Loggins was born in Everett, Washington and is the youngest of three brothers. His mother was Lina (née Massie), a homemaker, and his father, Robert George Loggins, was a salesman. They lived in Detroit and Seattle before settling in Alhambra, California. Loggins attended San Gabriel Mission High School, graduating in 1966. He formed a band called the Second Helping that released three singles during 1968 and 1969 on Viva Records. Greg Shaw described the efforts as "excellent punky folk-pop records" that were written by Loggins who was likely to be the bandleader and singer as well; Shaw included "Let Me In" on both Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 2 and the Pebbles, Volume 9 CD.
Loggins had a short gig playing guitar for the New Improved Electric Prunes in 1969 before writing four songs for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which were included in their Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy album. During his early twenties, he was part of the band Gator Creek with Mike Deasy. An early version of "Danny's Song" (later recorded by Loggins and Messina and a No. 7 Hot 100 hit for Anne Murray in 1973) was included in a record on Mercury Records.
Loggins appears in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V playing himself as the host of an in-game radio station called Los Santos Rock Radio. He also lends the songs "Danger Zone" and "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)", and sings station jingles.
In 2014, Loggins appeared as himself in the episode "Baby Shower" of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Archer. His song "Danger Zone" had been a recurring joke in the show. At the end of the episode and during the credits, Loggins also performs a country version of "Danger Zone" as a duet with the character of Cherlene. Loggins stated in a later interview that his in-show nickname 'K-Log' is a complete creation of the show, stating, "It was always a joke. That's why it works, because it's so absurd.
You Don't Know Me
Kenny Loggins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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.
Well, you don't know me.
Who dreams of you at night;
And longs to kiss your lips
And longs to hold you tight
Oh I'm just a friend.
That's all I've ever been.
Cause you don't know me.
For I never knew the art of making love,
Though my heart aches with love for you.
Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by.
A chance that you might love me too.
You give your hand to me,
And then you say, "Goodbye."
I watched you walk away,
Beside the lucky guy
Oh, you'll never ever know
The one who loved you so.
Well, you don't know me
For I never knew the art of making love,
Though my heart aches with love for you.
Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by.
A chance that you might love me too.
Oh, you give your hand to me,
And then you say, "Goodbye."
I watched you walk away,
Beside the lucky guy
Oh, you'll never ever know
The one who loved you so.
Well, you don't know me
The lyrics in Kenny Loggins's song "You Don't Know Me" tell the story of a person who has unrequited love for someone else. The song expresses their struggle to keep their feelings hidden and ultimately losing their chance to express their love. The lyrics suggest that the person they love thinks they know them well, but in reality, they don't even know the depth of their love for them. The opening verse of the song demonstrates the nervousness and excitement felt when in the presence of the person they love, "You give your hand to me, and then you say hello, and I can hardly speak, my heart is beating so." The lyrics also show the singer's desire for intimacy, "Who dreams of you at night; and longs to kiss your lips and longs to hold you tight," but ultimately reveals their fear of rejection, "Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by. A chance that you might love me too."
Overall, "You Don't Know Me" portrays the difficulty of expressing one's feelings to someone when afraid of rejection. The song evokes emotions of longing, sadness, and regret, which are relatable to many.
Line by Line Meaning
You give your hand to me
You greet me kindly, with a handshake
And then you say, "Hello."
You greet me with a warm and familiar salutation
And I can hardly speak,
I am so filled with emotion that I am nearly speechless
My heart is beating so.
My heart is racing with excitement and love
And anyone can tell
It is obvious to anyone
You think you know me well.
You believe that you understand who I am
Well, you don't know me.
But the reality is that you do not truly know me
No you don't know the one
You are not aware of the individual
Who dreams of you at night;
Who spends their nights dreaming of being with you
And longs to kiss your lips
Who deeply desires to taste your lips
And longs to hold you tight.
And yearns to embrace you tightly
Oh I'm just a friend.
Despite these feelings, I am only considered a friend
That's all I've ever been.
I have never been anything more to you
Cause you don't know me.
Because you lack a true understanding of who I am
For I never knew the art of making love,
I have never been skilled in expressing my love physically
Though my heart aches with love for you.
Despite this inability, my heart still overflows with love for you
Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by.
My insecurities have made me too fearful to pursue a romantic relationship with you
A chance that you might love me too.
I regret not taking the risk of telling you how I felt, in case there was a chance you felt the same
Oh, you give your hand to me,
As we part ways
And then you say, "Goodbye."
You bid me farewell with kindness and respect
I watched you walk away,
I stood there and observed as you departed
Beside the lucky guy
Alongside the individual who has won your affection
Oh, you'll never ever know
You will never be aware of the extent of my love for you
The one who loved you so.
The one who cherished and adored you deeply
Well, you don't know me.
But despite all of this, you still do not truly know me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cindy Walker, Eddy Arnold
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lumpy McPhoomph
Kenny's version of this song was the first I heard, all those years ago, and I immediately began covering it in my solo gigs around New England. In the years since, I've heard a number of other renditions... Ray Charles, Lenny Welch, Harry Connick Jr., etc., but I always seem to come back to Kenny's take on the tune - and it remains my favorite.
GizmoFromPizmo
I think it's from the "Celebrate Me Home" album, isn't it? I loved that album. I made a cassette tape of it and played the beans out of it in my car.
Susan Messer
one of the best albums ever made. I have listened and enjoyed this thousands of times
Less Is Moor
I met her in 1977, married her in 1984, lost her to cancer in 2017.... She knew me.
Kenny's music meant so much to both of us.
I miss her so.
becky g
The best rendition of a sweet, sweet song. Love Kenny!!!
david W
We sold almost 3000 copies of this album when it came out..we were the 2nd largest record outlet in the midwest at the time..It received a lot of airplay. I really loved this album even it wasn't my usual cup of tea...thanks Kenny
Mark Olson
Was it Camelot Music? That's where I discovered this album.
becky g
This album and I go way way back....hours of great listening.
Russ Burridge
My favorite version for so many years ,so smooth
pocunkinukcamia
This is the sweetest song