You Don't Know Me

You Don't Know MeSong by
General information
Release date	August 25, 2014
Recorded	2013-2014
Genre	R&B, Hip Hop Soul
Length	3:54
Label	Republic Records
Songwriter(s)	Al Sherrod Lambert, Ariana Grande, H. "Carmen Reece" Culver, Harmony Samuels, Maurice David Wade
Producer(s)	Harmony Samuels
Credits	You Don't Know Me credits
"You Don't Know Me"
Audio

"You Don't Know Me" is the fifteenth and last track on the deluxe edition of Ariana Grande's sophomore album, My Everything.

You Don't Know Me (preview)

Ariana playing "You Don't Know Me" for the first time in the March 17 livestream

Trivia

• Ariana released a preview of the song on March 17, 2014 while doing a live stream.
• Many people assumed the title of the song to be "They Don't Understand" because that phrase is repeated many times in the song. However, when the track list was released the title turned out to be "You Don't Know Me".
• Elizabeth Gilles, Ariana's co-star on Victorious, released a different song with the same name in 2011. It's unknown if that's where Ariana got the title.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Center of attention
Once again
They don't understand
They don't understand, no

Then they try to tell me
Who I am
They don't understand
They don't understand, no

[Pre-Chorus]
You want a perfect picture
To believe in
Then you can't be
Looking for me then

[CHORUS]
I don't need to live by your rules
(You don't control me)
Until you've walked a mile in my shoes
(You don't know me)
And I know, I know
I know you don't like it
You don't, you don't
You don't know where I've been
It's my life, so truth be told
I see you thinking but there's just
One thing clear
You think you know
But you don't have no idea
Think you know me,
But there's more to see, my love

[Verse 2]
The same arguments
Time and time again
And you watch them all happen
But they don't understand, no

Thinkin' you're the
Reason that it ends
And he won't be back again
But they don't understand, no

[Pre-Chorus]
You want a perfect picture to believe in
Then you can't be looking for me then

[CHORUS]
I don't need to live by your rules
(You don't control me)
Until you've walked a mile in my shoes
(You don't know me)
And I know, I know
I know you don't like it
You don't, you don't
You don't know where I've been
It's my life, so truth be told
You don't know me

[Bridge]
The girl you see in photographs
Is only a part of the one I am
Don't judge me

'Cause that's not reality
And all I can be is in love
With who I'm becoming

[Breakdown]
(Think you know me)
(But there's more to see, my love)
(You think you know)
(But you don't have no idea)

CHORUS
I don't need to live by your rules
(You don't control me)
Until you've walked
A mile in my shoes
(You don't know me)
And I know, I know
I know you don't like it
You don't, you don't, you don't know
Where I've been
It's my life, so truth be told
(I see you thinking)
You don't know me
I don't need to live by your rules
(You don't control me)
Until you've walked a mile in my shoes
(You don't know me)
And I know, I know
I know you don't like it
You don't, you don't
You don't know where I've been
It's my life, so truth be told
(I see you thinking, but there is just one thing clear)
(You think you know, but you don't have no idea)
Think you know me, but there's more to see, my love

My love