Finding his voice in a school choir, Crawford began his professional career still a teenager. Having some luck on the London stage in the early 60s, he then found his way onto the BBC and starred in various programmes such as 'Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em'. He also had film roles in 'The War Lover', 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'. and 'How I Won the War' (which brought him into the same work as John Lennon).
Andrew Lloyd Webber's casting of him opposite Sarah Brightman and Steve Barton as the Phantom in 1986 shot his career into high gear. Winning a Tony Award for his role, Crawford also had the aforementioned tune, "The Music Of The Night", reach the British Top Ten. He has released several studio albums such as 'A Touch of Music in the Night' and 'On Eagle's Wings' among others.
If I Never Knew You
Michael Crawford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Smith:
If I never knew you
If I never felt this love
I would have no inkling of
How precious life can be
I would never have a clue
How at last I'd find in you
The missing part of me
In this world so full of fear
Full of rage and lies
I can see the truth so clear
In your eyes
So dry your eyes
And I'm so grateful to you
I'd have lived my whole life through
Lost forever
If I never knew you
Pocahontas:
If I never knew you
I'd be safe but half as real
Never knowing I could feel
A love so strong and true
I'm so grateful to you
I'd have lived my whole life through
Lost forever
If I never knew you
Smith:
I thought our love would be so beautiful
Pocahontas:
Somehow we made the whole world bright
Both:
I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong
All they'd leave us where these whispers in the night
But still my heart is singing
We were right
Pocahontas:
If I never knew you
If I never knew this love
I would have no inkling of
How precious life can be
Smith:
There's no moment I regret
Since the moment that we met
If our time has gone too fast
I've lived at last
And I'm so grateful to you
I'd have lived my whole life through
Empty as the sky
Pocahontas:
Never knowing why
Both:
Lost forever
If I never knew you
The lyrics of "If I Never Knew You" by Michael Crawford express gratitude and appreciation for the love between two people. Smith, one of the singers in the Disney movie Pocahontas, sings about how he would have no inkling of how precious life can be if he had never felt the love he shared with Pocahontas. He also acknowledges that he would never have found the missing part of himself, which he discovered only by holding her.
In the second verse, Pocahontas responds with similar sentiments, acknowledging that without experiencing their love, she would only be safe but half as real. The two singers both express their gratitude for each other and their love, with Smith saying that he has no regrets and has lived at last, and Pocahontas saying that she has never felt a love so strong and true.
The lyrics also touch on the idea that love can be a beacon of truth and light in a world full of fear, anger, and lies. The singers find comfort and solace in each other's eyes and hearts, and their love helps to dispel the darkness around them. Despite the challenges they face, they believe that their love is right and true.
Overall, "If I Never Knew You" celebrates the transformative power of love and the joy and fulfillment that it can bring to people's lives.
Line by Line Meaning
If I never knew you
I would have never experienced the love and happiness that came with knowing you.
If I never felt this love
Without having felt this love, I wouldn't have known the meaning of true happiness.
I would have no inkling of
How precious life can be
Your love has given me a newfound appreciation for life and how valuable it truly is.
And if I never held you
If I had never been lucky enough to hold you in my arms,
I would never have a clue
How at last I'd find in you
The missing part of me
I would have lived my whole life unaware that you were the missing piece that makes me whole.
In this world so full of fear
Full of rage and lies
The world can be a scary and deceitful place, filled with hate and anger.
I can see the truth so clear
In your eyes
But with you, everything becomes clear and true. I can see honesty and love in your eyes.
So dry your eyes
Don't cry, my love.
And I'm so grateful to you
I'd have lived my whole life through
Lost forever
If I never knew you
I owe you my gratitude for showing me what true love and companionship feels like. Without you, I would have lived my whole life lost.
I'd be safe but half as real
Never knowing I could feel
A love so strong and true
Without you, I might have been safe and secure, but I would have never known the depth of love that exists between us.
Somehow we made the whole world bright
Our love has brought light to the darkest places of the world and made everything brighter.
I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong
All they'd leave us where these whispers in the night
Before you, I had never experienced the strength of fear and hate, but with you, I can hear them whispering in the night. However, our love is stronger than those things.
But still my heart is singing
We were right
Despite the challenges we face, my heart sings with joy because I know we were meant to be together.
There's no moment I regret
Since the moment that we met
I don't regret a single moment that we have shared together since the day we met.
If our time has gone too fast
I've lived at last
Even if our time together is fleeting, I feel like I have truly lived and experienced life with you.
Empty as the sky
Never knowing why
Without you, my life would feel as empty and meaningless as the sky without stars. I wouldn't know why I was here.
Lost forever
If I never knew you
My life would have been incomplete and I would have been forever lost if I had never known you.
Contributed by Taylor H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.