An R&B quartet comprised of the four Dalyrimple brothers -- Brian, Chris, D… Read Full Bio ↴An R&B quartet comprised of the four Dalyrimple brothers -- Brian, Chris, Dre, and Jason -- Soul for Real [+] formed in 1992, though the siblings had spent many hours singing in their church choir. Signed to Uptown Records, Soul for Real [+] debuted in early 1995 with Candy Rain [+]; by the end of the year, the album had gone platinum and reached number 23 on the album charts. After touring both America and overseas, the group worked with producers Heavy D. and Sean "Puffy" Combs to record For Life [+]. 1999 saw the release of a third album, Heat.

If You Only Knew
Soul For Real Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I must have rehearsed my lines a thousand times
Until I had them memorized.
But when I get up the nerve to tell you the words
It never seems to come out right

[Chorus]
(Ooooh) if only you knew how much I do
I do love you

If only you knew how much I do
I do love you

I dream of romance we shared
But your not there
I'm living in a fantasy
No you don't even suspect
You probably care less
About the changes I've been goin through

[Chorus]

Ooooh you don't even suspect
You probably care less
About the changes I've been goin through

If only you knew (ohh), how much I do
I do love you
(Lady I do, lady I do, I do, I love you baby)
If only you knew, (if own) how much I do

I do love you (cause I love you babe)
If only you knew
(I must have rehearsed my lines baby about a thousand times)
How much I do
I do love you

Tell me what you want to do, cause I'm in love with you
Baby, baby, yeah
Tell me what you want to do, cause I'm in love with you

I been really in love
Girl, there's nothing more precious than being in love
I been really in love
I can't sleep, tossing and turning

Girl you're all I'm thinking of
I been really in love
Baby, baby, baby, baby yeah
I been really in love
Girl if only you knew, how much I really love you

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Soul For Real's song "If Only You Knew" are about a person who is deeply in love with someone else but is having trouble expressing their feelings. The first verse describes how the person has rehearsed what they want to say many times but is still struggling to find the right words when the moment arrives. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the depth of the person's love for the other, which they feel is not fully appreciated. The second verse creates a contrast between the person's romantic dreams of being with the other and the reality of their situation, where they feel ignored and unnoticed. The song concludes with a plea for the other person to reciprocate their feelings and acknowledge the love that has been there all along.

The lyrics are poignant and relatable to anyone who has struggled to express their emotions to someone they care about. The repetition in the chorus emphasizes the intensity of the person's love and creates a sense of longing for it to be recognized. The contrast between the person's dreams and reality creates a feeling of hopelessness, which is alleviated by the final plea for the other person to respond. The song captures the complex emotions of unrequited love and the power that it can have over someone.

Line by Line Meaning

I must have rehearsed my lines a thousand times
I have prepared what to say numerous times so that I don't forget it.

Until I had them memorized.
I have practiced it until I memorized it.

But when I get up the nerve to tell you the words
However, it's difficult for me to tell you the words even though I gathered the courage to do so.

It never seems to come out right
It doesn't come out the way I planned.

(Ooooh) if only you knew how much I do
If you only knew how intense and genuine my love for you is.

I dream of romance we shared
I'm dreaming of the times when we used to be romantic.

But your not there
Unfortunately, you are not present in my dreams.

I'm living in a fantasy
My dreams are like an idealized portrayal of reality that doesn't necessarily reflect the truth.

No you don't even suspect
You haven't even noticed or guessed what I'm feeling.

You probably care less
You might not be interested and probably don't care about me or my feelings.

About the changes I've been goin through
You're probably unaware of the emotional journey that I have undergone.

Ooooh you don't even suspect
I am sure that you have no idea how much love I have for you.

If only you knew (ohh), how much I do
If you only had a clear idea of how intense and genuine my love is.

I do love you
My love for you is real and true.

(Lady I do, lady I do, I do, I love you baby)
Yes, lady, I love you very much and my affection for you is unwavering.

If only you knew, (if own) how much I do
I wish you could grasp how much I love you.

I do love you (cause I love you babe)
I am not afraid to express how much I love you because my feelings are genuine.

(I must have rehearsed my lines baby about a thousand times)
I have prepared what to say a lot of times because I want it to be perfect.

Tell me what you want to do, cause I'm in love with you
Please tell me what you think and feel because I am in love with you.

Baby, baby, yeah
My feelings are so intense and heartfelt that I had to call you babe many times.

I been really in love
My love for you is real, genuine and intense.

Girl, there's nothing more precious than being in love
Being in love is the best experience in life, and I am very grateful for it.

I can't sleep, tossing and turning
My mind is clouded with thoughts of you, and I can't even sleep.

Girl you're all I'm thinking of
Every thought in my mind is about you.

Girl if only you knew, how much I really love you
Me expressing my love for you is just a tip of the iceberg; there's so much more to how much I really love you.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kenny Gamble, Cynthia De Mari Biggs, Dexter Wansel

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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