American jazz singer, songwrit… Read Full Bio ↴Born July 11, 1983, in New York City.
American jazz singer, songwriter, pianist. Now signed to Warner Records and working with mega-producer, David Foster, Peter's third CD, the newly titled East of Angel Town, was released in late 2007. This will mark yet another departure as it will be his first release of all original material, all of the songs written or co-written by him and featuring another diverse mix of styles. This album hits more of a rock/pop arena, ranging from ballads to blues to funk to pop, yet always underscored by his amazing talent and piano skills.
You Don't Know Me
Peter Cincotti Lyrics
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I can hardly speak; my heart is beating so.
And anyone can tell you think you know me well,
Well 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,
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 goodbye;
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy.
And you will never know the one who loves you so,
Well, you don't know me.
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 you might love me, too.
You give your hand to me and then you say goodbye;
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy.
And you'll never ever know the one who loves you so,
Well, you don't know me.
Peter Cincotti's "You Don't Know Me" is a poignant song about unrequited love. The singer listens to a person they long to be with greeting them with enthusiasm, but the singer's heart races so intensely that they cannot find words to respond. The singer feels invisible as the person they adore has no idea of their romantic feelings, and believes they are just friends. The singer describes the longing and passion they feel for this person, imagining what it would be like to hold their cherished one close or be permitted a kiss. Yet, the person they love walks away, unaware of the depth of their love. It is clear from the melancholy lyrics that the singer is regretful, having missed their opportunity to express their true feelings, allowing fear and shyness to guide them.
The almost plaintive refrain of the song, "Well, you don't know me," is the song's most memorable line. It emphasizes the singer's frustration and pain, as they realize that the person they admire is entirely unaware of how the singer feels. Cincotti enhances the poignancy of the song by using understated, simple instrumentals, mainly piano, string quartets, and acoustic guitar. Listeners who pay attention to the lyrics and the quality of the musicianship may feel as though they are in the room with the singer as they voice their secret love story.
Line by Line Meaning
You give your hand to me and then you say, "Hello,"
You greet me in a friendly manner by offering your hand and saying hello.
I can hardly speak; my heart is beating so.
I'm so nervous that my heart is beating too fast, and I'm struggling to speak.
And anyone can tell you think you know me well,
People may think that you have a good understanding of who I am.
Well you don't know me
But in reality, you don't really know me at all.
No, you don't know the one who dreams of you at night,
You don't know that I'm the one who dreams about you every night.
And longs to kiss your lips and longs to hold you tight.
I want to kiss you and hold you in my arms so much.
To you I'm just a friend; that's all I've ever been,
But to you, I'm just a friend, even though I've always wanted more.
Well, you don't know me.
The truth is, you don't know my true feelings or desires.
I never knew the art of making love
I've never been skilled in the art of making love.
Though my heart aches with love for you.
Despite my lack of skill, my heart still aches with love for you.
Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by,
I was too scared and timid to take the chance to reveal my true feelings to you.
The chance that you might love me, too.
I missed the opportunity for you to possibly reciprocate my feelings.
You give your hand to me and then you say goodbye;
You end our interactions by saying goodbye and walking away.
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy.
I painfully watch you walk away with some other guy who you feel lucky to be with.
And you will never know the one who loves you so,
You'll never know how much I truly love you.
Well, you don't know me.
Because you don't truly know me, you'll never know what you're missing out on.
And you'll never ever know the one who loves you so,
Even though my love for you remains, you'll still never know about it.
Well, you don't know me.
Again, it all boils down to the fact that you just don't know me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CINDY WALKER, EDDY ARNOLD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind