The moment we forgot we were just good friends
I moved my arm, her face went red again
One more bus home, another silent weekend

You said love was painted gold
Like all things growing old
The paint peels and slowly falls
You already know
You already know
You already know

Looking out the glass though we sit together
We both know we could be someone better
Not with our heads like London weather

You said love was painted gold
Like all things growing old
The paint peels and slowly falls

You already know
You already know
You already know

You already know


Lyrics submitted by mega_mega, edited by simpleplot

You Already Know Lyrics as written by Curtis James Jackson Christopher Charles Lloyd

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Already Know song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

10 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +3
    General Comment

    I love this song always find myself listening to it <3 really relatable I think its about falling in love with your best friend, and them somehow finding out whether you told them or someone else did, its about something that could happen but will always forever just be an almost thing. The whole "the moment we forgot we were just good friends" perhaps being about considering the idea of being together. the "going red again" being embarrassed about them finding out and difficulty going back to normality of gradually talking less, "another silent weekend" The chorus I think shows you loving this person and the idea seeming brilliant and then the love being tainted with their finding out and their response to it,the paint falling being like heart dropping at them already knowing, as if them knowing has ruined any chance. "looking out the glass" staring out a window deep in thought, "we both know we could be someone better" (if we were together maybe) thats my lengthy interpretation anyway :)

    shytrainon July 24, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think this song is one of their best. The version I have is complete with mischords and stuff and it makes it much more real. Also, the light touch of drums and the hi-hat in the background creates a great effect.

    As for the meaning, this is obviously about two friends (see first stanza) and something that could have been (they feel bad about being together, and have stormy thoughts because of it (stanza 3)). It's also about the time passing, which is the chorus, and how she (I think the singer lightly says 'you' before 'said love was painted gold' - at least I hear it) values love as something great and hard to get, but they still reject it a little bit.

    BlakeHCon May 20, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song to me, is about two old friends whose relationship develops into something else.

    They will settle for each other as lovers rather than bother to look for someone else: "we both know we could be someone better" because the love that they are in is not "painted gold" as previously believed, rather experience has made them believe that all love would, "like all things growing old" fall apart and uncover ugliness. If they choose the safe option to form a relationship with each other it would be the easy was out, and also evading some of the inevitability of the love wearing out. They already know where it will lead when he moves his arm and she blushes.

    It is a beautiful song, and a very truthful perspective on how love doesn't last.

    pacificeyeson July 01, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Nice

    simpletasteon January 31, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    fantastic song.. but can anyone tell me what album/EP this is from? :\

    popstaceon March 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this is such an amazing song... "said love was painted gold like all things growing old the paint peels and slowly falls" beautiful lyrics!

    and popstace, I tried to find where this song is from but nowhere mentions it, not even wikipedia lol

    GoldJesteron June 16, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Popstace, it's on the album 'Om Lounge (15 Year Anniversary Edition) which can be accessed on Spotify.

    Great song.

    SammyLincson June 18, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I really love this song and I think I love the band too.

    The first line "the moment we forgot we were just good friends" for me means that both want to be more than friends, because both forget it. He knows he wants and he also knows that she wants because of the second line.

    When you realize that you like your best friend everything becomes so strange, you don´t know what to do, everything changes, and I think that suddenly there is a horrible silence.

    Maybe "said love was painted gold" means that the love was there but was hidden under a golden friendship :)

    The question is that sometimes when you begin going out with your best friend you can end it being nothing at all...unfortunately. So both are unsure...but...

    they are in loveeeeeeeeeeee! :D

    But I also really love the previous meanings you have found! (sorry for my English, pliz)

    kapputton July 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Such a beautiful song in both the music and the lyrics, it just makes you smile and want to cry at the same time. I love how it's being interpreted in completely different ways probably depending on people's own experiences of love. As mine is non existent this song's tricky for my to get my head around, but I do like shytrain's interpretation so thanks for making it make sense for me :)

    toMUSICiLISTENon May 24, 2014   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The moment we forgot we were just good friends [A friendship evolves into a romance. 'Moment' seems to indicate it happens without any premeditation. On the spur of the moment.]

    I moved my arm, her face went red again [The moment it happens. Blushing is beyond friendship but more in the realm of romance.]

    One more bus home, another silent weekend [The lonely moments that follows after the romantic moment is 'consumed' and plunges into a form of lonely nostalgia]

    You said love was painted gold Like all things growing old The paint peels and slowly falls You already know You already know You already know [Illustrates that they had been discussing and sharing their philosophy about love. She had a clear philosophy: Love is an illusion that faints over time. He acknowledges she was right]

    Looking out the glass though we sit together [They are together yet their mind is elsewhere absorbed in the afterthoughts of what happened]

    We both know we could be someone better ['Be someone better' by having resisted the impulsion of the moment (romance).]

    Not with our heads like London weather ['London weather' minds and thoughts are like 'fogged up'. Not perceiving the way forward.]

    You said love was painted gold Like all things growing old The paint peels and slowly falls

    You already know You already know You already know

    You already know

    jeangon March 10, 2019   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.