I was dreaming of the past,
And my heart was beating fast.
I began to lose control,
I began to lose control.
I didn't mean to hurt you.
I'm sorry that I made you cry.
Oh no, I didn't mean to hurt you.
I'm just a jealous guy.

I was feeling insecure you might not love me anymore.
I was shivering inside,
I was shivering inside.
I didn't mean...

I was trying to catch your eyes,
though that you was trying to hide.
I was swallowing my pain,
I was swallowing my pain.
I didn't mean...



Lyrics submitted by kevin

Track duration: 04:14

"Jealous Guy" as written by John Lennon

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Jealous Guy song meanings
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  • 0
    General Comment:Big up to Roxy Music for recording a tribute cover of this.
    Flag MartyHon January 27, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It kind of amazed me how Paul would think the lyrics are about him

    -I'm sorry that I made you cry
    -I was dreaming of the past, and my heart was beating fast, I began to lose control
    -I was trying to catch your eye, thought that you was trying to hide

    If it really was about Paul, it certainly wasn't about how John was jealous of Paul's "bandwagon", it just doesn't fit the lyrics. Perhaps John told Paul he was thinking about him when he wrote the lyrics, and the bandwagon thing is Paul's interpretation.

    The way I see it, the lyrics are about a person who wants to apologize his obsessive and jealous behavior that have resulted from that person't insecurity and mistrust to that other person; it also seems he's reminiscing about the "better days", when they were closer and were nicer to each other
    Flag marshmellowpieon April 30, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:uh, so apparently this is a sorry for Yoko, but to my it completely spells out the way he felt after he hit Cyn.
    Flag chchcherrybombon December 21, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:uh, so apparently this is a sorry for Yoko, but to my it completely spells out the way he felt after he hit Cyn.
    Flag chchcherrybombon December 21, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:At this moment I feel just like John must have, when he wrote this amazing song.

    I just realized today, 1 1/2 months after breaking up with my ex girlfriend, that it was all my fault.
    My own insecurities and jealousy made me feel like she didn't love me as much as I loved her.
    I felt like I was frighting daily, trying to make the relationship work and she was just bitching about everything I didn't do.
    Today I finally understand what she mend. I wasn't fighting for the relationship, I was fighting for survival. Fighting for her acceptation. For 6 months she was making sure I wasn't a guy who gave up and left, when I had had my fun and I convinced her that I wasn't that kind of guy, that I would love her forever.

    Well... One year after moving in together, I ended the relationship because I felt like I was giving and giving and got nothing but bullshit in return. I gave up and left her... I feel so ashamed. I feel like I lied to her. But that was never my intention. My intention was to stay with her forever. I just didn't account for my own inner demons working against me.

    Last week my ex and I chatted on Skype and she told me that she hates me now and that I hurt her very much.
    It never dawned on me that I was able to hurt her, but now I get it.
    She was making sure I wasn't gonna leave her, because she was afraid of getting hurt.
    I left her, because I was afraid of getting hurt, because I thought she didn't love me (anymore).

    I know I'll regret leaving her for the rest of my life. I will regret not being stronger and telling her about my fears instead of trying to blame her for not loving me enough and not giving me what I needed. Somehow she did what I always knew she would, she made me a better man. Everything she said was right, I just didn't understand it at the time and now it's too late.
    I fucked everything up and I can never get her back.
    Flag Tyler2004durdenon October 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song was probably written with more than one person in mind. John could have meant it as an apology for Yoko, Cynthia, Paul... or even Stuart Sutcliffe, as another poster said.

    John was known for his violent outbursts and admittedly beating on his women and fighting other men, even his friends on occasion.

    And although the couple of punch-ups he purportedly got into with Stu Sutcliffe probably weren't the cause of the former Beatle's fatal brain haemorrhage, many people think that, deep down, John always blamed himself for his best friend's premature death.
    Flag Lantaon August 31, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Today oct-8-2010 is his 70th birth

    Thank you Lennon.....

    ...i can touch some kind of diferent peace when hear some masterpieces from a guy like him...

    ...hard to describe... wonderful tasting.....

    Thank you again
    Flag wwsigon October 08, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Proves that it's not only females that get jealous...As many people like to think
    Flag undeadcorpseon October 06, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:In the book 'John' by Cynthia Lennon, she said that John got very jealous of her even talking to another man and at one point he hit some guy for dancing with her at a party. I honestly believe this is to his first wife.
    Flag VictoryGinon August 28, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is about Cynthia Lennon, John's former wife as well as Yoko. John had stated that he had physical abused Cynthia at points when he was angry or drunk. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry that I made you cry." and I believe the jealous guy lyric is about both women.
    Flag featheredlizardon June 14, 2010   Link

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