This song is def a twin to "Unfair" (a song she has been quoted as saying is about falling in love with someone who is already in a relationship) so it is presumably about the same person. Given the references to buying an apartment and not being able to see her love interest "after tonight," it's most likely that she's moving away and she'll "wait a day to break the bad news" (i.e. notifying him that she's leaving once she's already gone).
And, of course, the fact that she sees in him a fellow "idealist" and "dreamer" (terms commonly given to people with the INFP personality on the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) portends that she'll always be left wondering if they would've been perfect together.
Life should be like a game of cards
You make a mistake
Shuffle the deck and start over
It should be just like drivin' in your car
Get lost and your navigation system
Gets you closer
But there ain't no handbook
You're on your own
Got no instructions
When it comes to love
Cause once you do something
Can't be undone
Wish I could take back
Letting you go
If I knew then
What I know now
I wouldn't have said
I don't need you around
Alone in this bed
Silence is so loud
So I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
Yeah I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now
Wish I come with remote controls
Then I just rewind into
The time it was better
It should have a restart button
So, I could travel right back
To the day that I met her
But there ain't no handbook
You're on your own
Got no instructions
When it comes to love
Cause when you do something
Can't be undone
Wish I could take back
Letting you go
If I knew then
What I know now
I wouldn't have said
I don't need you around
Alone in this bed
Silence is so loud
So I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
Yeah I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now
Oh, oh, oh yeah
Cause there ain't no handbook (handbook)
You're on your own (your own)
Got no instructions (instructions)
When it comes to love (to love)
See once you do something (you do)
Can't be undone (undone)
Wish I could take back
Letting you go
If I knew then
What I know now
I wouldn't have said
I don't need you around
Alone in this bed
Silence is so loud
So I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
Yeah I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew
If I knew then
What I know now
I wouldn't have said
I don't need you around
Alone in this bed
Silence is so loud
So I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
Yeah I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now
You make a mistake
Shuffle the deck and start over
It should be just like drivin' in your car
Get lost and your navigation system
Gets you closer
But there ain't no handbook
You're on your own
Got no instructions
When it comes to love
Cause once you do something
Can't be undone
Wish I could take back
Letting you go
If I knew then
What I know now
I wouldn't have said
I don't need you around
Alone in this bed
Silence is so loud
So I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
Yeah I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now
Wish I come with remote controls
Then I just rewind into
The time it was better
It should have a restart button
So, I could travel right back
To the day that I met her
But there ain't no handbook
You're on your own
Got no instructions
When it comes to love
Cause when you do something
Can't be undone
Wish I could take back
Letting you go
If I knew then
What I know now
I wouldn't have said
I don't need you around
Alone in this bed
Silence is so loud
So I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
Yeah I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now
Oh, oh, oh yeah
Cause there ain't no handbook (handbook)
You're on your own (your own)
Got no instructions (instructions)
When it comes to love (to love)
See once you do something (you do)
Can't be undone (undone)
Wish I could take back
Letting you go
If I knew then
What I know now
I wouldn't have said
I don't need you around
Alone in this bed
Silence is so loud
So I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
Yeah I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew
If I knew then
What I know now
I wouldn't have said
I don't need you around
Alone in this bed
Silence is so loud
So I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
What I know now (What I know now)
Yeah I would treat you the best
Baby if I knew then
What I know now
Lyrics submitted by pedroisnohere
If I Knew Then Lyrics as written by Carsten Schack Claude Kelly
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Battle Royale
Word Alive, The
Word Alive, The
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
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”
One of my favorites off of the album! So catchy and relatable!