Released: October 7, 1997

Featuring: Joni Mitchell Q-Tip

Songwriter: Janet Jackson Q-Tip Joni Mitchell René Elizondo Jr Michael Kwesi Graves Jimmy Jam Terry Lewis Des’ree

Producer: Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis Janet Jackson

[Intro: Janet & Q-Tip]
What’s, what’s the next song?
The one about me
Oh, yeah, I like this… like Joni says

[Refrain: Joni Mitchell]
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone

[Verse 1: Janet]
Have a feeling, now believing that you
Were the one I was meant to be with
Oh how I’m wishing, thinking, dreaming
Bout you, and the love
How’d I ever let you get away

[Manipulated Joni Mitchell sample]
Don’t it always seem
Don’t it always seem
Don’t it always seem
Don’t it always seem

[Refrain: Joni Mitchell & Q-Tip]
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone
Joni Mitchell never lies
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone

[Verse 2: Janet]
If I could turn back the hands of time
Make you, fall in love, in love with me again
So would you give me another chance to love
To love you, love you the right way, no games

Got until it's gone
Got until it's gone
Joni Mitchel never lies

[Refrain: Joni Mitchell]
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til...

[Verse 3: Q-Tip]
One two, one two, yo
Let me just fuck with it for a minute, what
(that you don't what you've got til it's gone)
Now you realizing when them nights go long, right
Campaign for me to stay when you know that I’m gone, right
You act all wild, when I tell you to settle
I was working round the clock, but your girls want to meddle
Talk about I heard he swims with this chick on the beach
That was out with the tide but my love you impeach
Now you looking at the walls, head in hands, cold jonezin
Ringing my house, hanging up and imposing

[Interlude: Q-Tip]
And why you wanna go and do that love, huh
Now why you wanna go and do that and do that huh
And why you wanna go and do that love, huh
Now why you wanna go and do that and do that huh
And why you wanna go and do that love, huh
Now why you wanna go and do that and do that huh
And why you wanna go and do that love, huh
Now why you wanna go and do that

[Refrain: Joni Mitchell & Q-Tip]
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone
Joni Mitchell never lies
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone

[Outro: Q-Tip & Joni Mitchell sample]
Yo, do you feel that?
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone
That you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone
Dust

Janet Jackson

Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an iconic R&B/pop artist who has sold over 100 million records worldwide and has amassed a number of awards in her illustrious music career.

Born in Gary, Indiana on May 16, 1966, Janet is the youngest of the Jackson family, who rose to prominence a few years after her birth when they signed with Motown Records. Janet joined the family business when she appeared on The Jacksons variety show in 1976, leading to her role as Penny Gordon in Season 5 of the CBS sitcom Good Times. She released two overlooked albums in the early 1980s—Janet Jackson (1982) and Dream Street (1984)—and continued to act during this time, appearing in Diff'rent Strokes and Fame.

The legend of Janet was created after she connected with the legendary Minneapolis production duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis to work on her seminal third album, Control. Control and her following album, 1989’s Rhythm Nation 1814, featured several #1 pop hits and made her a worldwide superstar. The trio would go on work on Janet’s subsequent hit albums, including janet., The Velvet Rope, as well as her 2015 comeback album, Unbreakable.