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I Don't Even Know Myself Lyrics
There's nothing in the way I walk that could tell you where I'm going,
There's nothing in the words I speak that can betray anything I'm knowing,
Don't think about the way I dress, you can fit me on a labelled shelf,
Don't pretend that you know me 'cause I don't even know myself,
Oh I don't know myself.
I don't mind if you try once in a while,
I don't mind if I cry once in a while,
The doors aren't shut as tight as they might seem,
I'm just trying to fight my way out of this dream.
Don't listen to the words I say, weighing up if I'm enlightened,
Don't shiver as you pass me by, 'cause mister I'm the one who's frightened,
The police just came and left, they wanted me and no one else,
Don't pretend that you know me 'cause I don't even know myself,
I said I don't know myself.
I don't mind if you try once in a while,
I don't mind if I cry once in a while,
The doors aren't shut as tight as they might seem,
I'm just trying to fight my way out of this dream.
Do you remember me, I don't remember you,
Do you still love me, you know I think you do,
I have been gone, and some prison warder knows my scream,
I'm just trying to fight my way out of this dream.
There's only five who know my real name,
And my mother don't believe they know it,
What she called me is the way I'm staying,
And no one'll ever know it,
Come on all of you big boys, come on all of you elves,
Don't pretend that you know me 'cause I don't even know myself,
I said I don't know myself.
I don't mind if you try once in a while,
And I don't mind if I cry once in a while.
There's nothing in the words I speak that can betray anything I'm knowing,
Don't think about the way I dress, you can fit me on a labelled shelf,
Don't pretend that you know me 'cause I don't even know myself,
Oh I don't know myself.
I don't mind if I cry once in a while,
The doors aren't shut as tight as they might seem,
I'm just trying to fight my way out of this dream.
Don't shiver as you pass me by, 'cause mister I'm the one who's frightened,
The police just came and left, they wanted me and no one else,
Don't pretend that you know me 'cause I don't even know myself,
I said I don't know myself.
I don't mind if I cry once in a while,
The doors aren't shut as tight as they might seem,
I'm just trying to fight my way out of this dream.
Do you still love me, you know I think you do,
I have been gone, and some prison warder knows my scream,
I'm just trying to fight my way out of this dream.
And my mother don't believe they know it,
What she called me is the way I'm staying,
And no one'll ever know it,
Come on all of you big boys, come on all of you elves,
Don't pretend that you know me 'cause I don't even know myself,
I said I don't know myself.
And I don't mind if I cry once in a while.
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love this song! why had no one written anything? what album is this off of? anyway its a really different song, i really enjoy listenign to it, its great on the live at isle of wight dvd!
This song is on Who's Next.
It is a good song, I agree - probably one of my favorite from that album.
Simply, I think this is about someone who is frustrated and confused about himself, although other people act like what he thinks, feels, and is is very obvious. Much like many of Townshend's songs, you could say - the lyrics seem to have such an obvious meaning, but that obvious meaning isn't usually the true one.
It wasn’t originally on Who’s Next, it was added on the remaster as an unreleased track. Great song one of The Who’s best.
It wasn’t originally on Who’s Next, it was added on the remaster as an unreleased track. Great song one of The Who’s best.
This song pretty much sums up my (and others I'm sure) 20's. LOVE IT!
This is not on actually on Who's Next, it's just one of the bonus tracks added later. And it's hard to analyze this as an individual thing (though the meaning seems to be obvious), as it's part of the Lifehouse rock-opera, the one between Tommy and Quadrophenia that never was finished. It fits well in Who's Next, most of the songs there were supposed to be in Lifehouse too.
By the way, the two main lines of the song are just perfect for personal profiles!
This one isn't part of Lifehouse, just a single from that era.
Pete wrote this in response to all the music magazines at the time commenting on his personal life.
I really enjoy this song. I think it's about people seeing what's on the surface rather than someone's complexities, and assuming they're someone they're not. Even if it's someone who doesn't fully understand themselves, they still resent other peoples judgments of them.
I personally believe that it is about people judging people without having met them or really knowing them and that it's also about lack of self confidence. Supposedly when Pete Townshend wrote this he was pissed off with critics and that trying to tap into his head when he believed that he really didn't know himself.