For All We Know
Nat "King" Cole Lyrics


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For all we know
We may never meet again
Before we go
Make this moment live again
We won't say goodbye
Until the last minute
I'll hold out my hand
And my heart will be in it

For all we know
This might only be a dream
We come and we go
Like the ripples, like the ripples in the stream
So baby, love me, love me tonight
Tomorrow was made for some
Oh, but tomorrow
But tomorrow may never, never come
For all we know




Yes, tomorrow may never, never come
For all we know

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nat “King” Cole’s For All We Know speak to the fleeting nature of life and love. The singer acknowledges the possibility that the moment they’re sharing with their lover might be their last, and urges them to appreciate and cherish it. The lyrics recognize that the future is uncertain; any plans we make or future we envision for ourselves might simply be illusions that never come to fruition.


The first verse acknowledges the possibility that the lovers might never see each other again, and urges them to make the most of the time they have left together. The chorus underscores the impermanence of life by suggesting that the moment they’re sharing might be nothing more than a dream. The singer uses the metaphor of ripples in a stream to emphasize how quickly everything can change and how our lives are short and fleeting. The second verse reinforces this idea, urging the lover to show their affection tonight, rather than waiting for some vague future moment that might never come. The final lines of the song, “For all we know / Yes, tomorrow may never, never come / For all we know,” drive home the idea that we can never be certain about what will happen in the future.


Overall, the song encourages us to live in the moment and appreciate the people and experiences we have in our lives, rather than taking them for granted or postponing our joy for some imagined future moment that may never come.


Line by Line Meaning

For all we know
Considering what we have, in terms of knowledge and experience


We may never meet again
There is no guarantee that we will meet after this encounter


Before we go
Prior to separately departing from each other


Make this moment live again
Relive the moment and make it unforgettable


We won't say goodbye
We will not use the word goodbye as a means of departure


Until the last minute
Till the last available moment


I'll hold out my hand
I'll extend my hand


And my heart will be in it
I'll be sincere and honest as I bid adieu


This might only be a dream
This moment could be nothing more than a figment of our imagination


We come and we go
People are here one moment and gone the next


Like the ripples, like the ripples in the stream
Like the waves that emerge and recede in a stream


So baby, love me, love me tonight
Love me right now, in this very moment


Tomorrow was made for some
Tomorrow is promised to some individuals


But tomorrow may never, never come
Tomorrow may not happen


Yes, tomorrow may never, never come
Indeed, tomorrow is not promised to anyone




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: J. COOTS, SAM M. LEWIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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