Someone I Used To Know
Patty Loveless Lyrics


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There's a picture that I carry
One we made sometime ago
When they ask who's in the picture with me
I say, just someone I used to know

Just someone I used to spend some time with
Just a flame that's lost its glow
I don't tell them, how many nights I cry without you
I say, just someone I used to know

Just someone I used to run around with
Just a friend from long ago
But, I don't tell them, how lost I am without you




I say, just someone I used to know
I say, just someone I used to know

Overall Meaning

In Patty Loveless's song "Someone I Used to Know," the lyrics describe the pain of losing someone special and trying to move on. The opening line, "There's a picture that I carry," immediately evokes feelings of nostalgia and longing, suggesting that the singer is clinging to memories of a past relationship, even though it has ended.


The following lines, "One we made sometime ago / When they ask who's in the picture with me / I say, just someone I used to know," hint at a sense of resignation and distance from the memories. The singer no longer identifies with the person in the picture, instead referring to them as "just someone I used to know."


The chorus repeats this sentiment, emphasizing the idea that the relationship has faded into the past and that the singer is trying to move on: "Just someone I used to spend some time with / Just a flame that's lost its glow / I don't tell them, how many nights I cry without you / I say, just someone I used to know." The final line of the chorus, "I say, just someone I used to know," brings the song full circle, suggesting that the memories of the past will always be with the singer, but that they are ready to let go and move on.


Line by Line Meaning

There's a picture that I carry
I have a photo that reminds me of the past


One we made sometime ago
We took it together in a long gone moment


When they ask who's in the picture with me
People wonder who is in the photo with me


I say, just someone I used to know
I pretend not to remember and dismiss its relevance


Just someone I used to spend some time with
Just a person I used to share some moments with


Just a flame that's lost its glow
Just a passing love that is no more


I don't tell them, how many nights I cry without you
I refuse to admit how much I miss you


I say, just someone I used to know
I keep it simple and avoid sharing the depth of my feelings


Just someone I used to run around with
A friend I used to hang out with


Just a friend from long ago
Just someone I knew once, many years back


But, I don't tell them, how lost I am without you
But I don't say how much I need you in my life now


I say, just someone I used to know
I play it cool and deny any attachment


I say, just someone I used to know
I repeat it one last time to solidify my self-denial




Lyrics © GLAD MUSIC CO.
Written by: Jack Clement

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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