You Don’t Know Me is a 1955 country ballad written by Eddy Arnold and Cindy Walker - first recorded by Arnold and released as a single on April 21, 1956, on RCA Victor. The song, in a basic 32-bar form, tells the story of a person who secretly loves someone they know and lets her walk away, never expressing their true feelings. The best known version is Ray Charles’ 1962 cover on the album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music - a cross genre interpretation that blends country, rhythm and blues and pop, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Easy Listening chart for three weeks, and later being used in Groundhog Day. Jerry Vale’s 1956 version was the first to chart on Billboard, peaking at 14, with Arnold’s own recording also charting on the country charts. The song has been covered by many artists including Elvis Presley and Mickey Gilley, whose 1981 country chart number one version appears on You Don’t Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker.
