Do You Know What I Mean Explained

"Do You Know What I Mean" is a song written and performed by Lee Michaels. It was produced by Michaels.^[2]

It reached #6 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the Cash Box Top 100 in the summer of 1971.^[3] The song was featured on his 1971 album, 5th.^[4] The single ranked #19 on Billboard's Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1971.^[5]

Background

The song is about the fact that he saw his ex-girlfriend having an affair with his best friend. He asks her if she still cares for him, to which she replies, in a spoken voice, that he had not expressed his love for her for "nearly" 4 years, and this has been very painful for her. He may now understand how she has been feeling, but it is too late; she tells him he had better find someone new.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1971)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6]	26
Canada RPM Top Singles[7]	12
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[8]	6
U.S. Cash Box Top 100[9]	4

Year-end charts

Chart (1971)	Rank
Canada	78
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [10]	19
U.S. Cash Box [11]	52

Renée Geyer version

Australian musician Renée Geyer recorded a version in 1981. The song was released in October 1981 as the second single from her seventh studio album, So Lucky. The song peaked at #29 on the Australian Kent Music Report and in New Zealand.

Track listing

Australian 7" Single

• Side A "Do You Know What I Mean" - 3:20
• Side B "Good Lovin'" - 3:34

Charts

Other versions

• Simon Turner, on his 1973 album, Simon Turner.^[13]
• Gwen McCrae, as a single in 1984 which reached #83 on the U.S. R&B chart.^[14]
• Myles Goodwyn - featuring Lee Aaron - as a single in 1988; it reached #47 in Canada.^[15] It was featured on his album, Myles Goodwyn.
• Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys on the 2014 album, No Guarantee.^[16]

Notes and References

1. Book: Precious and Few - Pop Music in the Early '70s. Don. Breithaupt. Jeff. Breithaupt. October 15, 1996. Color Blind: Blue-eyed Soul. 42. St. Martin's Griffin. 031214704X.
2. Web site: Lee Michaels - Do You Know What I Mean / Keep The Circle Turning - A&M - USA - 1262 . 45cat.com . 1971-05-29 . 2016-10-03.
3. Web site: Do You Know What I Mean (song by Lee Michaels) • Music VF, US & UK hits charts . Musicvf.com . 1971-07-31 . 2016-10-03.
4. Web site: Lee Michaels - 5th (Vinyl, LP, Album) . Discogs.com . 2016-09-29 . 2016-10-03.
5. Web site: Billboard Top 100 - 1971 . June 24, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160224230503/http://longboredsurfer.com/charts/1971.php . February 24, 2016 .
6. Book: Kent, David. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. illustrated. Australian Chart Book. St Ives, N.S.W.. 1993. 0-646-11917-6. 199.
7. Web site: Archived copy . . 2016-08-15 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161006110115/http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.7535&URLjpg=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2Fobj%2F028020%2Ff4%2Fnlc008388.7535.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.7535 . 2016-10-06 .
8. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 -
9. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 10/23/71 . Tropicalglen.com . 1971-10-23 . 2016-10-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161017221532/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19711023.html . 2016-10-17 . dead .
10. Web site: Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971 . Musicoutfitters.com . 2016-10-03.
11. Web site: Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1971 . Tropicalglen.com . 1971-12-25 . 2016-10-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161006205612/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/1971YESP.html . 2016-10-06 . dead .
12. Book: Kent, David. Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. David Kent (historian). Australian Chart Book. St Ives, NSW. 1993. 0-646-11917-6.
13. Web site: Simon Turner* - Simon Turner (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs . Discogs.com . 2016-09-29 . 2016-10-03.
14. Web site: Do You Know What I Mean? (song by Gwen McCrae) • Music VF, US & UK hits charts . Musicvf.com . 2016-10-03.
15. Web site: Myles Goodwyn - Do You Know What I Mean / Frank Sinatra Can't Sing - Atlantic - USA - 7-89073 . 45cat.com . 2016-10-03.
16. Web site: Kevin Naquin & The Ossun Playboys* - Jamais Garantie - No Guarantee (CD, Album) . Discogs.com . 18 March 2014. 2016-10-03.