Ray Charles – You Don’t Know Me

“You Don’t Know Me” is a song written by Cindy Walker based on a title and storyline given to her by Eddy Arnold in 1955. “You Don’t Know Me” was first recorded by Arnold that year and released as a single on April 21, 1956 on RCA Victor. The best-selling version of the song is by Ray Charles, who took it to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1962, after releasing the song on his #1 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. The first version of the song to make the Billboard charts was by Jerry Vale in 1956, peaking at #14 on the pop chart. Arnold’s version charted two months later, released as an RCA Victor single, 47-6502, backed with “The Rockin’ Mockin’ Bird”, which reached #10 on the Billboard country chart. Cash Box magazine, which combined all best-selling versions at one position, included a version by Carmen McRae that never appeared in the Billboard Top 100 Sides listing.

The best-selling version of the song is by Ray Charles, who took it to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1962, after releasing the song on his #1 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. It was kept from the #1 spot by Sheila by Tommy Roe. This version also topped the “Easy listening” chart for three weeks in 1962, and was used in the 1993 comedy film Groundhog Day. The song was the 12th number one country hit for Mickey Gilley in 1981.

WIKIPEDIA

Ray Charles – You Don’t Know Me lyrics

[Verse 1]
You give your hand to me
And then you say, “Hello”
And I can hardly speak
My heart is beating so
And anyone can tell
You think you know me well
Well, you don’t know me no
No you don’t know the one
Who dreams of you each night
And longs to kiss your lips
And longs to hold you tight
To you I’m just a friend
That’s all I’ve ever been
No you don’t know me

[Chorus 1]
I never knew the art of making love
Though my heart aches with love for you, yeah
Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by
A chance that you might love me too

[Chorus 2]
You give your hand to me
And then you say, “Goodbye”
And I watched you walk away
Beside the lucky guy
No you’ll never ever know
The one who loved you so
No you don’t know me
[Chorus 1]
I never knew the art of making love
Though my heart aches with love for you, yeah
Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by
A chance that you might love me too

[Chorus 2]
You give your hand to me
And then you say, “Goodbye”
And I watched you walk away
Beside the lucky guy
No you’ll never ever know
The one who loved you so
No you don’t know me

[Outro]
I say you never ever know
The one who loved you so
No you don’t know me
No you don’t love me