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Lee Michaels — Do You Know What I Mean
Album: 5th
Avg rating:
6.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 310









Released: 1969
Length: 3:11
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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Been forty days since I don't know when
I just saw her with my best friend
Do you know what I mean?
Do you know, know what I mean?

I just saw her yesterday
I just saw her, asked her to stay
Do you know what I mean?
Lord, Do you know what I mean?

Her and Bobby were steppin' out
Her and Bobby didn't know I found out
Do you know what I mean?
Do you know, know what I mean?

So I asked her if she still cared
She didn't hear me, she just stared
Do you know what I mean?
Lord, Do you know what I mean?

And then she said
Lee you haven't loved me in nearly four years
You haven't noticed that I held back my tears
And now you have, but it's really too late
Better find yourself another girl
Better find another girl
Better find uh, another place

She just left me yesterday
She just left me, had nothing to say
Do you know what I mean?
Oh, do you know what I mean?

She's a dandy, yes indeed
She's a dandy, but now she's free
Do you know what I mean?
Lord, do you know what I mean?

Been forty days since I don't know when
I just saw her with my best friend
Do you know what I mean?
Lord, do you know what I mean?

I just saw her yesterday
I just saw her, learn how to stay
Do you know what I mean?
Lord, Do you know what I mean?

Yeah, here comes it now..

Hoooo, help.. me
Comments (54)add comment
She's a Dandy...indeed !
Posted 5 years ago by 1wolfy    [ Reply ]
 Proclivities wrote:

I still have this album on vinyl...somewhere - A&M Records.

 
I inherited it from my parents and of course ruined it from so much play as a teenager.  I loved the entire thing.
Posted 7 years ago by pigtail    [ Reply ]
I saw him in Pasadena in the late 60's. Just Lee Michaels on his Hammond with two Leslie's and Frosty on drums. The 'base player' is Lee's foot on the organs pedals.

raulman1 wrote:
I think there's a bass guitar in there too. {#Bananajam}

ScottFromWyoming wrote:

I've never listened to this song closely... just a Hammond plus drums? On the AM radio it always sounded like a full studio. Cool.

 

 


Posted 7 years ago by Niel    [ Reply ]
 Millicent wrote:
Months later she asked...

In last verse: "I just saw her yesterday, I just saw her learn how to stay."
I've loved this song forever, but having heard it recently wondered what he was saying there? "Learn how to STAY?"
He didn't like beat her or something, eh?

Troubles me now... 



 
Now that you point it out, that is a little hard to understand what he means...   do you know what I mean?
{#Stupid}   
Posted 7 years ago by devilturtle    [ Reply ]
{#Cowboy}saw this guy live years ago and by far the loudest show ive have been to ! was great but is no wonder he went deaf ! good call bill
Posted 8 years ago by primm    [ Reply ]
G*D, I have not heard this in years. Great song.
Posted 8 years ago by jgrosch    [ Reply ]
I think there's a bass guitar in there too. {#Bananajam}

ScottFromWyoming wrote:

I've never listened to this song closely... just a Hammond plus drums? On the AM radio it always sounded like a full studio. Cool.

 


Posted 9 years ago by raulman1    [ Reply ]
 Millicent wrote:
Months later she asked...

In last verse: 

"I just saw her yesterday, I just saw her learn how to stay."
I've loved this song forever, but having heard it recently wondered what he was saying there? "Learn how to STAY?"
He didn't like beat her or something, eh?

Troubles me now... 



 
In the previous verse he saw her with his best friend, so I think she's learned to stay with SOMEONE ELSE.

Oh, and ... my how I loves me some long haired musicians. {#Hearteyes}
Posted 9 years ago by Antigone    [ Reply ]
Thank B&R !

 
Posted 9 years ago by msymmes    [ Reply ]
 pigtail wrote:
Oh yes!  Play more from this album!  The entire contents is great!

 
I still have this album on vinyl...somewhere - A&M Records.
Posted 10 years ago by Proclivities    [ Reply ]
One of the first artists I ever Googled.
Posted 10 years ago by By_The_Bay    [ Reply ]
Months later she asked...

In last verse: 

"I just saw her yesterday, I just saw her learn how to stay."
I've loved this song forever, but having heard it recently wondered what he was saying there? "Learn how to STAY?"
He didn't like beat her or something, eh?

Troubles me now... 


Posted 10 years ago by Millicent    [ Reply ]
 yofitofu wrote:
Lee Michaels home page is a real experience. 

https://www.leemichaels.com/LeeMichaels.com/home.html


Under "bio" it simply says

I was there & that was somewhere

I was a kid... & I did what I did...

 

 
A lot of great quotes:

"Acting smart is dumb" 

"Theres no control
like out of control..."   
Posted 11 years ago by WannabeBanned    [ Reply ]
 yofitofu wrote:
Lee Michaels home page is a real experience. 

https://www.leemichaels.com/LeeMichaels.com/home.html


Under "bio" it simply says

I was there & that was somewhere

I was a kid... & I did what I did...

 

 
He's sporting a crazy hair-do these days, too. Kind of matches the stream-of-consciousness content of his site.
Posted 11 years ago by Krispian    [ Reply ]
 yofitofu wrote:
Lee Michaels home page is a real experience. 

https://www.leemichaels.com/LeeMichaels.com/home.html


Under "bio" it simply says

I was there & that was somewhere

I was a kid... & I did what I did...

 

 
"The federal government scares me.....
The state government scares me........
The county government scares me.....
The city government scares me..........
The police scare me............................
The firemen scare me.........................
Even the fucking lifeguards scare me.."
Posted 11 years ago by WannabeBanned    [ Reply ]
Lee Michaels home page is a real experience. 

https://www.leemichaels.com/LeeMichaels.com/home.html


Under "bio" it simply says

I was there & that was somewhere

I was a kid... & I did what I did...

 
Posted 11 years ago by yofitofu    [ Reply ]
Wow. Takes me waaaaaay back. But was one of my faves from the era.
Posted 11 years ago by yofitofu    [ Reply ]
Oh yes!  Play more from this album!  The entire contents is great!
Posted 11 years ago by pigtail    [ Reply ]
Pain sung splendidly      She's a dandy, yes indeed!
Posted 11 years ago by 1wolfy    [ Reply ]
 lemmoth wrote:
It's 1971, I'm 13, raging puberty, and just starting to put together the connection between everything I am hearing on the radio and my life.

07. Go Away Little Girl » Donny Osmond Donny Osmond - Osmondmania! Osmond Family Greatest Hits - Go Away Little Girl

 
I love this post. Made me recall the original version of the Goffin-King song was by Steve Lawrence in 1962—when I was 13 and, yep, hormones were in overdrive—and was a No. 1 hit for him as it was for Osmond a decade later.
Posted 12 years ago by WonderLizard    [ Reply ]
Oh dear'
Posted 12 years ago by Easyrider    [ Reply ]
A one hit wonder from when I was young!

Takes me back.
Posted 12 years ago by bill-1956    [ Reply ]
For some reason I always thought this sounded like 70s Rolling Stones. Glad it isn't.
Posted 12 years ago by ziakut    [ Reply ]
one of the many gems in my dads collection when I was a kid....oohh
Posted 12 years ago by billymann    [ Reply ]
Didn't like it then, don't like it now. 
Posted 12 years ago by meadowwoods    [ Reply ]
Played way to much on classic rock radio.
Posted 12 years ago by hippiechick    [ Reply ]
Aw, hell yeah! Have loved this one going all the way back to hearing it at the local roller rink.
Us "church of Christ" types weren't allowed to dance, but we sure could skate like demons!
Posted 12 years ago by robbeek    [ Reply ]
 On_The_Beach wrote:
lee michaels 5th
from "psychedeliclion":
Michaels' choice of the Hammond organ as his primary instrument was unusual for the time, as was his bare-bones stage and studio accompaniment: usually just a single drummer, most often a musician known as 'Frosty' (Bartholomew Eugene Smith-Frost} or with Joel Larson of The Grass Roots. This unorthodox approach attracted a following in San Francisco, and some critical notice, but Michaels did not achieve real commercial success until the release of his fifth album (Fifth), which produced a surprise U.S. Top 10 hit (#6 in the fall of 1971), "Do You Know What I Mean" . . .
 
I've never listened to this song closely... just a Hammond plus drums? On the AM radio it always sounded like a full studio. Cool.
Posted 12 years ago by ScottFromWyoming    [ Reply ]
And then she said
Lee you haven't loved me in nearly four years
You haven't noticed that I held back my tears
And now you have, but it's really too late
Better find yourself another girl


Posted 12 years ago by vandal    [ Reply ]
Song always puts the 13 year old me back on the baseball fields at Shore Road in Brooklyn with my transistor radio waiting for the current game to be over and mine to be played.  Along with Maggie Mae this was the soundtrack of my spring and summer.
Posted 12 years ago by lemmoth    [ Reply ]
Cool segue, Bill...Ben Folds to Lee Michaels. OMG!
Posted 12 years ago by meinthecorner    [ Reply ]
lee michaels 5th
from "psychedeliclion":
Michaels' choice of the Hammond organ as his primary instrument was unusual for the time, as was his bare-bones stage and studio accompaniment: usually just a single drummer, most often a musician known as 'Frosty' (Bartholomew Eugene Smith-Frost} or with Joel Larson of The Grass Roots. This unorthodox approach attracted a following in San Francisco, and some critical notice, but Michaels did not achieve real commercial success until the release of his fifth album (Fifth), which produced a surprise U.S. Top 10 hit (#6 in the fall of 1971), "Do You Know What I Mean" . . .

Posted 13 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
Sorry to offend those for whom this evokes good memories, I found it embarrassingly bad.
I'm just glad that no-one was around to hear me playing it... {#Eek}
Posted 13 years ago by daedalus    [ Reply ]
 WonderLizard wrote:
He was Bay Area staple, but I never got a chance to see him. I heard, tho', that his band was LOUD—like Blue Cheer, Who, Clash LOUD.
 
Amen to that - I was living in SoCal in the early 70's and saw hem play live a couple of times. I think he had to switch to exclusively playing Piano live b/c he blew out his hearing with the loud organ!

Posted 13 years ago by ZM_Herb    [ Reply ]
 scraig wrote:
Reminds of 'Love Stinks.' 3.
 
Heh. I can hear the J. Geils.  I was thinking some Wet Willie, as well.

Posted 13 years ago by smackiepipe    [ Reply ]
Thanks for the blast and to whoever uploaded this.

8
Posted 13 years ago by kurtster    [ Reply ]
It's 1971, I'm 13, raging puberty, and just starting to put together the connection between everything I am hearing on the radio and my life.

And this song was as much a part of my year - particularly my spring and summer - as any other. # 19 on Billboard's Top 100 singles of 1971 - here are the top 20.God - did I listen to the radio a lot - I could sing along to all the below.

01. Joy To The World » Three Dog Night Three Dog Night - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the '70s - Joy to the World
02. Maggie May / (Find A) Reason To Believe » Rod Stewart Rod Stewart - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Rod Stewart - Maggie May
03. It's Too Late / I Feel The Earth Move » Carole King Carole King - Carole King: Her Greatest Hits (Songs of Long Ago) - It's Too Late
04. One Bad Apple » Osmonds The Osmonds - 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Osmonds - One Bad Apple
05. How Can You Mend A Broken Heart » Bee Gees Bee Gees - Trafalgar - How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
06. Indian Reservation » Raiders Paul Revere & The Raiders - Best of the 70s - Indian Reservation
07. Go Away Little Girl » Donny Osmond Donny Osmond - Osmondmania! Osmond Family Greatest Hits - Go Away Little Girl
08. Take Me Home, Country Roads » John Denver John Denver - John Denver's Greatest Hits - Take Me Home, Country Roads
09. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) » Temptations The Temptations - My Girl: The Very Best of the Temptations - Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)
10. Knock Three Times » Dawn Tony Orlando & Dawn - Platinum & Gold Collection: Tony Orlando & Dawn - Knock Three Times
11. Me And Bobby McGee » Janis Joplin Janis Joplin - Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits - Me and Bobby McGee
12. Tired Of Being Alone » Al Green Al Green - The Definitive Greatest Hits - Tired of Being Alone (2002 Digital Remaster)
13. Want Ads » Honey Cone Honey Cone - Greatest Hits - Want Ads
14. Smiling Faces Sometimes » Undisputed Truth The Undisputed Truth - The Best of Undisputed Truth - Smiling Faces - Smiling Faces Sometimes
15. Treat Her Like A Lady » Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose - The Story of Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose - Treat Her Like a Lady
16. You've Got A Friend » James Taylor James Taylor - James Taylor: Greatest Hits - You've Got a Friend
17. Mr. Big Stuff » Jean Knight Jean Knight - Mr. Big Stuff - Mr. Big Stuff
18. Brown Sugar » Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones - Jump Back: The Best of the Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar
19. Do You Know What I Mean » Lee Michaels Lee Michaels - Hello - The Very Best of Lee Michaels - Do You Know What I Mean
20. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down » Joan Baez Joan Baez - Joan Baez: Greatest Hits - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

Posted 13 years ago by lemmoth    [ Reply ]
Reminds of 'Love Stinks.' 3.
Posted 13 years ago by scraig    [ Reply ]
hoooo!
Posted 13 years ago by JrzyTmata    [ Reply ]
Man I thought this was The Commitments.
Posted 13 years ago by unclelonghair    [ Reply ]
One of my favorite sing along songs of all times!{#Daisy}
Posted 13 years ago by sirdroseph    [ Reply ]
 grogg wrote:
Haven't heard this one in a long time. Thanks!
 
Aaaaaahh, love it, great memories! {#Bananajam}


Posted 13 years ago by ShaunJ    [ Reply ]
Yes, I know what you mean. Wow, what a stab, from the past, in many ways. Great tune.
Posted 13 years ago by Kokoloco53    [ Reply ]
WOW, Always thought this was 3 Dog Night  {#Dancingbanana}
Posted 13 years ago by No_Where_Man    [ Reply ]
Mute.
Posted 13 years ago by Grammarcop    [ Reply ]
Sounds like she should have left him 4 years before. Got no sympathy for the guy.
Posted 13 years ago by iam_overlord    [ Reply ]
Haven't heard this one in a long time. Thanks!
Posted 13 years ago by grogg    [ Reply ]
Great tune. Thanks for dusting this one off, RP!
Posted 13 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
He was Bay Area staple, but I never got a chance to see him. I heard, tho', that his band was LOUD—like Blue Cheer, Who, Clash LOUD.
Posted 13 years ago by WonderLizard    [ Reply ]
The second concert that I saw in my lifetime was back in Spring of 1972 and it was Lee Michaels and Jo Jo Gunne. "Do You Know What I Mean" was a "hit" on the radio then.
Posted 13 years ago by SoundThinker    [ Reply ]
One of my favorites when I was 11 years old. Still fun to hear. Thanks!
Posted 13 years ago by mnmrosen    [ Reply ]
I thought this was The J. Geils Band at first.

Posted 13 years ago by gdhog79    [ Reply ]
wow - blast from the past...a good one!
Posted 14 years ago by Randomax    [ Reply ]