"He's the one who likes all the pretty songs, and he likes to sing along, and he likes to shoot his gun, but he knows not what it means, knows not what it means."
Is the form "knows not" used somewhere?
Is the form "knows not" used somewhere?
"knows not" in a Nirvana song.
I think it may be the subjunctive tense but don't quote me. It's rarely used nowadays I believe, mostly found in the bible. If you find out more let me know!
<<Is the form "knows not" used somewhere? >>
yes, but its a bit archaic.
<<I think it may be the subjunctive>>
Nope, "he knows" is indicative.
yes, but its a bit archaic.
<<I think it may be the subjunctive>>
Nope, "he knows" is indicative.
<<I think it may be the subjunctive tense but don't quote me. It's rarely used nowadays I believe, mostly found in the bible. If you find out more let me know! >>
Actually, it is not subjunctive, but it is an older form used a lot in the Bible.
I heard this in another song the other day, I think it was a Bryan Adams song where the line goes "Please forgive me, I know not what I do..."
It's used in poetry and songs to aid in keeping meter; however, in the song above "Please forgive me, I don't what what I do..." would have also worked, but the former just sounds better.
Actually, it is not subjunctive, but it is an older form used a lot in the Bible.
I heard this in another song the other day, I think it was a Bryan Adams song where the line goes "Please forgive me, I know not what I do..."
It's used in poetry and songs to aid in keeping meter; however, in the song above "Please forgive me, I don't what what I do..." would have also worked, but the former just sounds better.
I agree with most of the above. The use of "knows not" is just a use of an archaic negative construction, which had been current in Early New English and which is rather well-known thanks to the King James Version of the bible and Shakespeare's plays. And while such it archaic in general use in everyday speech or writing, it is still used in poems, lyrics, and expressions, and may be used even in speech at times to make things more poetic.
One form of this construction that I remembered as a teenager that was actually revived during those years was the use of the expression "I think not" meaning (and incorrectly so) "I don't think so"
actually, "I think not" means "I don't think"
what people were trying to mean was "I think not so"
actually, "I think not" means "I don't think"
what people were trying to mean was "I think not so"
Okay, last time I heard that song, the lyrics were "but he DON'T KNOW what it means" -- not "KNOWS NOT what it means". Somebody needs to listen more carefully!
<<Okay, last time I heard that song, the lyrics were "but he DON'T KNOW what it means" -- not "KNOWS NOT what it means". Somebody needs to listen more carefully!>>
Here are results for "knows not":
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22he+likes+to+shoot+his+gun+but+he+knows+not+what+it+means+knows+not+what+it+means.%22.&btnG=Search
Here are results for "don't know":
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22he+likes+to+shoot+his+gun+but+he+don't+know+what+it+means+don't+know+what+it+means.%22.&btnG=Search
There are more results for "knows not". I'm not sure which is it.
Here are results for "knows not":
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22he+likes+to+shoot+his+gun+but+he+knows+not+what+it+means+knows+not+what+it+means.%22.&btnG=Search
Here are results for "don't know":
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22he+likes+to+shoot+his+gun+but+he+don't+know+what+it+means+don't+know+what+it+means.%22.&btnG=Search
There are more results for "knows not". I'm not sure which is it.
I don't give a fuck what Google results you got -- go listen to the song itself. (Radical concept, I know.) It's not exactly obscure -- Nevermind sold a lot of copies, you know. I listened to mine all through the early nineties....
And seriously, if there is one thing I've noticed about online lyrics, it's that half the time they're wrong. And not only are they wrong, but they get copied and pasted over and over and over into one website after another -- you can tell from the typos.
So seriously -- go listen to the actual song. I guarantee you he sings "don't know what it means."
And seriously, if there is one thing I've noticed about online lyrics, it's that half the time they're wrong. And not only are they wrong, but they get copied and pasted over and over and over into one website after another -- you can tell from the typos.
So seriously -- go listen to the actual song. I guarantee you he sings "don't know what it means."
I know that song lyrics on the internet are often inaccurate. I guess the best way to know would be to buy the actual album with the song, which contains the lyrics to the songs. Listening to the song doesn't always tell you waht the lyircs are. For instance, soemone could listen to that "I'm blue" song and swearear that they lyrics weere actually "I'm blue if I was green I would die" even though those arent' the correct lyrics. I have no idea what '"da ba de da ba die" is supposed to mean.
No I'm not dyslexic, my computer is having problems. P.S. how old are you? I'm 31.
No I'm not dyslexic, my computer is having problems. P.S. how old are you? I'm 31.
36, and he actually sings that lyric pretty clearly. (Not like some of his other songs, where god knows what he's mumbling about.)
Ha-ha! I'm only 72!. Jim, you old git. Hey don't forget to wake up tomorrow. HaHa!.
It sounds to me like "don't know" but on all the lyric websites it says "knows not."
I'm going to go with with "don't know," because it's often likely that the lyrics in print never get changed if the artists mess up or change them during a recording session.
I'm going to go with with "don't know," because it's often likely that the lyrics in print never get changed if the artists mess up or change them during a recording session.