Peyroux started singing at the age of fifteen, when she discovered street musicians in the Latin Quarter in Paris. She joined a group called the Riverboat Shufflers, first passing round the hat, and then singing. At sixteen she joined the The Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band, spending two years touring Europe performing songs by the likes of Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and others, which provided the basis for her first album, Dreamland.
Dreamland was released in 1996, and gained widespread attention. Time called it "the most exciting, involving vocal performance by a new singer this year". Dreamland, is a brilliant recording, as Peyroux's distinctive voice is not hindered by overly intricate arrangements. Most of the accompaniment on the record is light and sparse, the way it should be for a singer with such a unique voice. Peyroux soon found herself opening for Sarah McLachlan and Cesária Évora, and made appearances at jazz festivals and on the Lilith Fair tour.
In May 2002 she joined multi-instrumentalist William Galison, and together they appeared at such venues as the Bottom Line, Joe's Pub, and the Tin Angel. In 2003 the duo released a seven-song EP entitled Got You on My Mind, which they sold at shows and online. Got You on My Mind was re-released by William Galison in August 2004; the original EP was expanded by the addition of four tracks by Gallison.
Peyroux released her own sophomore effort, Careless Love, in September 2004. The album received generally positive reviews.
Her new album, Half the Perfect World, was released on September 12, 2006. She collaborated with several artists, including Jesse Harris, Walter Becker, Larry Klein (who also produced the album), and K.d. lang, with whom Peyroux duets on a cover of the Joni Mitchell song, "River".
On July 12, 2007, she was awarded Best International Jazz Artist at the BBC Jazz Awards.
You Don't Know Me
Madeleine Peyroux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I can hardly speak, my heart is beating so
And anyone could 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 and longs to hold you tight
To you I'm just a friend, that's all I've ever been
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
The chance that you might love me too
You give your hand to me and then you say good-bye
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
To never, never know the one who loves you so
No, you don't know me
The lyrics to Madeleine Peyroux’s song You Don’t Know Me describe a complicated situation where the singer is in love with someone who is either oblivious to their advances or chooses to ignore them. The lyrics convey a sense of longing and frustration as the singer reveals their feelings but is ultimately rejected. The first verse describes a meeting between the singer and their love interest where the latter greets them with familiarity, albeit falsely. The singer’s heart beats rapidly implying they are excited to see this person. However, the love interest’s lack of knowledge about the singer's true feelings is emphasized with the line “you think you know me well, but you don’t know me”. This line suggests that the love interest is unaware of the depth of the singer’s emotions towards them.
In the second verse, the singer reveals that they yearn for their love interest both emotionally and physically. Despite this, to the love interest, the singer is just a friend. The line “that’s all I’ve ever been” conveys that the singer has never fully conveyed their true feelings to the love interest. Therefore, it can be inferred that the love interest is oblivious to the singer’s romantic feelings towards them.
The chorus describes how the singer has missed their chance to declare their love. They have never been able to master the art of making love, which has left them afraid and shy. As a result, they are left watching their love interest walk away with someone else. The final line, “To never, never know the one who loves you so, No, you don’t know me”, emphasizes the singer's pain and regret, as they regret not taking the chance to express themselves and, as a result, feel as though they will remain unknown to their love interest.
Line by Line Meaning
You give your hand to me and then you say hello
You greet me with a cordial gesture of handshake and hello
And I can hardly speak, my heart is beating so
I am overwhelmed with emotions and my heart races with anticipation
And anyone could tell, you think you know me well
Your behavior indicates you believe you possess knowledge about me
But you don't know me
You are unable to perceive the true me beyond your assumptions
No you don't know the one who dreams of you at night
You have no knowledge of my unconscious desires and aspirations towards you
And longs to kiss your lips and longs to hold you tight
I strongly desire physical intimacy and closeness with you
To you I'm just a friend, that's all I've ever been
You perceive me as someone you socialize with occasionally, and only that
No, you don't know me
Indeed, you are not aware of my authentic perspectives and feelings
For I never knew the art of making love
I lack the expertise of expressing and fostering romantic relationships
Though my heart aches with love for you
Despite my love for you, my ineptitude in matters of love causes me immense pain
Afraid and shy I let my chance go by
My fear and reluctance prevented me from taking the opportunity to express my love for you
The chance that you might love me too
I had hoped that you had mutual feelings of love for me
You give your hand to me and then you say good-bye
You bid me farewell with a similar gesture of handshake
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
I observe you departing while accompanying someone else who is fortunate in possessing your love
To never, never know the one who loves you so
You are oblivious to the depth and intensity of my love and affection towards you
No, you don't know me
Once again, you are unable to grasp my true character and sentiments
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cindy Walker, Eddy Arnold
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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