You Don't Know
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 song “You Don't Know Me” by Ray Charles featuring Diana Krall expresses the feeling of unrequited love of a person who desires someone but is left unrecognized. The first verse illustrates the moment when the person’s crush greets them, and the character's heart feels overwhelmed, so much so that they can hardly speak. The character acknowledges that everyone around them can sense their infatuation with the person they desire, but they still believe that the person does not get how intensely they feel.
In the second verse, the character confesses their true intentions and thoughts to the person they long for. They dream of the person at night, and they daydream of kissing and holding them tight. The character's romantic feelings towards the person are fervent, but they are not courageous enough to express their love directly, so they remain only a friend.
In the bridge of the song, the character admits their shortcomings and missed chances with the object of their affection. They have never known how to make love or how to express their feelings, and they have let their opportunities for love pass by. The song ends with the character lamenting how the person they love will never understand how much they adore them.
Overall, “You Don't Know Me” is a poignant and melancholic song that portrays the agony of unrequited love, the refusal to take risks, and the lost opportunities for meaningful relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
You give your hand to me
You extend your hand, as a form of greeting, towards me
And then you say hello
You utter a word, signaling a greeting towards me
And I can hardly speak
The presence of you leaves me speechless
My heart is beating so
My heart rate has increased due to the emotions that you evoke within me
And anyone can tell
It is apparent to anyone who observes us
You think you know me well
You believe you have knowledge about my personality or character
But you don't know me
However, your belief is incorrect, as you lack the necessary understanding of me
No you don't know the one
You lack awareness of the individual
Who dreams of you at night
The individual who fantasizes about being with you, during the hours of the night
And longs to kiss your lips
The one who desires to touch their lips against yours
Longs to hold you tight
The individual who craves to embrace you tightly
Oh I am just a friend
I am only an acquaintance
That's all I've ever been
Throughout our interactions, my role has always been limited to friendship
Cause you don't know me
The reason for this is that you lack adequate knowledge of my true feelings
I never knew the art of making love
I possess no skills or experience regarding sexual relations
No my heart aches with love for you
I am experiencing intense pain due to my affection towards you
Afraid and shy I let my chance go by
Due to fear and timidity, I missed the opportunity to express my emotions to you
The chance that you might love me too
The possibility that you reciprocate the love I feel for you
And then you say goodbye
You bid farewell towards me
I watch you walk away beside the lucky guy
I observe you departing, accompanied by another fortunate gentleman
Oh you will never know
You will never realize
The one who loves you so
The person who cherishes your presence greatly
Well you don't know me
Your lack of knowledge regarding my feelings towards you is still evident
Oh no you don't know me
Once again, your understanding of me is incomplete
Oh you don't know me
Your knowledge of me is far from extensive
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cindy Walker, Eddy Arnold
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind