Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Yusuf [Cat Stevens] Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

People, do you understand me now,
If sometimes I feel a little mad
Don't you know no one alive can
Always be an angel
When things go wrong I seem a little sad
But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
You know sometimes, I'm so carefree
With a joy that's hard to hide
Sometimes seems that all I have is worry
And then you're bound to see my other side
But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

If I seem edgy, I want you to know
That I never mean to take it out on you
Life has its problems and I get more
Than my share
But that's one thing I never mean to do
I don't mean it

People, don't you know I'm only human
Don't you know I have faults like any one
But sometimes I find myself alone regretting
Some little thing; some foolish thing
That I have done,
But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
Don't let me be misunderstood
I'm just someone whose intentions are good




Don't let me be misunderstood,
Don't let me be misunderstood

Overall Meaning

Yusuf [Cat Stevens]'s song Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood is a plea to be understood, to be accepted for who he is rather than being judged for his behavior. The opening lines of the song suggest that he feels that people do not always understand him, that they do not see the turmoil and pain that he experiences when things go wrong. He acknowledges that he is not perfect and that, at times, he can be difficult to deal with. He reminds us, however, that he has good intentions, that he is just trying to do the right thing, even if it does not always work out. The chorus, "Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood," speaks to his hope that people will try to understand him, that they will recognize his good intentions and forgive his mistakes.


Throughout the song, Yusuf [Cat Stevens] acknowledges his flaws and challenges, but he never loses sight of his goal: to be understood and accepted. He recognizes that life is full of challenges and that sometimes he feels overwhelmed by them. But he also acknowledges that he is not alone in his struggles and that he needs the support of those around him. His message is simple but powerful: we are all human, we all have faults, but we all deserve to be understood, to be loved, and to be forgiven.


Overall, Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood is a powerful, emotional song that speaks to the universal need for understanding and acceptance. Yusuf [Cat Stevens]'s lyrics are raw and honest, and the melody is hauntingly beautiful. It is a song that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt misunderstood or judged, and it reminds us that we all deserve to be loved for who we are, flaws and all.


Line by Line Meaning

People, do you understand me now,
I hope I'm making sense to you all right now,


If sometimes I feel a little mad
If I get a little upset now and then,


Don't you know no one alive can Always be an angel
You know that nobody's perfect, right?


When things go wrong I seem a little sad
Sometimes when things don't go my way, I get a little down,


But I'm just a soul whose intentions are good Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
I may not always get it right, but I mean well and I hope you can see that


You know sometimes, I'm so carefree With a joy that's hard to hide
Sometimes I'm really happy and it shows!


Sometimes seems that all I have is worry And then you're bound to see my other side
But other times, I'm very anxious and that comes out instead


If I seem edgy, I want you to know That I never mean to take it out on you
If I seem nervous or on edge, I promise I'm not trying to be mean to you


Life has its problems and I get more Than my share But that's one thing I never mean to do
I have a lot of problems in my life and sometimes it feels like too much, but I never want to let it affect our relationship


People, don't you know I'm only human Don't you know I have faults like any one
I'm not perfect and I make mistakes, just like everyone else


But sometimes I find myself alone regretting Some little thing; some foolish thing That I have done,
Sometimes I think about small mistakes I've made and feel really bad about them


Don't let me be misunderstood
Please don't get the wrong idea about me


I'm just someone whose intentions are good
I really do want to do the right thing


Don't let me be misunderstood,
I hope you understand me and don't judge me too harshly




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bennie Benjamin, Gloria Caldwell, Sol Marcus

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
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@drrafick

People, do you understand me now
Sometimes I feel a little mad
Well, don't you know that no-one alive
Can always be an angel
When things go wrong I seem to be bad
I'm just a soul who's intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
If I seem edgy, I want you to know
That I never meant to take it out on you
Life has it's problems and I've got my share
And that's one thing I never meant to do
'Cause I love you
Baby, don't you know I'm just human
And I've thoughts like any other man
And sometimes I find myself alone and regretting
Some foolish thing, some foolish thing I've done
But I'm just a soul who's intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
If I seem edgy, I want you to know
That I never meant to take it out on you
Life has it's problems and I've got my share
And that's one thing I never meant to do
'Cause I love you
Baby, don't you know I'm just human
And I've thoughts like any other man
But sometimes I find myself alone regretting
Some foolish thing, some foolish thing I've done
But I'm just a soul who's intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
'Cause I'm just a soul who's intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood
Oh Lord, don't let me be misunderstood
Don't let me be, don't let me be misunderstood
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no



All comments from YouTube:

@UnclePutin

The magic of cat Stevens is how the emotion comes through in his voice. It's so expressive.

@emadalzahid4626

This is one of my favorite performances of all time, I swear. The ending kills me.

@Dewdrop00

Outstanding

@maggieandbrophy1327

Our mom has been a fan of yours since the 70’s. She saw you in concert at MSG in New York - Majikat Tour I believe in 1976!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

@mandyjohnson1109

Every time I hear this my heart beats just that much faster,, He is the master troubadour of all time.

@JNogueira74

Wonderful version. Age doesn't seem to affect the amazing voice and incredible strength... Your songs have helped me many times on my life. Can't wait for finally see you live next July in Portugal, hope you play this one!!!

@hilalyesil141

Yusuf İslam the beauty of your heart is reflected in your face. This is really. Allah keep you on the right path and l wish all humanity to find the truth greetings from Turkey👏🌹and really nice song.

@brianbezett7976

NOW ..WE R OLD ...WE Live

@aliuzel4211

You are a precious gift to the world. Thanks god.

@iromorii

Bu adamın her yönden büyük bir hayranıyım muhteşem bir insan

More Comments

More Versions