Don't Know Why

No doubt. She missed her chance to go with him.

Something has to make you run...

I swear, this is one of those songs that hit a nerve, like I was really there. What have I done? Why didn't I go? I want to go! What am I doing here? Oh, what have I done!

Seriously, she really tells the story...

(Actually I just came to this site because another site had it "Something has to make you ~wrong~." I knew that was ~.)

I think Norah's singing about a lost chance with a lover. I'm thinking that she let a man that's come into her live leave because of trepidation and now, she is slowly regretting that she didn't "come" with to him to a lover's paradise.

Of all the crap that has come out recently, nothing has triggered my interest so I listen to the older non-aggressive, sometimes male hating, overtly female, non-mainstrem music. I had read and article on new artists one of the artists was Norah Jones but dismissed them and a crop of new and uneventful crap. One night, I was idly watching network television, as I often do on lonely and boring week nights and I heard this song, a beautiful song. I literally hopped up out of my seat and screamed "i have to get this cd." It was this song about someone missing out on their chance with their soul mate. I have since bought the Cd and I now have my whole family listening to her. Hell, if you like her you might want to check out Diana Krall. Jazz is a truly lovely genre of music. I sound like such a nerd, but I likes good music.

Like Nightingale, I believe the song is about loss of love. When I analyze the lyrics, I find I think the song has to do with a lover who is permanently to another country, far across the sea. She says she "didn't know why she didn't come" to say goodbye to him and see him off. Why would she wait until the dawn? Perhaps because she then knew dawn was about the time her lover's flight left and at that point she knows he'll forever be off on a different path that will not return to her. She says if she was on the other side of the ocean, with him, she could be happy, but instead she predicts a destiny of being old and alone.

I think the lyric of "I left you at the house of fun" means that her lover was having a going away party and at some point she couldn't take it and had to leave.

And I think most of the lyrics is the story told after the long night at the beach. When she's still thinking of him and drinking in her misery.

I'm not quite sure of the lyric "Something has to make you run" I think perhaps it could me that she didn't know what made her leave the party so abruptly, but it also could mean that she is aware that something is making her lover want to leave where he is for somewhere new.

I like the analogy that she is an empty drum, with some sort of beating of her heart to keep her alive, but essentially, she's empty inside.

All in all, these poignant lyrics in contrast with such a sweetly composed song instead of mopey dramatacism make for a very touching and beautiful song.

First of all, I'm a sex therapist; that's likely colouring my view here.

To me, it's got a double meaning. On the one hand, she's allowed her fear, insecurity, possibly even self-loathing to walk away from a relationship with a man she truly and deeply loved.

On the other, she may be anorgasmic: meaning, unable to experience orgasm - either in sexual intercourse, or period. It often results from trauma of some kind; can certainly make one fearful and insecure. Usually difficulties with intimacy, commitment, and fears of abandonment and betrayal.

Women affected with the condition have low self esteem, tend to have broken relationships, and feel 'apart' from the rest of sex-loving society. It's perplexing, too.

Most of the time they flat out find themselves chanting Norah's refrain, as their lover stares bewildered: 'I don't know why I didn't come.'

It's possible. If unlikely.

She could've gone with 'I don't know why I didn't show.'

Makes you think. Either way, beautiful, poignant song. DOES seem to carry an echo of such a woman's lament, though. It really does.

Norah Jones struggles with a man who is not able to bring her to orgasm.

"I waited til I saw the sun, don't know why I didn't come" -- she performs sex with a man all night long and he is still not able to get her to climax.

"I left you by the house of fun, don't know why I didn't come" -- this line implies the man was performing cunnilingus and was still not able to help her.

"When I saw the break of day, I wished that I could fly away" -- she waited all this time she wishes she could fly away into an orgasm.

"My heart is drenched in wine, you'll be on my mind forever." -- Norah Jones feels very sad/let down about the man she thought was the one, not being able to help her achieve climax. She is so sad that she has to drink enough to forget this horrible experience or it may haunt her forever.

I'll let you figure out the rest.

I don't know about you, but this has to be my favorite from Norah Jones. It has a very sullen tone to it. I feel very low listening to "Don't Know Why." It's great that Norah's songs can drown you with intense emotions. I think this is a song about a lost of a lover due to some situation that is making her choose. She wants him/her, but she feels like the feeling has to be mutual. That's my two cents.

i see it as a -- either a lovers fight, or a split decision. and she was told "if you forgive me" or "if you choose me" then "come meet me". but she decided not to. and now regrets it.

Nora describes a beautiful love she's found. She is drunk with love and wants to fly away. But some repressed emotion has come up. She cries, she can't stop thinking about him. She'll never forget, but she can't understand why she can't commit.

all i know is that someone sent me this song. that made me realize how i feel about him. great song to listen to when you're in love. helps you make up your mind. thank you norah!