This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
I made you think you don't understand
I used to think that happiness could only be something
That happened to somebody else
Everybody believed, everybody but me, yeah, yeah
And I've been hurt so many times before
That my hopes was dying; so sick of trying
Everybody could see, everybody but me, yeah, yeah
But then you came into my life; you opened up my softer side
And now I can see into your eyes
And suddenly, I realize
I made you think you don't understand
All the times you didn't understand
Why you couldn't just be my man
I made you think you don't understand
There were many walls you had to climb
If you really wanted to be mine
I made you think you don't understand
After all the hoops I put you through
Now I see that I'm in love with you
Now I hope you finally understand
So many tears I've had to cry
But you had many more of your own you had to try
But you stuck it out, and you're here with me now, yeah, yeah
And rememberin' the days I pushed away your love
You called my bluff, and you still stayed around
Yeah, you figured me out
Said, you got me down
And there's no way to lie to you
You know me better than I do
Baby, oh, you see me through
I'd be no good without you
I made you think you don't understand
All the times you didn't understand
Why you couldn't just be my man
I made you think you don't understand
There were many walls you had to climb
If you really wanted to be mine
I made you think you don't understand
After all the hoops I put you through
Now I see that I'm in love with you
Now I hope you finally understand
Oh
Baby, won't you listen now?
Can't you see just what I'm talking about?
Said, baby, won't you listen now?
Can't you see just what I'm talking about?
Time went on, and I was wrong
To keep my distance for so long
So afraid you wouldn't stay
But you never turned away
Always right by my side
You're forever in my life
Don't you go
'Cause now I know
That in you I found a home
Now I can see into your eyes
Suddenly, I realize
I made you think you don't understand
All the times you didn't understand
Why you couldn't just be my man
I made you think you don't understand
There were many walls you had to climb
If you really wanted to be mine
I made you think you don't understand
After all the hoops I put you through
Now I see that I'm in love with you
Now I hope you finally understand
I made you think you don't understand
I used to think that happiness could only be something
That happened to somebody else
Everybody believed, everybody but me, yeah, yeah
And I've been hurt so many times before
That my hopes was dying; so sick of trying
Everybody could see, everybody but me, yeah, yeah
But then you came into my life; you opened up my softer side
And now I can see into your eyes
And suddenly, I realize
I made you think you don't understand
All the times you didn't understand
Why you couldn't just be my man
I made you think you don't understand
There were many walls you had to climb
If you really wanted to be mine
I made you think you don't understand
After all the hoops I put you through
Now I see that I'm in love with you
Now I hope you finally understand
So many tears I've had to cry
But you had many more of your own you had to try
But you stuck it out, and you're here with me now, yeah, yeah
And rememberin' the days I pushed away your love
You called my bluff, and you still stayed around
Yeah, you figured me out
Said, you got me down
And there's no way to lie to you
You know me better than I do
Baby, oh, you see me through
I'd be no good without you
I made you think you don't understand
All the times you didn't understand
Why you couldn't just be my man
I made you think you don't understand
There were many walls you had to climb
If you really wanted to be mine
I made you think you don't understand
After all the hoops I put you through
Now I see that I'm in love with you
Now I hope you finally understand
Oh
Baby, won't you listen now?
Can't you see just what I'm talking about?
Said, baby, won't you listen now?
Can't you see just what I'm talking about?
Time went on, and I was wrong
To keep my distance for so long
So afraid you wouldn't stay
But you never turned away
Always right by my side
You're forever in my life
Don't you go
'Cause now I know
That in you I found a home
Now I can see into your eyes
Suddenly, I realize
I made you think you don't understand
All the times you didn't understand
Why you couldn't just be my man
I made you think you don't understand
There were many walls you had to climb
If you really wanted to be mine
I made you think you don't understand
After all the hoops I put you through
Now I see that I'm in love with you
Now I hope you finally understand
I made you think you don't understand
Lyrics submitted by Tangerine74
Understand Lyrics as written by Christina Aguilera Kwame B. Holland
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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this is my absolute fave song on her new cd. i've been hurt so many times that i have this huge wall put up and anytime someone shows interest in me, i don't let them in... i don't let them understand;).
my fave part is this: "I used to think that happiness could only be something that happened to somebody else"
that just spells out all of my feelings....
To me this song is about her saying that she hopes the guy understands all she had to put him through, to test him to see is he cares because she's been so hurt in the past, and basically saying that "i hope now you realized why i did that". but i dunno.
GAH!!!!!!!!! I LOVE this song!!!!! this is the song that i listen to the most off of her album this one and "here to stay" Yes that is my fave lyric also "I used to think that happiness could only be something That happened to somebody else Everybody believed, everybody but me, yeah yeah And I've been hurt so many times before, That my hopes was dying, so sick of trying Everybody could see, everybody but me, yeah yeah"
I love it!!!
To me this song means that i made you think that i could care less about you but you saw through all the bullshit and saw the real me..and you still loved me!
she sounds so great on this song
Amazing song .
Yes my favorite of the album, lovely lovely song!
"I made you think, you don't understand" =D Pretty easy to see what she's talking about.
Favorite song of the whole album! So good.. I can relate to this song, and believe it or not, but the first 9 bars in this song is my favorite too. They descirbe so much. You know what she's talking about. The lyrics are simply amazing! Love it!