You Don't Know
Lisa Loeb Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

She's got a boyfriend
All of a sudden
She's never had one before
She's looking for the thumbs-up
When they're walking through the door

She's showing him off
By making him talk
She's putting his hand in his pocket
It shows on her face
What she doesn't say
What she doesn't say

[Chorus]
You don't know me
You don't know me at all
You don't know me
You don't know me at all
You don't know me
You don't know me at all

She doesn't know that we know
That we've been here before
We always pay attention
When she walks through the door
It's the clothes that she chooses
It's the words that she uses

[Chorus]

She's trying hard to pretend
That it's not really happening
But we can see her smiling from afar
We don't see her much anymore
But we can hear her whistling
As she walks to her car





[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The song "You Don't Know" by Lisa Loeb is a mix of emotions that revolves around the idea of being misunderstood. The story is about a girl who has suddenly found a boyfriend and wants to flaunt it to everyone. Despite her attempts to show off, the people around her still do not know what she truly feels. Through the lyrics, Lisa Loeb portrays the idea of people being unable to see beyond their perceptions and assumptions.


The first part of the song describes how the girl is parading her new boyfriend to gain approval. She wants people to notice her and her relationship. However, Lisa goes on to say that the girl's thoughts and feelings are not expressed on her face. She goes on to sing the chorus, indicating that people around her do not know her at all.


The second part of the song highlights how people tend to make judgments based on what they see and hear, even though their perception may not be accurate. The girl does not know that the people around her have seen her before and can see how she is pretending that her relationship is just happening naturally. Despite her behavior, people can see her true feelings.


Overall, the song brings out the idea of how people tend to make judgments based on assumptions and perceptions. The song suggests that knowing someone's true feelings and emotions requires deeper understanding and empathy.


Line by Line Meaning

She's got a boyfriend
She recently got into a romantic relationship


All of a sudden
The change happened unexpectedly


She's never had one before
This is the first time she is in a relationship


She's looking for the thumbs-up
She seeks approval for her romantic choice


When they're walking through the door
When they appear in public together


She's showing him off
She displays her affection for him openly


By making him talk
She seems to be proud of his social skills


She's putting his hand in his pocket
She acts affectionately by holding his hand


It shows on her face
Her emotional state is reflected in her expressions


What she doesn't say
Her unspoken thoughts and feelings


What she doesn't say
Her unspoken thoughts and feelings


You don't know me
The singer's claim that others don't know her


You don't know me at all
Others have no idea about the singer's true self


She doesn't know that we know
The singer is aware of secrets that the girl is unaware of


That we've been here before
The singer has noticed similar patterns of behavior


We always pay attention
The girl's actions are closely monitored


When she walks through the door
Her entry into a place draws attention


It's the clothes that she chooses
Her dress choices are a sign of her emotions


It's the words that she uses
The way she speaks is a clue about her feelings


She's trying hard to pretend
She is making a conscious effort to hide her feelings


That it's not really happening
She is trying to deny the reality of the situation


But we can see her smiling from afar
Her real emotions are noticed despite her effort to hide them


We don't see her much anymore
The girl is not as social as she used to be


But we can hear her whistling
The girl shows a carefree attitude despite her situation


As she walks to her car
Her behavior can be observed as she moves to her vehicle


You don't know me
The singer reiterates her claim that others don't really know her


You don't know me at all
Others have little understanding of the singer's true emotions and state of mind




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EVAN LOWENSTEIN, JARON LOWENSTEIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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