Puth initially signed with the record label eleveneleven after performing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, while songwriting and producing for other artists. With primary intent on a solo career, Atlantic Records and Artist Partner Group eventually sought the artist and released his debut single, "Marvin Gaye" (featuring Meghan Trainor), in 2015. His next single and first feature, "See You Again", which he co-wrote, co-produced, and performed with Atlantic label-mate Wiz Khalifa for the Furious 7 soundtrack as a tribute to actor Paul Walker. It peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for 12 non-consecutive weeks. After the success of "See You Again", he gained worldwide recognition for multiple subsequent releases, including his next single, "One Call Away". The single reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Puth's debut studio album, Nine Track Mind, was released in January 2016 to moderate commercial success. The album was preceded by the singles "One Call Away" and "We Don't Talk Anymore" (featuring Selena Gomez), which peaked at number 12 and number 9 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2017, he released two songs, "Attention" and "How Long", with the former peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both were included on his second studio album, Voicenotes (2018), with ameliorated critical reception and a peak of number 4 on the Billboard 200. In 2019, Puth released the singles "I Warned Myself", "Mother" and "Cheating on You". The following year, Puth released singles "Girlfriend" and "Hard on Yourself". After deciding not to put these songs on his next album and scrapping what other songs he had written for it in early 2020, Puth released "Light Switch" in January 2022 as the lead single of his upcoming third studio album Charlie, which is scheduled for a 2022 release. "Light Switch" peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album's second single, "That's Hilarious", was released in April 2022.
How Long
Charlie Puth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ooh, yeah
I'll admit, I was wrong, what else can I say, girl?
Can't you blame my head and not my heart?
I was drunk, I was gone, that don't make it right, but
I promise there were no feelings involved, mmh
She said, "Boy, tell me honestly
Was it real or just for show?", yeah
She said, "Save your apologies
Baby, I just gotta know"
How long has this been goin' on?
You been creepin' 'round on me
While you're callin' me "baby"
How long has this been goin' on?
You've been actin' so shady (shady)
I've been feelin' it lately, baby
Ooo-oh (yeah)
Ooo-oh (encore)
Oooh-ooh-oh
I'll admit (I'll admit), it's my fault (my fault), but you gotta believe me
When I say it only happened once, mmh
I try (I try), and I try (I try), but you'll never see that
You're the only I wanna love, oh, yeah
She said "Boy, tell me honestly" (honestly)
"Was it real or just for show?", yeah (real or just for show?)
She said, "Save your apologies" (apologies, yeah)
"Baby, I just gotta know"
How long has this been goin' on?
You been creepin' 'round on me (on me)
While you're callin' me "baby" (baby)
How long has this been goin' on?
You've been actin' so shady (shady)
I've been feelin' it lately (lately), baby
Ooo-oh (yeah)
Ooo-oh (encore)
Oooh-ooh-oh
How long has it been goin' on, baby?
Ooo-oh (yeah)
Ooo-oh, you gotta go tell me now
Oooh-ooh-oh
She said, "Boy, tell me honestly
Was it real or just for show?", yeah
She said, "Save your apologies
Baby, I just gotta know"
How long has this been goin' on? (on, on)
You been creepin' 'round on me (on me)
While you're callin' me "baby" (baby)
How long has this been goin' on?
You've been actin' so shady (shady)
I've been feelin' it lately (lately), baby
How long has this been goin' on? (ooh-ooh, yeah)
You've been creepin' 'round on me
How long has it been goin' on, baby? Oh (ooo-oh)
How long has this been goin' on? (You gotta go tell me now)
You've been actin' so shady (shady)
I've been feelin' it lately, baby
"How Long" is a song of confession, apology, and pleading for forgiveness from Charlie Puth. The song reflects the emotions and frustrations of a person who cheats on his partner and eventually gets caught. In the song, the singer confesses that he made a mistake, was drunk when it happened, and promises that it won't happen again. However, the partner isn't convinced and demands to know the truth, asking how long he has been cheating on her. The song is an attempt to seek forgiveness, and the partner's reaction acts as a driving force that brings out the emotions in the singer, culminating in the chorus that delivers the song's true message.
Throughout the song, Puth explores the theme of betrayal, deceit, and commitment in a relationship. He tries to express how emotions can affect our better judgment, leading to mistakes that can ruin relationships. The song creates a context in which everyone's worst nightmare comes true, and the person we trust the most betrays us. In essence, the song is a reflection of the struggle we all face in maintaining our relationships and keeping our emotions in check.
Overall, "How Long" is a moving and emotional song that explores complex themes of love, betrayal, and forgiveness. It tells a story that many listeners can relate to, making it a huge hit among audiences worldwide.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll admit, I was wrong, what else can I say, girl?
Charlie accepts that he made a mistake and is asking for forgiveness.
Can't you blame my head and not my heart?
He was not in full control of his head when he made the mistake, but his heart has always been faithful.
I was drunk, I was gone, that don't make it right, but
I promise there were no feelings involved, mmh
He was not in the right state of mind when he cheated, but it was not because he had feelings for someone else.
She said, 'Boy, tell me honestly
Was it real or just for show?', yeah
Charlie’s girlfriend wants to know the truth- whether he cheated out of genuine interest or it’s just to impress someone else.
She said, 'Save your apologies
Baby, I just gotta know'
She doesn’t want apologies, she just wants to know the truth.
How long has this been goin' on?
You been creepin' 'round on me
While you're callin' me 'baby'
Charlie’s girlfriend is asking how long he has been cheating on her even when he calls her 'baby.'
You've been actin' so shady (shady)
I've been feelin' it lately, baby
Charlie's girlfriend has been sensing that he's been acting suspiciously and feels something is wrong.
I'll admit (I'll admit), it's my fault (my fault), but you gotta believe me
When I say it only happened once, mmh
He admits his mistake, but wants his girlfriend to believe him when he says that it happened only once and it won't happen again.
She said “Boy, tell me honestly” (honestly)
“Was it real or just for show?”, yeah (real or just for show?)
She said, “Save your apologies” (apologies, yeah)
“Baby, I just gotta know”
Charlie's girlfriend insists to know the truth and doesn’t want apologies.
How long has this been goin' on?
You been creepin' 'round on me (on me)
While you're callin' me 'baby' (baby)
Charlie’s girlfriend is questioning how long he has been cheating on her despite calling her 'baby.'
Ooo-oh (yeah)
Ooo-oh (encore)
Oooh-ooh-oh
The chorus music.
You're the only I wanna love, oh, yeah
Charlie affirms that he only loves his girlfriend and no one else.
How long has it been goin' on, baby?
Charlie asks his girlfriend how long she has known that he has been cheating on her.
Ooo-oh (yeah)
Ooo-oh, you gotta go tell me now
Oooh-ooh-oh
Charlie wants his girlfriend to come clean about what she knows already.
How long has this been goin' on? (on, on)
This is a continuation of the chorus.
'How long has this been goin' on? (ooh-ooh, yeah)
You've been creepin' 'round on me'
Charlie's girlfriend asks him how long he has been cheating on her.
How long has it been goin' on, baby? Oh (ooo-oh)
Continuation of the chorus- asking how long his girlfriend has known about the cheating.
How long has this been goin' on? (You gotta go tell me now)
You've been actin' so shady (shady)
I've been feelin' it lately, baby
Charlie's girlfriend is demanding answers about his cheating- she’s been feeling that something is off and he’s been acting suspiciously.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Charlie Otto Jr. Puth, Jacob Kasher Kasher, Justin Scott Franks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind