You Can't Be Mine
Lester Young Lyrics


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You can't be mine and someone else's too
Someday you'll find I've been a friend to you
I don't believe that life's worth living
I gave you all there was worth giving
You never cared how I fared or what I do

I called you mine but I was not to blame
For all the time you played up to hand and game
Second hand love I can't see
It's good for some but not for me
You can't be mine and someone else's too

I called you mine but I was not to blame
For all the time you played up to hand and game
Second hand love I can't see




It's good for some but not for me
You can't be mine and someone else's too

Overall Meaning

In this song, Lester Young tells a story of unrequited love. He is in love with someone who is already involved with another person, and he knows that he cannot have her. However, he cannot help but continue to feel love for her, and he expresses his feelings in this song. He tells her that someday she will realize that he has been a good friend to her, and that he gave her all that he could. However, he also tells her that he cannot accept being just her friend or sharing her with someone else, as he believes in the value of a true, exclusive love.


Throughout the song, Young stresses the idea that he cannot accept being second best. He calls the other person's love "second hand love," and says that he cannot see himself accepting it. He also emphasizes that he did nothing wrong in calling her his own - it was her decision to play games with his heart, knowing all the while that she had someone else. Young expresses a deep level of hurt and frustration, but also a conviction that he is better off alone, free to love someone who can reciprocate his feelings.


Overall, "You Can't Be Mine" is a heartfelt, melancholy song about unrequited love and the longing for something that cannot be. It reflects a deep sense of pain and disappointment, but also a desire to find a more fulfilling, exclusive love.


Line by Line Meaning

You can't be mine and someone else's too
I cannot have you to myself while you are also with someone else


Someday you'll find I've been a friend to you
You will eventually realize that I have been a good friend to you


I don't believe that life's worth living
I do not believe that life has value or meaning


I gave you all there was worth giving
I gave you everything that was valuable and important


You never cared how I fared or what I do
You never showed any concern for my well-being or my actions


I called you mine but I was not to blame
I referred to you as mine, but I was not responsible for your actions


For all the time you played up to hand and game
You acted insincerely and manipulatively throughout our relationship


Second hand love I can't see
I cannot accept a love that has been previously used or shared with others


It's good for some but not for me
Sharing love with others may be acceptable for some, but it is not acceptable for me


You can't be mine and someone else's too
I cannot have you to myself while you are also with someone else




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chick William Webb, J.c. Johnson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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