▁had ▁that ▁t ough ▁v ibe , ▁like ▁the ▁gu y ▁had ▁che ated , ▁and ▁I ▁wanted ▁to ▁write ▁something ▁honest . ▁If ▁you ' re ▁in ▁a ▁relationship , ▁even ▁if ▁the ▁man ' s ▁che ating ▁and ▁you ▁end ▁up ▁not ▁wanting ▁him , ▁the ▁thought ▁of ▁another ▁woman ▁benef iting ▁from ▁the ▁less ons ▁you ▁taught ▁him ." ▁" R ing ▁the ▁Al arm " ▁features ▁Know les ▁as ▁the ▁female ▁protagon ist ▁imp erson ating ▁a ▁threatened ▁woman ▁involved ▁in ▁a ▁love ▁triangle . ▁She ▁is ▁unw illing ▁to ▁allow ▁another ▁woman ▁to ▁profit ▁from ▁all ▁the ▁efforts ▁she ▁put ▁on ▁to ▁make ▁her ▁lo ver ▁a ▁better ▁man . ▁Frances ▁Rom ero ▁of ▁Time ▁magazine ▁noted ▁that ▁Know les ' ▁anger ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁her ▁man ' s ▁wand ering ▁eye , ▁her ▁desire ▁to ▁leave , ▁and ▁the ▁thought ▁of ▁having ▁to ▁give ▁him ▁up ▁to ▁some ▁un worth y ▁woman . ▁ ▁Tam ara ▁Con iff ▁of ▁Billboard ▁magazine ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁vers es ▁of ▁" R ing ▁the ▁Al arm " ▁res emble ▁those ▁of ▁Are tha ▁Franklin ' s ▁songs . ▁Tom ▁Bre ih an ▁commented ▁that ▁Know les ▁"[ w ails ] ▁with ▁force ▁and ▁purpose ▁on ▁the ▁vers es ". ▁As ▁the ▁song ▁opens , ▁she ▁tells ▁her ▁lo ver , ▁" I ▁can ' t ▁let ▁you ▁go ", ▁and ▁that ▁she ▁will ▁not ▁allow ▁another ▁woman ▁to ▁take ▁everything ▁she ▁own s , ▁including ▁the ▁ch inch illa ▁co