So if you wanted to know if it happened before 1
I'd hate to be honest, you'd hate to be sure.
If you wanted to know that it happened before
On the kitchen counter, the living room floor.
If you wanted to know, what did you want to hear?
The simple answer or the one that's sincere?
If you wanted to know, it was better before 2
But if you didn't want to know
Why'd you ask me?
You should have known what I was going to say.
And if you didn't want to know that I actually
Had to be honest then I'll be on my way.
So if you wanted to guess how we got in this mess
You think you're a victim, I think you're obsessed.
If you wanted to guess how we got in this mess
The more that you lecture, the more we digress.
You know I'll say it again as if you didn't hear.
My words and motives were perfectly clear.
If you wanted to know, it was better before
But if you didn't want to know
Why'd you ask me?
You should have known what I was going to say.
And if you didn't want to know that I actually
Had to be honest then I'll be on my way.
If it seemed like an easy answer
It's cause I knew what I wanted to say.
And if you weren't prepared for the truth then I dare you
To tell me how you wanted this game to be played.
If every reaction has an opposite reaction
What'd you think would happen?
What'd you think was gonna happen?
If you wanted to hear what you wanted to hear
A little white lie I could whisper into your ear.
But if I lie, then I'll do it out loud
Put a banner on a plane, fly it over a crowd.
But if you didn't want to know
why'd you ask me?
You should have known what I was going to say.
And if every reaction has an opposite reaction
What'd you think would happen?
What'd you think was gonna happen? 3
(Note: The following is in the liner notes and is included as such)
FOOTNOTES:
1 Drums to "If You Didn't Want To Know" were performed 10 beats per minute faster when recorded and slowed down to tempo.
2 Most lyrics of this song were written while pacing around railroad tracks by the side of the highway near the Wyoming/Utah border during a van breakdown en route to San Francisco to record this album.
3 Drums from 2:04 to 2:47 performed 20 beats per minute faster and slowed down to tempo.