You Don’t Know Me
Ray Charles & Diana Krall Lyrics
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And then you say hello
And I can hardly speak
My heart is beating so
And anyone can tell
You think you know me well
But you don't know me
Who dreams of you at night
And longs to kiss your lips
Longs to hold you tight
Oh I am just a friend
That's all I've ever been
Cause you don't know me
I never knew the art of making love
No 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
Oh you will never know
The one who loves you so
Well you don't know me
You give your hand to me
And then you say goodbye
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
Oh you will never know
The one who loves you so
'Cause you don't know me
Oh no you don't know me
Oh you don't know me
The lyrics to Ray Charles' song "You Don't Know Me" featuring Diana Krall express a heartfelt lament from an unrequited lover. The song's verses describe the ritual of greeting, but the singer's emotion causes his heart to skip a beat, making it difficult for him to speak. While the singer’s beloved thinks that they know him well, he reveals that she doesn't really know the depths of the singer’s emotions. They are unaware of the infatuation that he feels, the one who dreams of her at night, and longs to kiss her lips and hold her tightly. The chorus iterates that despite her being a friend, she doesn't truly know him.
The lyrics’ second verse highlights the fact that the singer has always been just a friend to his beloved, and he laments that he never learned the art of making love, so he’s unable to declare his love to her. He says that his heart aches with love for her, and he's afraid and shy, and that's why he let the chance go by. The final chorus repeats the earlier lines, underscoring the deeper message that she doesn't know the person he is or the love he has to offer.
Line by Line Meaning
You give your hand to me
You greet me with a handshake
And then you say hello
You greet me with a hello
And I can hardly speak
I am filled with so much emotion that I struggle to form words
My heart is beating so
My heart is beating rapidly with excitement
And anyone can tell
It is obvious to others
You think you know me well
You believe you understand me deeply
But you don't know me
But you actually do not know the inner workings of my heart
No you don't know the one
You are not knowledgeable about the person
Who dreams of you at night
The one who dreams of being with you in their sleep
And longs to kiss your lips
The one who yearns to lock lips with you
Longs to hold you tight
The one who desires to embrace and hold you close
Oh I am just a friend
I am only a platonic companion
That's all I've ever been
I have never been more than a friend
Cause you don't know me
Because you do not truly know who I am
I never knew the art of making love
I am inexperienced in the ways of physical intimacy
No my heart aches with love for you
However, my heart is filled with deep love and affection for you
Afraid and shy I let my chance go by
I was too timid and scared to take a risk and missed out on an opportunity
The chance that you might love me too
The opportunity for you to reciprocate my love
And then you say goodbye
You bid me farewell
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
I observe you leaving with a fortunate gentleman
Oh you will never know
You will never realize
The one who loves you so
The person who loves you deeply and passionately
Well you don't know me
But in reality, you don't actually know who I truly am
Oh no you don't know me
You do not truly comprehend who I am
Oh you don't know me
Truly, you do not know me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cindy Walker, Eddy Arnold
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@barryshannahan5988
Don’t we all have someone, somewhere in our lives that this applies to?
@navarroadams
I'm so falling for this track ❤❤❤❤❤❤
@judylmb8254
There is just no one on the planet that sounds like this great entertainer. Ray Charles, one of the greats that we will never forget.
@chipgaasche4933
Brook Benton is close.
@pldilliner9490
Yes for sure. Ray Charles will always be one of our greatest musicians, naturally talented & enjoyed making people happy; a beautiful person and a blessing to all of us who were honored by his music. 🌺🤗Leilani
@m1patriot327
2023 and it STILL TAKES MY BREATH AWAY! RIP Mr. Charles. Job well done! 🙏
@dmitrystetsenko7688
Diana justified Ray's honoured invitation and showed her best vocal abilities. And Ray is Ray, so this duet's song immediately became classic forever. Just wonderful 🥰 Love Diana 💖. RIP Ray.
@richardhartford609
I remember when Diana started out thinking she didn't have an adequate voice. Well this rendition demolished any such doubt.
@beverlyharris9859
❤😊 SENSATIONAL BEAUTIFUL HEAVENLY AMAZING AWESOME WONDERFUL PHENOMENAL EXTRAORDINARY!!!!!!
@anittawhite1461
Just so lovely two beautiful voices❤❤