If You Don't Understand
Music written by Toto Cotugno.
English lyrics penned by Norman Newell.
The original Italian lyrics seem to be by Ornella Vanoni and Sergio Bardotti.

Released in 1984 on a single and on the album I Am What I Am.

Though the rest of the album was recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra and the CD inlay does not state anything different for this song, this song is not from the same recording session. It was probably not recorded with the LSO - you can hear that if you compare the other songs orchestral accompaniment with the backing of this song. A fact that supports this idea is that this song was not on the LP version of the I Am What I Am album.

In 1985 a Towerbell maxi-single was released with a "Special Dance Mix" of If You Don't Understand re-mixed by Robert Levy-Provençal (length 7:11).

In1986 another Towerbell maxi-single was released including "New recordings never previously available" of "To All The Men I've Loved Before" and also this song.

Shirley Bassey has also performed this song live in a few shows between 1984 - 1987.

As a child, the composer Toto Cutugno (born 1943 in Italy as Salvatore Cutugno) joined a local music band as drummer, played accordion and by the age of 13 he already received third place in a local music contest. In the 1960's he formed a band called "Toto e i Tati" for which he wrote many songs himself. After that he was in a band "Albatros" until starting his solo career in 1978. As he became more famous he also wrote for Adriano Celentano, and for many other Italian artists, but also international artists like Ray Charles, Shirley Bassey and many more performed his songs. He won at many music festivals, for example the Festival of Sanremo with "Solo noi" 1980.
He still releases new albums. For more information look at the officially acknowledged fan club which is available in three languages.

I don't know from which Italian song this song has been translated.

The word "Heel" in the first row of the lyrics is in American slang an expression for a scoundrell, a villain or a rogue.


Lyrics

He can be the biggest heel that human nature has invented
But I'd never change him if I could
And whenever he's away from me
I nearly go demented I'd leave him if I could

He's the face upon the pillow
That I always want to turn to
But I never know how long he'll stay
You may ask me why I choose to live this way
Well, I'm a woman

If you don't understand
You've never known a love that was real
You've never known the way that I feel
Each time he leaves me
If You don't understand
You've never known impossible dreams
You've never known the hell that it means to be
Missing him
Wanting him

He can take me to the moon each time he puts his arms around me
Only he can take the moon away
And if I regret the day this wayward lover ever found me
I'd be to proud to say
He can smile and I surrender
But I couldn't live without him
He's the loosing game I always play
You may ask me why I choose to live this way
Well, I'm a woman

If you don't understand
You've never known a love that was real
You've never known the way that I feel
Each time he leaves me
If You don't understand
You've never known impossible dreams
You've never known the hell that it means to be
Missing him
Wanting him

If you don't understand
You've never known a love that was real
You've never known the way that I feel
Each time he leaves me
If You don't understand
You've never known impossible dreams
You've never known the hell that it means to be
Missing him
Wanting him

(Transcribed by Roman)