You Never Knew Lyrics

Lyric discussion by supoman 

Cover art for You Never Knew lyrics by Haim

The narrator has been neglected by her lover, and is resentful for being underappreciated. The opening two lines make it clear that she realizes the relationship is not in a good place. She is self-aware enough to know that now she just loves having him "right there by my side"; maybe she doesn't necessarily love him anymore. "Lately it's been such a mix" and she is tired of being let down constantly.

Her significant other can't handle how much she wants from him ("Was my love too much for you to take?"). Her love is the all-consuming kind where she wants to spend every moment with him, but he thinks he doesn't love the same way. She knows better, she knows that after they break up, he will realize that she was "what was good for" him.

She has been picking up on hints from him that he is over her ("you weren't around"). He had "another dream" of something (another woman, them breaking up?) and started "another fight you didn't mean". But when she confronts him, "Excuses were one right after the other". She is tired of his excuses and of him being "too scared to say" the truth. "I need to hear you say it", that he is done and they are over so that she can move on. She resents him for not appreciating her, and also for hiding his true feelings and not being honest.

She also resents herself for treating him so well ("Still, time after time I came running to get you") despite how he neglected her. "Another heart, another day... So much time just thrown away... You know I love to be in love ... So tired of trying to show you ... I worked so hard". She can't believe that she put so much effort into something that he is just throwing away. He took advantage of her loving to be in love, and took her for granted.

The song ends with her repeating that he doesn't understand how good he has it. He "never knew what was good for" him, he is taking her for granted and he will lose her because of it. If he doesn't man up and tell her how he feels, she will step up and end it for them both. Then he will be sorry, once she is gone he will realize how good he had it.