"You Don't Know Me" is a song written by Eddy Arnold and Cindy Walker in 1955. Eddy Arnold first recorded the song that year, and it was released as a single on April 21, 1956, by RCA Victor.
The most popular version of the song was recorded by Ray Charles. His version reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1962. It was included on his number 1 album, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. The first version to appear on the Billboard charts was recorded by Jerry Vale in 1956. It reached number 14 on the pop chart. Arnold's version made the charts two months later. The single, labeled 47–6502 by RCA Victor, was paired with the song "The Rockin' Mockin' Bird," which reached number 10 on the Billboard country chart. Cash Box magazine listed a version by Carmen McRae, even though it was never included in the Billboard Top 100 Sides listing.
Origin
In his book Eddy Arnold: Pioneer of the Nashville Sound, author Michael Streissguth explains how Eddy Arnold and Cindy Walker created the song "You Don't Know Me." Cindy Walker, who had previously written the song "Take Me in Your Arms and Hold Me" (a top country song in 1949 and Eddy's first song with her), shared how the idea for "You Don't Know Me" began. She said she was saying goodbye to Steve Sholes at a meeting for radio DJs in Nashville when Eddy entered the room.
Arnold told Walker, "I have a song title for you: 'You Don't Know Me.'" Walker joked, "But I know you!" Arnold insisted he was serious and described the story he wanted to tell. Walker agreed to write lyrics and a melody based on his idea. She later said the song came easily, as if "the song just started singing" and "wrote itself."
"You Don't Know Me" follows a common musical structure with 32 bars. It tells the story of a man who has never learned how to express love and has a quiet, unspoken connection with someone he secretly cares about. Because he fears being rejected, he does not tell her how he feels. She leaves with someone else, and he never finds out if she loves him.
Notable recorded versions
The most popular version of the song was recorded by Ray Charles. This version reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in September 1962. It was released on his number 1 album, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. The song followed "I Can't Stop Loving You," which was number 1 for five weeks. When it was released in July 1962, it was prevented from reaching number 1 by "Sheila" by Tommy Roe. This version was number 1 on the Easy Listening chart for three weeks in 1962. It was also used in the 1993 comedy film Groundhog Day. The song was the 12th number one country hit for Mickey Gilley in 1981.
Many artists have performed or recorded the song, including Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, and Willie Nelson. Ray Charles recorded the song again with Diana Krall on his number 1 album of duets, Genius Loves Company. This was the only song shared by both of Charles' number 1 albums. The song was sung by Meryl Streep in the 1990 film Postcards from the Edge, by John Legend in the 2007 Curb Your Enthusiasm episode "The Bat Mitzvah," by Robert Downey Jr. in the 1998 film Two Girls and a Guy, and by Lizzy Caplan.
Artists that released versions of the song: