I Really Don't Want to Know

{{short description|1953 song by Don Robertson and Howard Barnes}}

"I Really Don't Want to Know" is a popular song written by Don Robertson (music) and Howard Barnes (lyrics). The song was published in 1953.

The best-known version of the song was recorded by Les Paul and Mary Ford in 1953, one of the top 100 songs of 1954, reaching the No. 11 in the charts.{{cite book|last1=Whitburn|first1=Joel|title=Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954|date=1986|publisher=Record Research Inc|location=Wisconsin, USA|isbn=0-89820-083-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/joelwpopmemories00whit/page/349 349]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/joelwpopmemories00whit/page/349}}

Ronnie Dove version

{{Infobox song

| name = I Really Don't Want to Know

| type = single

| artist = Tommy Edwards

| album =

| B-side = Unloved

| released = May 1960

| recorded = 1960

| genre = R&B

| length = 2:15

| label = MGM

| writer = Barnes, Robertson

| producer =

| prev_title = Don't Fence Me In

| prev_year = 1960

| next_title = It's Not The End of Everything

| next_year = 1960

}}

{{Infobox song

| name = I Really Don't Want to Know

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Ronnie Dove

| album = Ronnie Dove Sings the Hits for You

| B-side = Years of Tears

| released = August 1966

| recorded = 1966

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Pop

| length = 2:49

| label = Diamond

| writer = H. Barnes, D. Robertson

| producer = Phil Kahl

| prev_title = Happy Summer Days

| prev_year = 1966

| next_title = Cry

| next_year = 1966

}}

Ronnie Dove recorded the song on Diamond Records in the summer of 1966. It peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 12 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart.[http://www.billboard.com/artist/368454/ronnie-dove/chart Ronnie Dove - Chart History - The Hot 100] Billboard.com. Accessed July 25, 2015

=Chart positions=

class="wikitable sortable"

!Chart (1966)

!Peak
position

Other versions

{{Infobox song

| name = I Really Don't Want to Know

| cover = Elvis_I_Really_Don't_Want_To_Know_PS.png

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Elvis Presley

| album = Elvis Country

| A-side = I Really Don't Want To Know

| B-side = There Goes My Everything

| released = December 8, 1970

| format =

| recorded = June 7, 1970

| studio = RCA Studio B, Nashville

| venue =

| genre = Country

| length =

| label = RCA Victor

| writer = Howard Barnes, Don Robertson

| producer = Felton Jarvis

| prev_title = You Don't Have to Say You Love Me

| prev_year = 1970

| title = I Really Don't Want to Know

| title2 = There Goes My Everything

| year = 1970

| next_title = Rags to Riches

| next_year = 1971

}}

Tommy Edwards's version hit the pop top 20 in 1960, peaking at No. 18.{{cite book|title=The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits|date=2004|publisher=Billboard Books|location=New York|isbn=0-8230-7499-4|page=202|edition=8th}}
Eddy Arnold's version was a number one country song in 1954,{{cite book |title= The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=213}} and was on his album You Gotta Have Love (1960).{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Eddy-Arnold-You-Gotta-Have-Love/master/656721|title=Eddy Arnold - You Gotta Have Love|website=Discogs.com|year=1960 |access-date=1 May 2021}}
Johnny Burnette - for his album Dreamin (1960)
Solomon Burke - a single release. (1962).{{Cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/452157us|title=Solomon Burke - I Really Don't Want To Know|access-date=1 May 2021|website=45cat.com}}
Andy Williams released a version on his 1963 album, Days of Wine and Roses and Other TV Requests.
Connie Francis - for her album Country Music – Connie Style (1962).{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Connie-Francis-Country-Music-Connie-Style/master/473677|title=Connie Francis - Country Music Connie Style|website=Discogs.com|year=1962 |access-date=1 May 2021}}
Kay Starr - for the album Just Plain Country (1962).{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Kay-Starr-Just-Plain-Country/master/196841|title=Kay Starr - Just Plain Country|website=Discogs.com|year=1962 |access-date=1 May 2021}}
Al Martino - for his album I Love You Because (1963).{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Al-Martino-I-Love-You-Because/master/326155|title=Al Martino - I Love You Because|website=Discogs.com|year=1963 |access-date=1 May 2021}}
Esther Phillips - for her album Release Me (1963).{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Little-Esther-Phillips-And-The-Anita-Kerr-Singers-Release-Me-Reflections-Of-Country-And-Western-Grea/master/530830|title="Little" Esther Phillips* And The Anita Kerr Singers - Release Me! Reflections Of Country And Western Greats|website=Discogs.com|year=1962 |access-date=1 May 2021}}
Rosemary Clooney - Rosemary Clooney Sings Country Hits from the Heart (1963)
Eydie Gormé - for her album Gormé Country Style (1964).{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Eydie-Gorme-Gorme-Country-Style/master/568512|title=Eydie Gorme* - Gorme Country Style|website=Discogs.com|year=1964 |access-date=1 May 2021}}
Gene Pitney - on the album George Jones and Gene Pitney: For the First Time! Two Great Singers (1965)
Perry Como - The Scene Changes (1965)
Vic Damone - in his album Country Love Songs (1965).{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Vic-Damone-Country-Love-Songs/master/863516|title=Vic Damone - Country Love Songs|website=Discogs.com|year=1965 |access-date=1 May 2021}}
Brook Benton - in the album My Country (1966).{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Brook-Benton-My-Country/master/586166|title=Brook Benton - My Country|website=Discogs.com|year=1966 |access-date=1 May 2021}}
Loretta Lynn - in her album Don't Come Home a Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind) (1967).
Elvis Presley - as a single and on his album Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) (recorded 1970, released 1971). Presley's cover became a gold record.
Chen Fen Lan, a Taiwanese singer, included it in her LP album Golden Record in (1970).
Gene Clark on his album Roadmaster (first released in 1973).
Johnny Rodriguez included some Spanish language lyrics in his version. (1973).{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Johnny-Rodriguez-I-Really-Dont-Want-To-Know-That-The-Way-Love-Goes/release/3949357|title=Johnny Rodriguez – I Really Don't Want To Know / That The Way Love Goes (1973, Santa Maria Pressing, Vinyl)|access-date=1 May 2021|website=Discogs.com|year=1973 }}
Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson - included in the album Burlap & Satin (1983)
Jason & the Scorchers offered an alt country version on their 1985 album "Lost and Found".
John Travolta sang the song in the 2004 film A Love Song for Bobby Long.
Anne Murray's tribute-to-the-1950s album, Croonin' (1993).
Jerry Lee Lewis included it on his 2010 album, "Mean Old Man".{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Jerry-Lee-Lewis-Mean-Old-Man/master/578066|title=Jerry Lee Lewis - Mean Old Man|website=Discogs.com|access-date=1 May 2021}}
Knud Pfeiffer wrote the Danish lyrics. The Danish title is "Jeg ønsker ikke dit svar". Raquel Rastenni with Harry Felbert's sixtet and chorus recorded it in Copenhagen in 1954. The song was released on His Master's Voice X 8219.
A Japanese version was sung by Yōichi Sugawara (菅原洋一) as "Shiritakunai no" (知りたくないの) in 1965.
This song was covered in Mandarin Chinese language, given the title name of 過去的春夢 (Passed Memory) with Chinese lyrics written by Li Rui Cheng (李瑞成), recorded by various female and male singers, such as Rou Yun (柔雲) in 1956, Judi Jim (詹小屏) in 1973 from Hong Kong; Zi Wei (紫薇) in 1969, Bao Na-Na (包娜娜) in 1976, Feng Fei-fei & Yao Su-Rong (姚蘇蓉) both in 1978, Long Piao-Piao (龍飄飄), Yu Ya (尤雅) in 2002 from Taiwan, and Ling Seow (凌霄) from Singapore.