If I Never Knew You

"If I Never Knew You" is a song by American recording artists Jon Secada and Shanice, from Disney's 1995 animated feature film, Pocahontas. The song was written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, and originally recorded by American singer Judy Kuhn in her film role as the singing voice of Pocahontas, and American actor Mel Gibson in his role as Captain John Smith. Shanice and Secada's version is heard during film's end credits, and was released on September 12, 1995 as the second most popular song from the film's soundtrack, after Vanessa Williams' pop rendition of the Academy Award-winning "Colors of the Wind".

The romantic love song was originally developed for the prison scene where Pocahontas visits John Smith before he is to be put to death for the supposed alleged murder of Kocoum, a trusted Powhatan warrior whom Pocahontas was going to marry. The musical number, which was about 90% animated, was to be a duet performed by the pair as they acknowledge their strong romantic love feelings for each other. Because during test screenings with child audiences their attention "seemed to wander from the film", Alan Menken, the composer of the songs for Disney's Pocahontas, suggested it be cut because he also felt that it slowed the pace of the movie, with another song, Savages, not five minutes after. Though cut from the movie itself, If I Never Knew You was still performed by Jon Secada and Shanice at the end credits and released as a single. Jon Secada and Shanice also sang the song in Spanish, and Jon Secada also sang it in Brazilian Portuguese, not with Shanice, but with Daniela Mercury.

In 2005, Disney released the tenth anniversary edition of Pocahontas, which had the song fully animated and integrated into the film, but was an optional feature that you could refuse and watch the original theatrical version instead, due to seamless branching. It was performed by Mel Gibson (John Smith) and Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas) within the film's narrative. It was recorded for the original film in 1995.

This song shows the meaning of if both Pocahontas and John Smith didn't meet, they would've never fallen in love with each other and they would've never known each other without the hate and disgust from both sides; the Native Indinans and the English/Americans.

End Title Lyrics
John: If I never knew you If I never felt this love I would have no inkling of How precious life can be And if I never held you I would never have a clue How at last I'd find in you The missing part of me.

In this world so full of fear Full of rage and lies I can see the truth so clear In your eyes So dry your eyes And I'm so grateful to you I'd have lived my whole life through Lost forever If I never knew you

Shanice: If I never knew you I'd be safe but half as real Never knowing I could feel A love so strong and true I'm so grateful to you I'd have lived my whole life through Lost forever If I never knew you

I thought our love would be so beautiful Somehow we'd make the whole world bright I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong All they'd leave us were these whispers in the night But still my heart is saying we were right

Oh if I never knew you There's no moment I regret If i never felt this love Since the moment that we met I would have no inkling of If our time has gone too fast How precious life can be... I've lived at last...

I thought our love would be so beautiful Somehow we'd make the whole world bright I thought our love would be so beautiful We'd turn the darkness into light And still my heart is saying we were right We were right

And if I never knew you If I never knew you I'd have lived my whole life through Empty as the sky Never knowing why Lost forever If I never knew you

Movie Lyrics
John Smith: If I never knew you If I never felt this love I would have no inkling of How precious life can be

If I never held you I would never have a clue How at last I'd find in you The missing part of me In this world so full of fear Full of rage and lies I can see the truth so clear In your eyes So dry your eyes

And I'm so grateful to you I'd have lived my whole life through Lost forever If I never knew you

Pocahontas: I thought our love would be so beautiful Somehow we'd make the whole world bright I never knew that fear and hate could be so strong All they'd leave us were these whispers in the night But still my heart is saying we were right For if I never knew you

John Smith: There's no moment I regret

Pocahontas: If I never knew this love

John Smith: Since the moment that we met

Pocahontas: I would have no inkling of

John Smith: If our time has gone too fast

Pocahontas: How precious life can be...

John Smith: I've lived at last...

(Instrumental)

John Smith: And I'm so grateful to you I'd have lived my whole life through Empty as the sky

Pocahontas: Never knowing why

John Smith and Pocahontas: Lost forever If I never knew you

Track listing

 * US single
 * 1) English Version
 * 2) Spanish Version
 * 3) Spanglish Version


 * UK single
 * 1) English Version
 * 2) Mine Mine Mine - David Ogden Stiers, Mel Gibson and Chorus
 * 3) Pocahontas Instrumental
 * 4) The Story of Pocahontas

Music videos

 * Clips of Pocahontas and John Smith
 * Filmed in New York City, the music video features Shanice and Secada performing the song with clips of Pocahontas being projected on buildings behind them.

Cover versions
In 2001, it was covered by Michael Crawford and Sherie Rene Scott for The Disney Album. That same year, Angela Decicco and Bill Whitefield covered the song on the 2001 Christian/Gospel compilation album Our Heart Sings. In 2006, it was covered by The Cheetah Girls as part of DisneyMania 4 and released as a single. Hal Ketchum and Shelby Lynne recorded a version as part of The Best of Country Sing the Best of Disney. The song was also released as a Spanish single ("Si No Te Conociera," also performed by Jon Secada and Shanice). A Portuguese version was sung by Jon Secada and Daniela Mercury. The song was recently covered by Tiffany Thornton as part of DisneyMania 7 And the song was recently covered by Klara Natasztila recorded a version as part of Disney Chinder Vol 2. In Japan, a music box version was released on the 2008 album Disney in Orgel.

The Cheetah Girls version
"If I Never Knew You" was covered by The Cheetah Girls for the album, DisneyMania 4. It was released as a single and premiered on Radio Disney on April 2006.

Music video
The music video was released on Disney Channel in 2006. It features the girls pulling up at a club in a limo wearing white, sparkly dresses and then entering the club to perform the song on stage surrounded by a crowd. Scenes of the girls out on the dance floor dancing with some gentlemen are inter-cut throughout the video.