Bette Midler

Released: November 17, 1977

Songwriter: Cindy Walker Eddy Arnold

Producer: Brooks Arthur

You give your hand to me
And then you say, "Hello."
And I can hardly speak
My heart is beating so
And anyone can tell
You think you know me well
Hell, you don't know me
You don't know me

You don't know the one
Who dreams of you at night;
Longs to kiss your lips
And longs to hold you tight
To you I'm just a friend
That's all I've ever been
You don't know me

You, you just don't know me
'cause I never knew the art of making love
Though my heart, oh my heart, oh my heart
Is aching just for you
Afraid and shy, I let my chance go by
The chance that you might learn to love me too

You give your hand to me
And then you say, you say, "Goodbye."
I watch you walk away
Wishing you were mine
You'll never ever know the girl who loves you so
You don't know me. No, no, baby

You don't know me
No, no, no, no, no, no, baby, baby
You don't know me, know me, know me
Please know me
Late in the midnight hour
I dream of you only
But I am lonely
Please know me
Be my baby. C'mon, be my baby
Late in the midnight hour
I live for you, baby
Why don't you know me?
Be my baby
Why you mean to me?
Mean to me

Bette Midler is a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, comedienne and actress. Named in honor of Bette Davis, Midler’s career began performing off-broadway until she developed the stage persona The Divine Miss M while singing at the world-famous Continental Baths gay bathhouse. A pre-fame Barry Manilow, the venue’s in-house piano player, produced her Grammy-nominated debut album which scored three US top 40 singles including the Grammy-nominated “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy”. Midler took home the Best New Artist Grammy that year, her first of three career wins.

Throughout the 1970s, Midler found further success with music, Broadway, television and film. The Rose, Midler’s 1979 acting debut, earned her both Oscar and Academy Award nominations, and its namesake song won her a Golden Globe and another Grammy – also giving Midler her first success overseas.

The early 1980s proved less successful for Midler with four under-performing singles and a box office flop with the film Jinxed. However, the second half of the decade would prove far more fruitful with a handful of very successful films including Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, Outrageous Fortune and Beaches, the latter featuring a chart-topping cover of “Wind Beneath My Wings” that won Midler her third Grammy and is considered one of the greatest songs in American film history.

more tracks from the album

Broken Blossom

From the album

Broken Blossom (1977)

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Broken Blossom