Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Greg Brown
Canonical path: /greg-brown/if-i-had-known
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
If I Had Known
Read If I Had Known lyrics by Greg Brown on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
If I Had Known
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
A little creek you could spit across
Jimmy and me each took one more toss
our spinners bright in the evening air
People always said, There ain't no fish in there
Well grownups they ain't always right
Jimmy and me walked home slow that night
right down Main Street in our P.F. Fliers
with two 5 lb. bass making grown men liars
Jimmy if I had known--
I might have stopped fishing right then
It's just as well we don't know
when things will never be that good again
A hayride on an Autumn night
Well we was 15 if I remember right
We were far apart at the start of the ride
but somehow we ended up side by side
We hit a bump and she grabbed my arm
The night was as cold as her lips were warm
I shivered as her hand held mine
And then I kissed her one more time
And Jane if I had known--
I might have stopped kissing right then
It's just as well we don't know
when things will never be that good again
She was older than me I guess
Summer was invented for her to wear that dress
I knew about risk and she knew about proof
and that night she took me up on the roof
We could see the lights of the little towns
We could watch the August stars come down
Shooting stars, meteorites--
we went on a ride through the sky that night
And, oh, if I had known--
I'd do it all over again
Some things just get better and better
and better than they've already been
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "If I Had Known"?
Greg Brown performs "If I Had Known", and this lyric page sits inside the Greg Brown catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "If I Had Known"?
Yes. The related section below points to Almost Out of Gas and 'Cept You & Me, Babe with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Greg Brown?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Greg Brown's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on If I Had Known yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.