Jealous Guy
Youssou N'Dour Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was dreaming of the past
And my heart was beating fast
I began to lose control
I began to lose control

I didn't mean to hurt you
I'm sorry that I mad you cry
I didn't want to hurt you
I'm just a jealous guy

I was feeling insecure
You night not love me any more

I was shivering inside
I was shivering inside

I was trying to catch your eyes
Thought that you were trying to hide




I was swallowing my pain
I was swallowing my pain

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Youssou N'Dour's Jealous Guy conveys the turmoil and inner conflict of a jealous lover. The song opens with the singer dreaming of the past, which makes their heart beat faster, and they begin to lose control. The dream seems to be a trigger for the singer's feelings of jealousy towards their partner, as they begin to feel insecure about the status of their relationship. The lyrics suggest a fear that their partner may not love them anymore, which makes the singer shiver with insecurity. They try to catch their partner's eyes, believing that their partner could be hiding something from them. The lyrics reveal that the singer is in pain, but they are swallowing it, trying to keep it in and not lash out. The singer acknowledges that they didn't mean to hurt their partner and expresses regret for making them cry. However, the singer's jealousy stems not from something their partner has done but from their own fear and insecurity.


The song's lyrics convey a feeling of vulnerability and emotional turmoil. Jealousy is a powerful emotion that can evoke intense feelings of insecurity, fear, and pain. This song seems to capture the intensity of such emotions and expresses them through the singer's journey of grappling with their jealousy. The song was originally written and performed by John Lennon, with Youssou N'Dour's 1988 cover taking on a different cultural flavor, adding African instruments and influences to the original composition.


Line by Line Meaning

I was dreaming of the past
Thinking about past experiences


And my heart was beating fast
Feeling anxious or nervous about the past


I began to lose control
Starting to feel overwhelmed


I didn't mean to hurt you
I had no intention of causing you pain


I'm sorry that I made you cry
I apologize for making you sad


I didn't want to hurt you
I never wished harm upon you


I'm just a jealous guy
I have feelings of envy or mistrust


I was feeling insecure
I lacked self-confidence and doubted myself


You might not love me anymore
I thought you were falling out of love with me


I was shivering inside
I was trembling with fear or anxiety


I was trying to catch your eyes
I was attempting to make eye contact with you


Thought that you were trying to hide
I believed that you were concealing something from me


I was swallowing my pain
I was suppressing my emotions




Lyrics © BUDDE MUSIC FRANCE, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

Ali Lebeko


on Birima

Always soulful and heartthrobing performance