If She Knew What She Wants

The Bangles

If she knew what she wants
(He'd be giving it to her)
If she knew what she needs
(He could give her that too)
If she knew what she wants
(But he can't see through her)
If she knew what she wants
He'd be giving it to her
Giving it to her

But she wants everything
(He can pretend to give her everything)
Or there's nothing she wants
(She don't want to sort it out)
He's crazy for this girl
(But she don't know what she's looking for)
If she knew what she wants
He'd be giving it to her
Giving it to her

I'd say her values are corrupted
But she's open to change
Then one day she's satisfied
And the next I'll find her crying
And it's nothing she can explain

Some have a style
That they work hard to refine
So they walk a crooked line
But she won't understand
Why anyone would have to try
To walk a line when they could fly

No sense thinking I could rehabilitate her
When she's fine, fine, fine
She's got so many ideas traveling around in her head
She doesn't need nothing from mine


Lyrics submitted by Ice

If She Knew What She Wants Lyrics as written by Jules Shear

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

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If She Knew What She Wants song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • +1
    General CommentJules Shear wrote and recorded the song (not Crenshaw). Originally, it was "If she knew what she wants, I'd be giving it to her". The Bangles changed it to ".. he'd be giving it to her" and altered the verse-bridge sequence. There's a version of Jules' version on youtube.

    It's a brilliant song about a guy who is head-over-heels about a complicated woman that he doesn't understand.
    fanofoldieson January 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Commentthis song to me means there is this guy and he's head over heels for this girl but shes not really sure wether he is the right man to get involved with even though he'd give her the world
    blinkblondeon February 13, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General CommentMan!! I already heard this song...but ...because I`m mexican...I never think that it`s talking about the last few years of my life with my wife...and this song touch me very deep...`couse...at this time were going to divorce.....
    TKenobion May 17, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General CommentAnd the part that say :"If she knew what she wants
    (But he can't see through her)"....it is the matter why she said that i don`t understand her...

    And "She's got so many ideas traveling around in her head. She doesn't need nothing from mine" its the actual way of our relationship...

    TKenobion May 17, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General CommentAnd the part that say :"If she knew what she wants
    (But he can't see through her)"....it is the matter why she said that i don`t understand her...

    And "She's got so many ideas traveling around in her head. She doesn't need nothing from mine" its the actual way of our relationship...

    TKenobion May 17, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment To me this song is about a serious lack of communication. Whenever I hear it I think, yeah that's me, keeping it all bottled up inside and telling everyone I'm fine, fine, fine, when inside my head and my heart just want to scream.
    Lioness_Whisperson July 20, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General CommentAs far back as I can recall, this song was either a Marshall Crenshaw cover or Crenshaw wrote this song just for the Bangles.
    Now I've truly dated myself-eeekkk!!!!
    pharmageekon December 01, 2007   Link
  • 0
    My InterpretationI have to add that on another level, it's about the conflicts between how a woman sees a relationship vs. how a man sees a relationship. Love is never simple in the mind of a woman; it's a thing she has to think about carefully. Also I'm sensing that is about love for someone in their late teens-early 20's or so; in that time, a person is faced with a lot of life choices that will affect him/her for the rest of his/her life. The female is trying to decide various things, and sees what she wants in a lover as another challenge to her life that she must plot over carefully.
    quampon February 11, 2014   Link
  • 0
    My InterpretationThe song seems very simply about a guy who doesn't understand a woman he's in love with.

    However.

    My personal interpretation is about a couple dealing with one partner's (the woman in this case) depression. She doesn't know what she wants to make her happy, but if she knew what it was he'd do anything to give it to her.
    litamaiviaon February 12, 2018   Link
  • 0
    General CommentOldest story In the world, he loves her, she does not love him as much, so he is continually frustrated by her and sees her as complicated, but really she just does not feel the same way.
    delia17601on September 08, 2019   Link

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