If You Don't Know Me By Now

The speaker addresses a long-term partner and argues that their shared history should have built trust and understanding. At first, the repeated refrain sounds hurt and frustrated: he feels that if she still does not understand him, perhaps she never will. He also tries to reassure her that he does not intend to damage their home or relationship. By the end, however, the reassurance becomes an ultimatum: if they cannot agree, they may have to part.

The phrase “act like children” compares their arguments to immature behavior, suggesting that both partners may make small disagreements worse through fussing and fighting. “Funny moods” means changing or unusual moods, not necessarily moods that are amusing. The idea of seeing “eye to eye” is an idiom for agreeing or sharing a point of view. These expressions make the conflict sound familiar and everyday rather than dramatic.

The song presents trust as mutual: the speaker asks his partner to trust him as he trusts her, while admitting that both have moods. Still, his plea may not be entirely even-handed. He asks her not to react when he comes home late, but the lyrics do not explain why he is late or what she has experienced. His words can be heard as a sincere attempt to preserve the relationship, or as a demand that she stop questioning him. The song leaves that tension unresolved.