I Knew

It was my first night on the job
Beneath the magic and the lights
I watched her through the day gate
On some September evening
She never even saw me staring
Didn't know my heart stopped cold
I called my best friend later
Said "That's the one — I just know"
I don't know if I believed it
But I knew

I knew Before she knew my name Before I ever said a word Or worked up the nerve to ask I knew Like you know the sun's coming up Like you know when a song is true I didn't know much at nineteen But I knew

She didn't fall easy — good
She made me show up, made me try
First date I cleaned out my account
Spent every dollar, worth every dime
The more I learned her, the more certain
So I asked before someone else could
She said yes — God help her
And forty-two years later here we are
She's laughing at something I said
And God, I knew

I knew Before she knew my name Before I ever said a word Or worked up the nerve to ask I knew Like you know the sun's coming up Like you know when a song is true I didn't know much at nineteen But I knew

Bridge (Instrumental — Lila's fiddle leads. Give it room.)

I knew Before she knew my name Before I ever said a word Or worked up the nerve to ask I knew Like you know the sun's coming up Like you know when a song is true I didn't know much at nineteen

…But I knew

Liner Notes:

As I said in the liner notes for Cash Control, I met the lovely and talented Kathy while working at Cash Control, down under the Magic Kingdom. I was literally fresh out of high school. The first time I saw her though I knew...but that's a different song. :)

This is that song.

It's about that moment when you see someone and you just know they're the one for you. You don't know how or why, but you just know. It's a feeling that can't be explained, but it's real. And it's a feeling that I've been lucky enough to experience with the lovely and talented Kathy for over 40 years now.