If I Had Only Known
Reba McEntire Lyrics

If I had only known
If I had any prior knowledge of the momentousness of the event that was about to take place.

It was the last walk in the rain
The final occasion on which we would take a stroll together in the rain.

I'd keep you out for hours in the storm
I wouldn't be in a hurry to get back indoors and I would rather spend an extended period of time with you in the midst of the bad weather.

I would hold your hand
I wouldn't let go of your hand as it signifies the very essence of our love and affection towards each other.

Like a life line to my heart
As a symbol of my deep-rooted and unshaken love for you.

Underneath the thunder we'd be warm
The warmth of our love is impervious to any form of external adversity, even a thunderstorm.

I'd never hear your voice again
I would permanently lose the ability to hear the sound of your voice speaking to me.

I'd memorize each thing you ever said
I would make sure to commit to memory every single word that you spoke to me during the time that we spent together.

And on those lonely nights
During the times where I feel the most isolated and alone.

I could think of them once more
I would retrieve these memorised words from my mind, so that I could hear your voice again, even if only in my thoughts.

Keep your words alive inside my head
To maintain and sustain the memory of your voice within me, to keep it always present in my mind no matter the situation.

You were the treasure in my hand
A valuable and precious asset in my life that I held so dear.

You were the one who always stood beside me
You were there for me through thick and thin, bringing me immense comfort and assurance.

So unaware I foolishly believed
Blissfully ignorant about the possibility of something that could negatively affect our relationship.

That you would always be there
A sense of assumption that everything would remain the same, that our lives together would continue on without interruption or impediment.

But then there came a day
At some point in time, an event or moment occurred that drastically changed our lives forever.

And I turned my head and you slipped away
You left me in a sudden and unexpected manner that caught me off-guard; I wasn't able to say goodbye or express the magnitude of my love for you one last time.

It was my last night by your side
The final night in which we would ever be in close proximity to each other.

I'd pray a miracle would stop the dawn
I would hope and desire that there would not be a new day, so that I could stay by your side forever, and not lose you to death or distance.

And when you'd smile at me
The facial expression that would bring me indescribable joy and happiness.

I would look into your eyes
The pair of eyes in which I could see my own reflection, a sense of safety, comfort and the sheer depth of your love.

And make sure you know my love
To ensure that you were aware of the full extent of my affection and adoration for you, in ways that I may not have been able to fully express before.

For you goes on and on
That my love for you will never cease, and it will continue to exist, even beyond the limits of time itself.

The love I would've shown
The immense amount of love that I would've had towards you, had I known that our time together was limited