry Wald band in 1944 at age 17.
In 1946 he worked for a time as guitarist with the Max Miller Quartet at Elmer's in Chicago, his first paying gig. Raney also worked in the Artie Shaw Orchestra and collaborated with Woody Herman for nine months in 1948. He also collaborated and recorded with Buddy DeFranco, Al Haig and later on with Bob Brookmeyer. In 1967 alcoholism and other professional difficulties led him to leave New York City and return to his native Louisville. He resurfaced in the 1970s and also did work with his son Doug, who is also a guitarist. Raney suffered for thirty years from Meniere's Disease, a degenerative condition that eventually led to near complete deafness in both ears. Fortunately, his playing remained unaffected. Raney died of heart failure in Louisville Ky. on May 10th of 1995, just short of his 68th birthday. An obituary in the New York Times referred to Jimmy Raney as 'one of the most gifted and influential postwar jazz guitarists in the world .
You Don't Know What Love Is
Jimmy Raney Lyrics
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'Til you've learned the meaning of the blues
Until you've loved a love you've had to lose,
You don't know what love is.
You don't know how lips hurt
Until you've kissed and had to pay the cost,
Until you've flipped your heart and you have lost,
Do you know how a lost heart fears
At the thought of reminiscing,
And how lips that taste of tears
Lose their taste for kissing?
You don't know how hearts burn
For love that can, not live yet never dies.
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes,
You don't know what love is.
The song "You Don't Know What Love Is" by Jimmy Raney is a heartbreaking ballad that reflects on the pain of lost love. The opening line, "You don't know what love is until you've learned the meaning of the blues," suggests that one cannot truly understand what love is until they have experienced heartbreak. The lyrics go on to describe how the pain of lost love is all-consuming and transforms one's understanding of the world.
The second verse, "You don't know how lips hurt until you've kissed and had to pay the cost," highlights how the physical act of love can lead to emotional pain. The line "Until you've flipped your heart and you have lost" conveys the sense of helplessness and vulnerability that comes with falling in love. The song continues to explore how lost love can haunt and torment, through the imagery of "sleepless eyes" and "hearts that burn."
Overall, "You Don't Know What Love Is" is a deeply poignant and evocative song that captures the raw emotions of heartbreak and loss. It speaks to the universal human experience of love and the pain that can come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't know what love is
Love is an experience that can only be truly understood by those who have felt its power
'Til you've learned the meaning of the blues
One cannot truly comprehend love until they have also felt the pain of loss and loneliness
Until you've loved a love you've had to lose,
The experience of losing someone you love is essential to understanding the true meaning of love
You don't know what love is.
Without experiencing loss and heartbreak, one cannot fully understand the depth of love
You don't know how lips hurt
Kissing someone you love can be a painful reminder of your love's absence
Until you've kissed and had to pay the cost,
Loving someone often comes with sacrifices and heartbreak that cannot be fully understood until they are experienced
Until you've flipped your heart and you have lost,
Losing someone you love can feel like your world has been turned upside down
You don't know what love is.
Without experiencing the pain of loss, one cannot truly comprehend the power of love
Do you know how a lost heart fears
Losing someone you love can be a terrifying experience that fills your heart with fear
At the thought of reminiscing,
The memories of lost love can be haunting and painful, causing a sense of dread in those who have loved and lost
And how lips that taste of tears
Tears shed for lost love can leave a bitter taste in one's mouth
Lose their taste for kissing?
The pain of loss can affect future relationships and make it difficult to open up to new love
You don't know how hearts burn
The passion and intensity of love can be so great that it feels like your heart is on fire
For love that can, not live yet never dies.
The love that is lost may be gone, but it never truly dies and can continue to burn in the heart of the one who loved
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes,
The pain of loss can be so great that it makes it difficult to find rest in sleep, leading to countless sleepless nights
You don't know what love is.
Without experiencing the pain and passion of love, one cannot fully understand the depth of emotion it elicits
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON RAYE, GENE DE PAUL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind