Unknown
for.language Lyrics

I don't know you
The singer did not personally know the person they are addressing.

I never met you
The singer did not have the opportunity to meet the person they are addressing during their lifetime.

For laughs I'll call you Sam
As a way to give a name to the person they are addressing, the singer chooses to use a hypothetical name 'Sam.'

You were the son
The person they are addressing was someone's child.

Of Mrs. Someone
The mother of the person they are addressing is not known.

I hope she understands
The singer hopes that the mother of the person they are addressing can find comfort in knowing that people still think of her son and mourn his loss.

Sam you were all that you had
The person they are addressing didn't have much in life, but they made the most of it.

Are you happy or sad
The artist wonders if the person they are addressing was content with their life or if they were unhappy.

I never knew you
The artist did not personally know the person they are addressing.

But I'm told you're the best we had
Even though the artist did not know the person they are addressing, they heard many good things about them from others in the community.

Were you so tall?
The singer is unsure about the physical appearance of the person they are addressing.

Did you play basketball?
The artist is inquiring about the hobbies and interests of the person they are addressing.

Was there a sweetheart at home?
The singer is curious if the person they are addressing had a significant other or someone special in their life.

Did you write her letters?
The singer wants to know if the person they are addressing wrote letters to someone special in their life.

Did it make you better face the great unknown?
The singer wonders if writing letters helped the person they are addressing cope with the uncertainty and unpredictability of life.

Sam did you feel alone?
The artist is asking if the person they are addressing often felt lonely or isolated from others.

You were so far from home
The person they are addressing was not close to their place of birth or where their family lived.

But I know you're the best man I know
Even though the singer did not personally know the person they are addressing, they believe that they were one of the most respectable and admirable people they've ever heard of.

Could you tell it was time
The singer is curious if the person they are addressing had an idea that their life was coming to an end.

See it coming in the back of your mind?
The artist is asking if the person they are addressing had a sense of their own mortality before they passed away.

When it was over, was it over?
The artist wants to know if the person they are addressing died peacefully without any unfinished business or unresolved issues.

Sam I'm glad you're on my side
The artist feels grateful to have someone like the person they are addressing on their side, even though they are no longer alive.

Can I call you Sam
As a way to give a name to the person they are addressing, the singer chooses to use a hypothetical name 'Sam.'

Did you have a son
The artist is curious if the person they are addressing had any children of their own.

A daughter with a little one
The singer is asking if the person they are addressing had a daughter who is now a mother with a child of her own.

I might go and thank?
The singer is considering the possibility of thanking the family of the person they are addressing for raising such an outstanding individual.

Sam you're the best that we have
The singer considers the person they are addressing to be the best person the community has ever had, even though they are no longer alive.

You make me happy and sad
Thinking about the person they are addressing fills the artist with both positive and negative emotions.

If you were here, I'd buy the beers
If the person they are addressing was still alive, the artist would treat them to a nice cold beer.

I'd shake your hand and say, "Good man"
The singer would show their respect and admiration for the person they are addressing if they were given the chance to meet them in person.

And though the sun would shine about the same
In the grand scheme of things, life goes on even though the person they are addressing is no longer alive.

It's a better world because you came
The artist believes that the world is a better place because someone like the person they are addressing was once a part of it.

Sincerely yours, my kids will know your name
The artist promises to make sure that the legacy of the person they are addressing lives on by telling their story to future generations.