Album: Twenty Five (Disc 3 of the limited edition – For the Loyal)
Release Date:13 November 2006
Written by: George Michael
Produced by:
Recorded and Mixed by:
LIVE PERFORMANCES:
The song was performed as part of his Symphonica: The European Orchestral Tour, which took place between 2011 and 2012.
George Michael sang the song at least 20 times during the tour, starting at the Jyske Bank Boxen show in Herning, Denmark on August 31, 2011.
WHAT GEORGE MICHAEL SAID:
“This calls to mind back to 1984 … The couple that I wrote about in the song called ‘Everything She Wants’ and you can imagine that couple is still together 30 years later. And that the man who felt he couldn’t do to keep his woman realizes that she’s still there, and that she cared a lot less about money than he thought. This is called ‘Understand.’
– George Michael’s opening spiel in the November 6, 2011 show in London Royal Opera for his Symphonica tour
“This next song was written in the 80s by a gentleman called Terence Trent D’Arby. Oh sorry! I just got the order wrong. I changed the set just yesterday and called in the wrong number. This next song is actually written by me! The best way to describe this lyric is to imagine that the same two people about to become three that were mentioned … I wrote about in Everything She Wants … if you imagine that young, straight couple 30 years later and basically the man who wrote, who sang Everything She Wants works out … the woman, his wife, actually cared less about money than he thought and lot more about love than he ever dreamed. This is called ‘Understand.’”
– George Michael’s opening spiel in the September 8, 2011 show in Mannheim, Germany for his Symphonica tour
LYRICS:
Woman, don’t you ever wonder
Where you’d be if I just walked on by
What’s your name?
Can I take your number?
Darling come with me
I’m going to change your life
When you’re young you think you’re winning
Why worry till the babies cry?
I was wrong; it’s the blues we’re singing
Chasing after pennies just to survive.
And there’s no way the gods are hearing me baby
They don’t even try
They don’t even try
And all the things I said I’d give you
Just seem to pass me by
No matter how I try
I hope you understand
This is not what I had planned for us
God only knows if my dreams are coming or gone
(Are coming or gone)
But you’re still holding my hand
Sweetheart (sweetheart)
And for every single day you’re here
It’s crystal clear
That God isn’t mad at me at all
He ain’t mad at me at all
And all this praying hard ain’t gonna save the day
Maybe that’s really what I’m guilty of
I know we live in times when love is not enough
It’s not enough
(no no no no no)
And there’s no way the gods are hearing me
Baby, they don’t even try
They don’t even try
And all the things I said I’d give you
Just seem to pass me by
(No matter how I try)
I hope you understand
This is not what I had planned for us
Heaven only knows if our dreams are coming or gone
(Coming or gone, coming or gone)
But you’re still holding my hand
Sweetheart (Sweetheart)
So for every single day that you’re here
It’s crystal clear
That God isn’t mad at me at all
He ain’t mad at me at all
There’s a place in my mind
Somewhere we could be fine
Where the children would play
And we’d eat like kings every day
(Some more promises)
(Like kings on Christmas Day)
VIDEOS OF 'UNDERSTAND'
Remastered (Official Artist Channel)
At the SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany on September 8, 2011
At the London Royal Opera House on November 6, 2011
At the O2 World, Berlin, Germany on September 5, 2011
At the Arena Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia on September 20, 2011
At the Arena di Verona, Verona, Italy on September 14, 2011
At the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany on September 7, 2011
At the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid in Madrid, Spain on September 25, 2011
At the Papp László Sportaréna in Budapest, Hungary on September 19, 2011